Social class in
England in the 21st
century
Estra Tõnisson
estra@kivilinn.tartu.ee
estra.pbworks.com
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It's said that the British are obsessed with
class, but does the traditional hierarchy of
‘working’, ‘middle’ and ‘upper’ class really
exist anymore? And does social class
even matter in 21st century Britain?
What is social class?
one of the groups into
which people in a society
are divided according to
their manners, family
background, education,
job, or income
BBC’s Frost Report
(1967-68)
An Understanding of Class
Some class stereotypes
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Essex man/woman – in 1980s
Working class
Well off
Low intelligence, votes Conservative
Was used as a political term
Women were vulgar, loud, scantily dressed
A lot of jokes made about them
Chavs
In 2000-2001
 Young people
 Poorly educated
 Working class origin
 Dress casually in designer sportswear and
vulgar jewellery
 A chavette is a female chav
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Typical chav – Vicky Pollard
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Vicky Pollard is a fictional
character from the British
comedy TV series Little Britain,
which aired on BBC.
She is portrayed by Matt
Lucas, and portrays the
stereotypical chav - being a
teenage mother and juvenile
delinquent.
Vicky is commonly known for
her inarticulate and incredibly
fast speech and incessant
gossip.
Vicky in bootcamp
Another chav - Lauren
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Lauren Alesha Masheka
Tanesha Felicia Jane Cooper
is a fictional character in The
Catherine Tate Show. Lauren
is one of the show's main
characters and is played by
Catherine Tate.
Lauren is a fifteen to sixteen
year old schoolgirl with a surly
attitude and was most widely
known for her phrase "Am I
bovvered?"
Lauren on Beyonce
Sloan rangers, Sloanies
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Upper class and fashion-conscious,
conventional young men and women who
came ‘up from the country’ to live in
London after finishing school
‘Middle Englanders’
predominantly middle-class, middleincome section of British society living
mainly in suburban and rural England
 Xenophobic, homophobic, anti-welfare,
insular, selfish, anti-Europe
 They are important voters, so called
‘swinging voters’
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Class divisions – Upper classes
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People with inherited wealth, defined by their wealth,
education and their pastimes (hunting, shooting, fishing,
horse riding)
Don’t work for money, but do a lot of charity work
NOBILITY – privileged class, holding hereditary classes
A PEER – one of 5 degrees (duke, marquise, earl,
viscount, baron)
GENTRY – the landed people, lack hereditary titles,
have some political power locally
Middle classes
the social group between the upper and
working classes, including professional
and business people and their families
 50-60% of white collar workers
 Industrialists, shop owners, business
people
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Working class
the social group consisting of people who
are employed for wages, especially in
manual or industrial work
 Agricultural work
 Mine and factory workers (‘blue-collar
wages’)
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The fall and rise of the class
There are three periods –
 Mid 1950s to mid 70s – very important
 Mid 1970s to mid 90s – decline
 Mid 1990s – new interest
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Social grades
Grade
Social class
Chief income earner's occupation
A
4%
upper middle class
Higher managerial, administrative or
professional.
B
23%
middle class
Intermediate managerial, administrative
or professional
C1
29%
lower middle class
Supervisory or clerical and junior
managerial, administrative or
professional
C2
21%
skilled working class
Skilled manual workers
D
5%
working class
Semi and unskilled manual workers
E
18%
Those at the lowest
levels of subsistence
Casual or lowest grade workers,
pensioners and others who depend
on the welfare state for their income
Keeping Up Appearances
Centred on the life of eccentric,
social-climbing snob Hyacinth
Bucket (who insists that her
surname is pronounced Bouquet),
the sitcom portrays a social
hierarchy-ruled British society. It
jokes about a small obsessive
world
where
a
determined
snobbish middle class woman
desperately and continually looks
for opportunities to climb the social
ladder, despite being wedged
between
a
working
class
background and upper class
aspirations.