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Social class refers to a group of people with similar
levels of wealth, influence, and status.
In countries with the smallest income differences
between the classes, they have the best health
status. In the UK, where the income difference
between classes is large, there is likewise inequality
in health status. Accidental deaths in the lowest
social classes of children is five times greater than
in the higher classes. Infant mortality, lung cancer,
stroke and heart disease rates are all several times
greater in the lowest social classes.
Argyle (1987:189) states, ‘the lower social classes
are affected by most illness, more often, take
more days off from work, and die a little sooner
because of them (the illness)’. This is due to
inequalities in the conditions of life – smaller
homes, less heating, larger families, less good food
and so on. Argyle argues that middle classes make
more use of preventative health services such as
antenatal clinics, vaccinations programmes and
cervical screening, than do working class people.
There is also evidence that social class 1 and 2
smoke less, weight less and exercise more than
classes 6-7.
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Tasks – to consider the
following characters and
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A) decide which class each
key person belongs to
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B) whether they are ‘fixed’
within their class or whether
there is any potential for
movement. Where there is
potential, state clearly
factors that enable that
potential.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class means.
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The lower class
The lower class is
typified by poverty,
homelessness, and
unemployment.
People of this class,
few of whom have
finished high school,
suffer from lack of
medical care,
adequate housing
and food, decent
clothing, safety, and
vocational training.
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The media often
stigmatize the lower
class as “the
underclass,”
inaccurately
characterising poor
people as welfare
mothers who abuse
the system by having
more and more
babies, welfare fathers
who are able to work
but do not, drug
abusers, criminals, and
societal “trash.”
Lesson objective – to learn what social class is.
Lesson objective – to learn what social class is.
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The working class are
those minimally
educated people who
engage in “manual
labor” with little or no
prestige. Unskilled
workers in the class—
dishwashers, cashiers,
maids, and waitresses—
usually are underpaid
and have no opportunity
for career
advancement.
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They are often called the
working poor. Skilled
workers in this class—
carpenters, plumbers,
and electricians—are
often called blue collar
workers. They may make
more money than
workers in the middle
class—secretaries,
teachers, and computer
technicians; however,
their jobs are usually
more physically taxing,
and in some cases quite
dangerous.
Lesson objective – to learn what social class is.
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The middle class are the
“sandwich” class. These
white collar workers have
more money than those
below them on the “social
ladder,” but less than those
above them. They divide
into two levels according
to wealth, education, and
prestige. The lower middle
class is often made up of
less educated people with
lower incomes, such as
managers, small business
owners, teachers, and
secretaries.
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The upper middle class is
often made up of highly
educated business and
professional people with
high incomes, such as
doctors, lawyers,
stockbrokers, and CEOs.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
Lesson objective – to learn what social class is.
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Comprising only 1 to 3
percent of the United
States population, the
upper class holds more
than 25 percent of the
nation's wealth. This
class divides into two
groups: lower-upper
and upper-upper. The
lower-upper class
includes those with
“new money,” or
money made from
investments, business
ventures, and so forth.
The upper-upper class
includes those
aristocratic and “highsociety” families with
“old money” who
have been rich for
generations. These
extremely wealthy
people live off the
income from their
inherited riches. The
upper-upper class is
more prestigious than
the lower-upper class.
Wherever their money comes from, both segments of the
upper class are exceptionally rich. Both groups have more
money than they could possibly spend, which leaves them
with much leisure time for cultivating a variety of interests.
They live in exclusive neighborhoods, gather at expensive
social clubs, and send their children to the finest schools.
As might be expected, they also exercise a great deal of
influence and power both nationally and globally.
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Henry is a 21yr. Old student, studying at
Oxford. His education took place at a private
school. He was a boarder during term time
but spent his holiday's at his parent’s family
estate. His Father is titled and referred to as
“lord’ – an inherited title which at some point
will become Henry’s as the oldest son in the
family. When his Father retires, Henry will be
expected to take over the running of the
estate
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Anna is 36, a wife and Mother. She left school
without any qualifications and for the last ten
years has worked part-time for a local
supermarket. Her husband Keith is a local
builder. They live in their own home – a semidetached house in a small Market Town.
Anna has recently completed an Access and
Guidance course and has applied to
University as a mature student in the hope of
one day becoming a Primary school teacher.
Your Analysis
Your Analysis
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
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Jane is 24 and a single parent. She lives in
council accommodation in the city centre.
When she lived at home with her parents, she
worked for a short time as a care assistant but
when she fell pregnant with her son, working
was not an option. Since then, she has lost a
lot of confidence and rarely goes out. She
finds if difficult now to make friends and
prefers to just visit her family at weekends.
Money is very tight and her parents are
unable to help out as they are also
unemployed.
Your Analysis
Your Analysis
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Steve is 42 and works as a bank manager. He
is married with three children, all of whom
attend the local secondary school. Steve is a
home owner – a detached four bedroom
house on the edge of a large town. His wife
Julia, works part-time as an accountant and
most of their spare income is spent on
overseas holidays.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
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Phoebe is 17 and studies at her local
secondary school. She is very unsure about
what she wishes to do with her future. Her
Mum is a housewife and her Dad is selfemployed as a plumber. Mum encourages
Phoebe to apply for university but Phoebe is
currently considering a vocational course in
hairdressing and beauty therapy.
Your Analysis
Your Analysis
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Deepika is 28 and has just completed law
school. She won a scholarship to study in the
UK and left her family behind in a poor area
of the Punjab in India. Deepika has been
offered a post in a large legal company and
if he is successful, may be offered a
partnership in a few years time. He intends to
remain in the UK and has applied for
citizenship.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
Data shows that those in higher classes consistently enjoy a higher income than those
in the lower classes.

The middle class traditionally have,
- greater freedom in their occupation
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Can you think of examples?
- More respect
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Can you also think of some
- Greater diversity
exceptions?
- Have some control and authority over
their work
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Social mobility
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Correlation between job title and
The lower class traditionally addictions

Gain less satisfaction from work
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Routine is often dull
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There is a higher risk of health hazards
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Class affects our lifestyle greatly. It can influence;
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How children are brought up
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Their expectations and themselves and others
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Education – school availability, subject choice and ability to succeed
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Diet \housing
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Access to health care
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Access to leisure and sporting facilities
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Awareness of culture
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Self esteem self concept
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Health and well-being etc.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.

Government complete studies to find out what the odds
ratio (correlations) are for illness and additive patterns of
behaviorcorrelated against occupation, class and illness
and job title . This is known as a SEC (socio-economic
class) base model study.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
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Imagine that you are
an 11yr old child
growing up in a
nuclear family where
the main occupation
in the household is a
truck driver. Thought
shower the positive
and negative factors
that your family’s
lifestyle may have on
your day-to-day life –
consider:

Health
Social
Emotional
Intellectual
Economic factors
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Now imagine that you
are a parent in that
household – what
could you do to
change some of the
negative aspects of
your child’s day-today life?
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What factors might
you have no control
over?
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It is often suggested that
rural areas in the UK do
not suffer from
deprivation and low
employment these facts
are very much disputed
by recent reports and
studies into rural areas in
the UK.
A child learns a great deal from copying the
activities of members of its family., but
characters on TV, in books, in computer
games on DVDs and on radio also
influences him or her.
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Primary socialisation then, occurs from
experiences learned at an early age in
the home and through the media.
Children learn the ‘norms’ or beliefs of
the family. When father goes to work
every weekday to earn money to satisfy
the needs of the family, this becomes
the norm, and a family whose male
parent does not work is outside that
norm. similarly, when appointments for
clinics, surgeries or hospitals are largely
ignored or complained about, the child
rapidly picks up that such arrangements
are not important and the indifference
becomes perpetuated in their families in
the future.
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Secondary socialisation – comes from a
wider field of influence when the child
becomes older. Between the ages of 1115 adolescents become very involved
with their own group of friends and the
influence of the family wanes (but does
not disappear) while that of the
friendship group increases. This is
particularly noticeable in music styles,
sports enthusiasms, eating and drinking
habits, substance abuse and fashion.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
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Social experiences should be appropriate to the child’s
age, and provide the opportunity to mix and
communicate with other people. Examples are parties,
holidays, visiting relatives and friends, visiting church and
Sunday school, the part, zoo, museum,, farm. Ball pool,
going to nursery/playgroup and dance, drama, music and
swimming lessons.
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Social skills lets children fit in with the people who live
with and around them.
Socialisation is the acquisition of skills such as:
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Being able to respect the ideas and feelings of others
Making friends
Sharing and taking turns
Cooperating and negotiating
Understanding rules
Eating correctly
Having standards of hygiene
Stages of social development
 First week – responds to main carer with smiles and
gurgles
 3 months – has ‘conversations’ by making noise;
enjoys others’ company
 6 months – attracts adult attention to start interaction;
shy with strangers; reacts differently to cross and
pleasant voices; uses fingers to feed themselves
 12 months understands basic commands, e.g. waves
bye bye; helps with daily routine, e’g’ lifts legs for
nappy change; drinks from cup and uses spoon
 2 years – self feeds; starts toilet training; parallet play
 3 years – uses toilet mostly independently; willing to
share and take turns; likes to be with other children,
chooses own friends
 4-5 years – shares well and understands rules; less
demanding of adult attention.
Lesson objective – to learn what social class is.
Want to build community spirit and get
all the gossip on your neighbours? Then
throw a street party, as the 1950s craze
is back
The laughter and chatter almost drowned the rattle of the tambourines as the colourful conga
bobbed its way down the street of Victorian terraced houses and post-war semis.
Stretching almost the entire length of the road, it swayed as it was joined by neighbour after
neighbour - a vet, a dance teacher, a gaggle of excited children, smiling grandparents, a
businessman, a couple of musicians and a sound engineer - all shuffling together in the glorious
summer sunshine.
This may sound like a scene from decades gone by, but in fact it took place one Sunday
afternoon in an otherwise unremarkable suburban street in Kingston, Surrey, just weeks ago.
Lesson objective – to learn what
social class is.
1. What social factors affect human growth and development and how can
they influence an individual's health, well-being and life opportunities?
2. Now review your answers!
On the ladder list from top to bottom what do you think you understand the most – the bottom means you know
nothing about a topic. The top of the ladder means you think you are comfortable with how much you know
about a topic. Place the following key terms next to the ladder where you think they should go: parenting styles,
parental attachment, culture, education, developmental delay, gender, income and resources, pollution (and
their effects on development).