Define social class .

Social class is the division of society into groups based on occupation, income, status and lifestyle .

Define social mobility .

Social mobility is people's movement up or down the social hierarchy , i.e. between social classes.

Define intragenerational mobility .

Intragenerational mobility is movement within a person's lifetime , e.g. through promotion or redundancy.

Movement between social classes from one generation to the next is called ___________ mobility.

Movement between social classes from one generation to the next is called intergenerational mobility.

What are the main routes to upward mobility ?

Routes to upward mobility include education and qualifications , marriage to someone of a higher class, windfalls such as inheritance and occupational change .

True or False? Upward social mobility in Britain has increased steadily since the 1950s.

False. Children born in 1958 were more likely to move up the class system than those born in the 1970s or later, so upward mobility has slowed .

Define proletarianisation .

Proletarianisation is when routine white-collar jobs, such as clerical work, lose pay and status .

Why is social mobility difficult to measure?

Social mobility is difficult to measure because many studies only include men , people may misremember their parents' jobs and it is unclear which age or career stage to measure.

What did the British Social Attitudes Survey (2016) find about class identity?

The British Social Attitudes Survey (2016) found that 60% of people identified as working class, the same as in 1983, which suggests that class identity remains stable .

Define class dealignment .

Class dealignment is when voting behaviour becomes less tied to class , e.g. many working-class people now vote Conservative.

True or False? Peter Saunders argues that family background determines success in Britain.

False. Saunders (1996) argues that Britain is a meritocracy , where ability, motivation and qualifications determine success more than background.

Why do some sociologists argue that social class is less important today?

Some sociologists argue that social class is less important today because the working class has declined through deindustrialisation, trade union membership has fallen and people identify more with gender, ethnicity and lifestyle than with class.

Which thesis did Goldthorpe and Lockwood reject in the affluent worker study?

Goldthorpe and Lockwood rejected the embourgeoisement thesis : affluent manual workers were not becoming middle class .

Goldthorpe and Lockwood found that affluent workers had home-centred lifestyles focused on material gain, known as privatised ___________.

Goldthorpe and Lockwood found that affluent workers had home-centred lifestyles focused on material gain, known as privatised instrumentalism .

What did Fiona Devine (1992) find when she revisited the affluent worker study?

Devine found that many traditional values still existed, e.g. workers supported trade unions and criticised the privileges of inherited wealth .

True or False? Devine supported Goldthorpe and Lockwood's idea of a new working class.

False. Devine rejected the idea of a new working class and argued that working-class solidarity and class identity remained strong.

Define social class inequality .

Social class inequality is unequal access to wealth, income, power and opportunities between different social groups.

Define life chances .

According to Max Weber, life chances are the opportunities people have to improve their quality of life , such as access to education, health, income and housing.

Define cultural capital .

Cultural capital , a concept from Bourdieu, is the knowledge, language and values that schools reward.

Middle-class families use ___________ capital, such as the ability to afford tutoring and books, to help their children succeed.

Middle-class families use economic capital, such as the ability to afford tutoring and books, to help their children succeed.

What did the Sutton Trust (2025) find about senior judges?

The Sutton Trust (2025) found that 62% of senior judges were privately educated, compared with about 7% of the UK population.

Define old boys' network .

The old boys' network is the set of connections from elite schools and universities , such as Eton, Oxford and Cambridge, that help to maintain class privilege.

How does wealth differ from income?

Wealth refers to assets such as property, savings and investments, whereas income refers to earnings such as wages .

True or False? Most wealth in the UK comes from work rather than from family.

False. Inheritance plays a major role, as wealthy families pass on property and savings, so wealth is reproduced rather than earned .

How does male life expectancy differ between England's most and least deprived areas?

Male life expectancy at birth is 73.2 years in England's most deprived areas, compared with 83.6 years in the least deprived areas (ONS, 2022 to 2024).

What do Marxists argue about the justice system?

Marxists argue that the justice system protects ruling-class interests and punishes street crime more harshly than corporate crime.

How does Owen Jones (2011) argue the media portrays working-class people?

Owen Jones (2011) argues that the media portrays working-class people as lazy, uneducated and criminal .

True or False? The New Right sees inequality in life chances as harmful to society.

False. New Right sociologists, such as Peter Saunders, argue that inequality is natural, necessary and beneficial because it rewards talent and effort .

Why do New Right thinkers criticise the welfare system?

New Right thinkers argue that welfare dependency discourages responsibility and ambition .

Marxists argue that inequality is structural and a consequence of ___________, not a reflection of talent or effort.

Marxists argue that inequality is structural and a consequence of exploitation , not a reflection of talent or effort.

How do Marxists argue the ruling class maintains inequality?

Marxists argue that the ruling class maintains inequality through ideological control , economic control and political power .

GCSESociologyWJEC EduqasFlashcardsSocial Differentiation and StratificationLife Chances & Power: Social Class

Life Chances & Power: Social Class (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Flashcards

Exam code: C200

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FrontSocial Class & Social Mobility
Define social class.

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Cards in this collection (31)

Define social class.
Social class is the division of society into groups based on occupation, income, status and lifestyle.
Define social mobility.
Social mobility is people's movement up or down the social hierarchy, i.e. between social classes.
Define intragenerational mobility.
Intragenerational mobility is movement within a person's lifetime, e.g. through promotion or redundancy.
Movement between social classes from one generation to the next is called ___________ mobility.
Movement between social classes from one generation to the next is called intergenerational mobility.
What are the main routes to upward mobility?
Routes to upward mobility include education and qualifications, marriage to someone of a higher class, windfalls such as inheritance and occupational change.
True or False?
Upward social mobility in Britain has increased steadily since the 1950s.
False.
Children born in 1958 were more likely to move up the class system than those born in the 1970s or later, so upward mobility has slowed.
Define proletarianisation.
Proletarianisation is when routine white-collar jobs, such as clerical work, lose pay and status.
Why is social mobility difficult to measure?
Social mobility is difficult to measure because many studies only include men, people may misremember their parents' jobs and it is unclear which age or career stage to measure.
What did the British Social Attitudes Survey (2016) find about class identity?
The British Social Attitudes Survey (2016) found that 60% of people identified as working class, the same as in 1983, which suggests that class identity remains stable.
Define class dealignment.
Class dealignment is when voting behaviour becomes less tied to class, e.g. many working-class people now vote Conservative.
True or False?
Peter Saunders argues that family background determines success in Britain.
False.
Saunders (1996) argues that Britain is a meritocracy, where ability, motivation and qualifications determine success more than background.
Why do some sociologists argue that social class is less important today?
Some sociologists argue that social class is less important today because the working class has declined through deindustrialisation, trade union membership has fallen and people identify more with gender, ethnicity and lifestyle than with class.
Which thesis did Goldthorpe and Lockwood reject in the affluent worker study?
Goldthorpe and Lockwood rejected the embourgeoisement thesis: affluent manual workers were not becoming middle class.
Goldthorpe and Lockwood found that affluent workers had home-centred lifestyles focused on material gain, known as privatised ___________.
Goldthorpe and Lockwood found that affluent workers had home-centred lifestyles focused on material gain, known as privatised instrumentalism.
What did Fiona Devine (1992) find when she revisited the affluent worker study?
Devine found that many traditional values still existed, e.g. workers supported trade unions and criticised the privileges of inherited wealth.
True or False?
Devine supported Goldthorpe and Lockwood's idea of a new working class.
False.
Devine rejected the idea of a new working class and argued that working-class solidarity and class identity remained strong.
Define social class inequality.
Social class inequality is unequal access to wealth, income, power and opportunities between different social groups.
Define life chances.
According to Max Weber, life chances are the opportunities people have to improve their quality of life, such as access to education, health, income and housing.
Define cultural capital.
Cultural capital, a concept from Bourdieu, is the knowledge, language and values that schools reward.
Middle-class families use ___________ capital, such as the ability to afford tutoring and books, to help their children succeed.
Middle-class families use economic capital, such as the ability to afford tutoring and books, to help their children succeed.
What did the Sutton Trust (2025) find about senior judges?
The Sutton Trust (2025) found that 62% of senior judges were privately educated, compared with about 7% of the UK population.
Define old boys' network.
The old boys' network is the set of connections from elite schools and universities, such as Eton, Oxford and Cambridge, that help to maintain class privilege.
How does wealth differ from income?
Wealth refers to assets such as property, savings and investments, whereas income refers to earnings such as wages.
True or False?
Most wealth in the UK comes from work rather than from family.
False.
Inheritance plays a major role, as wealthy families pass on property and savings, so wealth is reproduced rather than earned.
How does male life expectancy differ between England's most and least deprived areas?
Male life expectancy at birth is 73.2 years in England's most deprived areas, compared with 83.6 years in the least deprived areas (ONS, 2022 to 2024).
What do Marxists argue about the justice system?
Marxists argue that the justice system protects ruling-class interests and punishes street crime more harshly than corporate crime.
How does Owen Jones (2011) argue the media portrays working-class people?
Owen Jones (2011) argues that the media portrays working-class people as lazy, uneducated and criminal.
True or False?
The New Right sees inequality in life chances as harmful to society.
False.
New Right sociologists, such as Peter Saunders, argue that inequality is natural, necessary and beneficial because it rewards talent and effort.
Why do New Right thinkers criticise the welfare system?
New Right thinkers argue that welfare dependency discourages responsibility and ambition.
Marxists argue that inequality is structural and a consequence of ___________, not a reflection of talent or effort.
Marxists argue that inequality is structural and a consequence of exploitation, not a reflection of talent or effort.
How do Marxists argue the ruling class maintains inequality?
Marxists argue that the ruling class maintains inequality through ideological control, economic control and political power.

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