Fig. 1. The British Class System

a) At the turn of the 20^th century

Tiny Upper Class

Middle Class

Majority Working and Lower Class

b) In the 21^st century

	Upper
	Upper Middle
Middle Middle
Lower Middle

Working Class

Upper Lower Class
	Poverty Class

(the source: http://precious-jem-stone.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html )

Read the text below and answer the following questions:

1. What does class really mean in Britain in the 21st century?

2. Does social class even matter in 21st century Britain?

3. What dimensions actually constitute the social class in the present day Britain?

It's said that the British are obsessed with class, but does the traditional hierarchy of ‘working’, ‘middle’ and ‘upper’ class really exist anymore? The labels ‘working’, ‘middle’ and ‘upper’ first appeared in the 19th century as a way of classifying the sharp social differences that arose in Britain as it led the world in the Industrial Revolution. But can a Victorian system designed to describe the relationship between industrial workers, managers and owners still be relevant today?

It used to be thought that social class was defined by occupation. Teachers or doctors, for instance, have different income levels, job security, and social experiences than ambulance drivers or gardeners. Another way of putting this is to say that people in professional occupations have different lifestyles to people who earn money by physical labour. But British economy and lifestyles of people have changed profoundly since these categories were invented, so this may no longer hold true.

To measure an individual’s ‘resources’ in each of these dimensions, sociologists look at many factors which can collectively be referred to as ‘capital’: economic, social and cultural capital.

Economic capital is about wealth. It includes occupation, earnings, assets and savings of a person. These questions might seem a bit intrusive at first, but they are essential if we are to shed any light on the real class system at work in Britain today.

The global financial crisis and subsequent recession may even have acted to make class divisions more, rather than less defined.

Social capital is about social connections. It encompasses the sort of people a person knows, how many people he or she knows and whether he/she is engaged in any organised groups, like political parties, sports teams, shared hobbies or social clubs.

Cultural capital is about interests: education, participation in cultural activities and the way a person likes to spend his or her free time. Like wealth, social and cultural capital are resources that can give a person the opportunity to do things he/she would not otherwise be able to do.

(the source: adapted from https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/articles/class/ )

Читайте також:

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Unit 1. Lesson 1. Careers and Identities: Can we make our own luck?	\|	II. Reading

Не знайшли потрібну інформацію? Скористайтесь пошуком google:

Генерація сторінки за: 0.006 сек.