Class stratification and life chances
L.O: To be able to
• define life chances & give examples of inequality in life chances (G)
• explain reasons for the unequal distribution of life chances (C)
• Relate the distribution of life chances to the development of social classes (A)
Men in Kensington live
on average 10 years
longer than men in
Manchester.
Women in Kensington
live on average 9 years
longer than women in
Liverpool.
Starter: How do you explain these
statistics? Hint: Look at the
learning objectives for a clue!
Life chances = the chances that sections of society have
of achieving the “things” which are valued by their
society.
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•
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Life expectancy
Chances of heart attack
Levels of tooth decay
Going to university
Owning a house…
Activity: Look at the table below:
1) Describe the trend in the statistics.
2) Write a list of factors that could explain
this under the headings:
a) Resources of family
b) Culture of family/area
c) Facilities in area
Tooth decay
(5 years old)
Tooth decay
(15 years old)
“Deprived” schools
60%
72%
“Non-deprived” schools
40%
55%
What would a Marxist
say when asked if life
chances are
distributed unequally
in society?
A: Competition in society creates
winners and losers. The winners
are rich and powerful & have the
best life chances – best education,
healthcare etc. The losers are
poor and have the worst life
chances…
What would a
Functionalist say when
asked if life chances
are distributed
unequally in society?
A: Welfare benefits, free education
and free healthcare mean that
individuals can improve their life
chances if they want to. Hard work
and a sensible lifestyle can turn
these opportunities into better life
chances…
L.O: To be able to
• define life chances & give examples of inequality in life chances (G)
• explain reasons for the unequal distribution of life chances (C)
• Relate the distribution of life chances to the development of social classes (A)
You should all be able to explain the first learning objective…
Most should be able to explain the second…
Some could have a go at the third…
How is social class measured?
Occupation = job/career
Skilled – need qualifications
Non-skilled – no qualifications needed
Manual – hands on jobs – wear an overall
Non-manual – doesn’t involve getting your
handed dirty/ no overall/ suit wearing
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
Classes in the UK
Upper class
Middle class
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
Working class
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
Class according to Karl Marx
Upper class
Working class
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
Classes in the UK
Upper class
Middle class
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
Working class
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
Registrar general’s scale
Professional occupations
Managerial
Skilled non manual
Skilled manual
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
Partly skilled
Unskilled
This was used by the government until 1998
Put the following job in the correct category according to the registrar
general’s scale – use p.286 to help you.
Brain
surgeon
Biology
teacher
Toni and Guy
Hairdresser
Architect
Doctor’s
Hospital
Receptionist nurse
Postman
Office
cleaner
Bus driver
Pub barmaid
Solicitor
Bin men
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
Registrar general’s scale
Professional occupations
Managerial
Skilled non manual
Skilled manual
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
Partly skilled
Unskilled
Solicitors, surgeons,
architects
Teachers, nurses,
pilots
Secretary/receptionist
Bus driver, electrician,
hairdresser
Postal worker,
bartenders, caretaker
Refuse collectors,
cleaners
What are the problems with using
occupation to measure social class?
Problem’s with the registrar general’s scale
1) Doesn’t include groups such as…
2) Married women were classed as….
3) Doesn’t reflect other factors such as…
Problem’s with the registrar
general’s scale
1) Doesn’t include groups such as students,
retired, unemployed.
2) Married housewives were classed as the
same as their husband.
3) Doesn’t reflect other factors such as wealth,
status, property.
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
NS-SEC class scale
Higher managerial
Higher managerial
Lower managerial
Intermediate
Employers
Lower supervisory
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
Semi routine
Routine
Never worked
This is the official UK classification used today
Put the following job in the correct category according to the NS-SEC scale –
use p.287 to help you.
Office cleaner
Doctor’s
Receptionist
Biology teacher
Farmer
Unemployed
Bus driver
Car mechanic
Solicitor
More power,
wealth,
income and
status
NS-SEC class scale
Higher managerial
solicitor
Higher managerial
Lower managerial
Intermediate
Employers
Lower supervisory
Less power,
wealth,
income and
status
Semi routine
Routine
Never worked
teachers
secretaries
farmers
Car mechanic
Bus driver
cleaner
Unemployed
Why is this better than the Register general’s scale?
Advantages of NS-SEC scale
Includes whole population
Reflects levels of authority
These all mean the same
1) Describe one way the government could measure social
class and explain how it may be problematic. (5)
2) Describe one way the government could measure social
class and explain how it may not be accurate. (5)
3) Describe one way in which social class can be measured
explain problems with this method(5)
4) Describe one way in which social class can be classified
and explain problems with this way of classifying people
(5)
Describe one social class and explain how it could be
measured . (5)
One social class could be the upper class
For example people with wealth, status and
power
This could be measured using the registrar
general’s scale
This means that a person’s occupation is used
to judge their class
For example a brain surgeon would be judged
as upper class as they have a professional job.
2/2
Identify
3/3
Explain
5/5
Describe one way of measuring social class and explain
how accurate this measurement is. (5)
One way could be using the registrar general’s
scale
For example a surgeon is upper class
professional
They are not accurate because people may
have a professional job but not a lot of money.
This means that it doesn’t take into account
other factors.
For example a newly qualified surgeon may
still be paying off university debt which means
that he does not have the wealth or status of
most upper classes people.
2/2
Identify
3/3
Explain
5/5