Stratification Based on Social Class Today (AQA GCSE Sociology): Revision Note
The Registrar General's classification
Social class is seen as the main form of stratification in Britain
Occupation is often used to measure social class as it is related to factors like pay, social status and life chances
Subjective class refers to how people see themselves in class terms
There are three social classes in Britain:
the working class
the middle class
the upper class
The Registrar General's social class scale was the official class scale in the UK between 1911 and 1998
It distinguishes between manual and non-manual occupations
Manual occupations require some physical effort and can be skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled and are seen as working-class
Non-manual occupations require no physical effort and include intermediate and professional occupations, which are seen as middle-class
Classes I, II and III (non-manual) were seen as middle class and III (manual), IV and V were seen as working class
The Registrar General's Social Class Scale | |
---|---|
I | Professional occupations, e.g., solicitors and doctors |
II | Managerial and technical occupations, e.g., teachers, nurses and pilots |
III (N) | Skilled non-manual occupations, e.g. clerical workers, secretaries and receptionists |
III (M) | Skilled manual occupations, e.g. bus drivers, electricians and hairdressers |
IV | Partly skilled occupations, e.g., postal workers, bar tenders and caretakers |
V | Unskilled occupations, e.g., labourers and clearners |
Criticisms of the Registrar General's scale
Measuring social class based on occupation cannot include retired or unemployed people, particularly people who have never worked
Although New Right commentators would argue that Britain has an underclass
The class position of a family or couple based on a man's occupation was challenged when more married women went into paid employment in the 1970s
Occupational class scales reveal nothing about an individual's inherited wealth or property
It is unclear where the wealthy upper class or National Lottery millionaires should be placed
There are vast differences in the wealth, income and status of individuals who have the same job title
The National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC)
The NS-SEC has replaced the Registrar General's scale as the UK's official classification
The NS-SEC is also based on occupation but it includes unemployed people
It groups occupations that have similar:
rewards from work such as pay, benefits (e.g. company car), career prospects and job security
employment status, i.e., employer, employed or self-employed
levels of authority and control, i.e., responsibility for other workers
The NS-SEC Class Scale | |
---|---|
1 | Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations, e.g., senior sales managers and solicitors |
2 | Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations, e.g., social workers and teachers |
3 | Intermediate occupations, e.g., secretaries and computer operators |
4 | Employers in small businesses and own account workers (self-employed), e.g., farmers |
5 | Lower supervisory and technical occupations, e.g., car mechanics |
6 | Semi-routine occupations, e.g., cooks, bus drivers and sales assistants |
7 | Routine occupations, e.g., waiters, clearers, and labourers |
8 | Never worked and long-term unemployed |
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