Class Identities

Question 1

Inland Revenue, 2002

Answer 1

Marketable wealth, UK, 2000 - top 1% of population own 22% of total wealth. Top 5% own 42% of total wealth and top 50% of population own 94% of total wealth.

Question 2

John Scott (1982)

Answer 2

Upper class is characterized by a high degree of social cohesion, the main support of this being its system kinship and educational experience. The children are usually educated in top public schools.

Question 3

Roberts (2001)

Answer 3

During their socialization, young members of the upper class are introduced to the exclusive social events that provide a sense of ‘real class’. They also provide a circuit here further connections and contacts can be made.

Question 4

Chris Rojek (2000)

Answer 4

Used stats and biographical data to study the lives of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Richard Brandon. Their lives were central to work - they worked long hours and only attended exclusive social occasions to make more connections.

Question 5

Roberts (2001) (a)

Answer 5

The present day middle class are distinguishable by the fact that there were so may lifestyle variations between them, some related to age, gender, ethnicity and education.

Question 6

Mike Savage et al (1992)

Answer 6

Middle class is traditionally regarded as respectable and deeply conformist. Nowadays they are often the pioneers of new cultural styles.

Question 7

McDonough (1997) (a)

Answer 7

Most of the sons of higher professionals end up in similar jobs, suggesting that parents gave been successful in passing hard working values down.

Question 8

Roberts (2001) (b)

Answer 8

Three main values associated with professional middle classes - Service - the middle class expect a service relationship with employer. Career - They value the opportunity to gain promotion in a job and meritocracy - belief that positions shall be achieved by ability and effort.

Question 9

McDonough (1997) (b)

Answer 9

Routine white collar workers see work as a way of improving their quality of life, allowing them to take holidays and buy more consumer goods.

Question 10

Hoggart (1957) and Young and Willmott (19957)

Answer 10

Key features of traditional working class are: Male breadwinners - men are main breadwinners in the family. Home - home was often crowded and noisy but it held a special place in people’s affections. Family - marriage was for life. Members of extended family lived close by. Community - formed close knit communities where they held close circles of friends and acquaintances. Class consciousness - they had a strong class identity.

Question 11

Murray (1994)

Answer 11

Underclass is located at very bottom of the class pyramid - members suffer poverty, unemployment, bad housing, ill health etc.

Question 12

Charles Murray

Answer 12

Called them the ‘new rabble’. He claims they prefer to live off crime or benefits rather than work and accuse them of irresponsible attitudes to parenthood.

Question 13

Dean and Taylor-Gooby (1992)

Answer 13

Critcised the idea that valus of the underclass are really so different from the rest of society.

Question 14

Peter Saunders (1990)

Answer 14

How underclass values effect their disadvantage - empty hours filled with sleep, and days go by in a dull haze of TV programmes.

Question 15

Paukulski and Waters (1996)

Answer 15

Lifestyles are becoming central organizing feature of people’s lives and a major source of social and personal identity.

Question 16

Clarke and Saunders (1991)

Answer 16

Nowadays people’s lives are more likely to be centered on their leisure and the things they spend their money on.

Question 17

Gordon Marshall et al (1989)

Answer 17

About 60% of the sample thought of themselves as belonging to a particular class, and over 90% could place themselves if prompted.

Question 18

Fiona Devine (1997)

Answer 18

Supports Gordon Marshall. After reviewing a wide range of research, she concludes that class is still the most common and significant social identity in Britain.

Question 19

Mike Savage et al (2001)

Answer 19

Investigated class identities of 178 people in Manchester. Very few believed Britain is a a classless society, but the rest of the people they interviewed were rather hesitant about identifying themselves as members of any class.