Learning objective: All to be able to describe the two scales used to measure social class in the UK. How is social class measured?

Measuring social classLearning objective: All to be able to describe the

two scales used to measure social class in the UK.

How is social class measured?

Connector Work in pairs.Rank (highest at the top, lowest at the

bottom) and write into your book the 12 occupations on the cards in order of:

1. Income2. Status (respect) in society 3. Power / influence4. Class

Extension – could the gender and ethnicity of the people doing these jobs influence their income, status or power? How? Why?

Connector exampleIncome Status Power Class

Dentist - high Dentist Dentist Dentist – upper middle class

Road sweeper - low

Housewife

Housewife - none

Road sweeper Road sweeper -lower working class

Housewife = depends on the partner’s income, status, etc. she could be well educated, but quit working for the children’s sake.

Housewife and road sweeper – the same – the right to vote.

Connector continued...What are the differences in how you

ranked these people in relation to income, status, power and class?

Could the gender and ethnicity of the people doing these jobs influence their income, status or power? How? Why?

Measuring social class Occupation is used to measure a person’s social class

position. This is because people of the same occupation will often have similar:

o Incomeo Level of educationo Manner of dressing and speakingo Values and patterns of behaviouro Status There are two scales used to measure social class:1. The Registrar General’s Scale2. The National Statistics Socio-Economic

Classification (NS-SEC)

Task 1 o Work in pairs.o Use the textbook, pages 286 – 287.o Use the reading to complete the worksheet.o Complete the section on the Registrar

General’s Classification and the NS-SEC.

o Extension - Which scale is a more accurate measure of a person’s class position and why?

Measuring social class 1. The Registrar General’s classification –

was used to measure class between 1911 and 1998 based on occupation. It distinguished between manual and non-manual occupations.

a) Manual occupations are jobs that involve physical effort such as being a construction worker. These can be skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled. These are seen as working class occupations. These occupations are known as blue collar.

b) Non-manual occupations require no physical effort such as working in an office. They can be skilled, intermediate and professional and are seen as middle class occupations. These occupations are also known as white collar. It dates back to the times when manual workers in factories wore blue overalls with blue collars and the non-manual workers wore white shirts and ties.

1. Professional – solicitors, surgeons.

2. Managerial – teachers, nurses, etc.

3. Skilled non-manual – secretaries.

3. Skilled manual – bus driver, electrician.

4. Partly skilled manual – caretakers, postmen.

5. Unskilled – refuse collectors, cleaners.

Problems with the Registrar General’s classification

It ignored people without jobs such as students, retired and unemployed. Retired and unemployed tend to be classified according to their most recent occupation, but some still can’t be classified, e.g. young unemployed.

Women who were housewives were classified according to their husbands’ occupation.

It did not account for a person’s wealth or property so, for example, the very rich people who do not work are not included, e.g. the Royal family, Lottery winners. Therefore, wealthy upper class who do not work are difficult to classify.

Some people in the same occupation classification may not have the same level of wealth, income, status or qualifications, e.g. farmers – some may own the land they farm, while others may be tenants.

Measuring social class 2. National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) –

is the current official classification of social class. It is based on occupation, but it is an update of the Registrar General’s classification because it takes account of unemployed people. It is also able to predict health and educational outcomes. It groups together occupations that have similar:

Rewards from work such as pay, career prospects, job security and fringe benefits, e.g. company car.

Employment status, e.g. self-employed, employee and an employer.

Levels of authority and control, e.g. supervising the work of others.

Discussion Both of these images show doctors’ surgeries so the scales

would put the doctors working there in the same class. However, how could the incomes, lifestyles and status of

the doctors working there be different?What does this tell us about the scales used to measure

class?

Harley Street clinic, London

GP surgery, Southall

Task 2Match the key word with its definition.

Manual work Where blue denim overalls are worn because the job involves getting dirty.

Non-manual work

Physical work/people work with their hands using muscle power.

Blue collar worker Routine work in offices and shops which does not involve physical work (may wear a shirt).

White collar worker Uses occupation to measure class, but ignores those who are out of work.

Registrar General’s Scale People who wear shirts and ties to work.

Embourgeoisement This is the current official classification of social class. It is based on occupation, but it is an update of the Registrar General’s classification because it takes account of unemployed people.

Proletarinisation This is a process through which some members of the working class go through upward social mobility and become middle class.

National Statistics Socio-economic Classification This is a process through which some members of the middle class go

through downward social mobility and become working class.

Task 3Work on your own to answer this exam

question into your book:Describe one way in which sociologists might

allocate an individual to a social class and explain why this method might not be accurate. (5 marks)

One way in which an individual may be allocated to a social class is... . This is when... .

This method may not be accurate because... .

Review According to the Registrar General’s scale what social class do

each of these people belong to? Why?Would the ranking be different according to the NS-SEC? Why?

Hospital nurse

Hospital doctor

Hospital cleaner