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Social Classes in Britain

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SOCIAL CLASSES IN BRITAIN

In this essay on social classes in Britain I will mostly concentrate on structure of various classes in Britain and relations between them. I will also describe some changes and movements which this classes went through over the years. Furthermore, I will put emphasis on today's important issue in Britain, the problem of class struggle i.e. disparity between the rich and the poor. Although there are various definitions of social class, we may say that social class is connected with factors such as wealth, level of education and occupation. To be more precise in defining it, a social class is "a status hierarchy in which individuals and groups are classified on the basis of esteem and prestige acquired …show more content…

With the loss of the majority of traditional working class industrial jobs from the market, a new 'underclass', below working class emerged. The 'underclass', defined as unemployed relying on state benefits, is the new bottom of the British class system."[12] "Since the 1950s there has been a massive growth of the middle class. But there has also been the emergence of a sizeable 'underclass', as category E is commonly known."[13] As opposite, in the 1990s, according to Andrew Adonis and Stephen Pollard there have been discovered a new upper middle class described as 'the super class', which consisted of elite professionals and managers, which held high salaries and share ownership.[14] Because of such situation, caused by the fact that the middle class is mobile and fluid, there has been significant change in percentages of households since 1992. As the middle class is expanding, percentages of categories A, B and C1 have increased, and percentages of categories C2, D and E have decreased. "The middle class, in particular, has great fluidity and mobility. ... Over half of today's middle class started life in the working class."[15] But difficulties arise when "despite this fluidity, the elite of society, itself a segment of the professional class, takes great care to protect itself. This includes the 'gentry' class made up mainly of landowners, and others who move in the most exclusive English social

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