Class

• Class


  Through history people have often been divided into different classes, traditionally based on the job you did and how much money you had
• Traditional class system


  • Upper Class
  • Middle Class
  • Working Class
• Upper Class


  • Hugely Wealthy - often referred to as "the establishment"
  • Owned vast amounts of Land
  • Privately educated in schools like Eton
  • Had an exciting social calendar called 'the season'
  • The Season was divided between country pursuits (e.g. hunting) from autumn to spring and a series of sporting and cultural events, largely based in London, during the Summer months
  • The London Season began with the presentation of aristocratic daughters of marriageable age to the monarch at the 'debutantes ball'
  • Debutantes Ball ended in 1958
  • The upper class also enjoyed events such as Royal Ascot, Rowing, Sailing - giving them a clear sense of identity
• Middle Class


  • Low-middle class distinguished themselves from the working class through their leisure pursuits - they saw themselves as upright, moral people and often looked down on the working class
  • This group made up the largest part of the population
  • After WW1 a £250 annual salary was considered middle class (£28,000) - they were professionals
  • Home ownership became a defining characteristic of the middle class
• Working Class


  • Comprised of skilled workers and unskilled labourers
  • Did manual jobs often with irregular wages
  • This included people who worked in the mines and factories
• Between 1918-79 things started to change
• Deference


  Polite submission and respect
• In 1900 the relationship between the classes was characterised by deference towards upper classes. Working class tended to respect and trust the upper classes, that they were trusted to run the country
• By the outbreak of WW1 this was starting to change. For example the suffragettes had not been afraid to attack buildings frequented by the upper classes. Also, within the working class there were increasing strikes. Many in the upper classes saw these changes as a bad thing
• WW1 led to a fall in deference for MC and UC by WC

  Large death toll especially of lower ranking soldiers = blamed the generals who came from the UC
• WW1 took a disproportionate toll on the upper class

  13% of all men in the army died, 20% of Old Etonians died - this was largely because they often served as officers (high mortality rate)
• Trenches = shared experience of WC and MC men


  Brought these classes closer together
• WW1 led to a fall in the Upper Class


  • Death toll from UC very high in WW1, 20% of old Etonians died
  • When a father died many sons were forced to pay death duties of 40% on any estate over £2 million, forcing them to sell land/stately homes
  • Tax on incomes over £2500 also increased after the war from 2% (1914) to 57% (1925)
  • Many UC could not afford to keep running their stately homes, some became hotels or schools, some were bought by the National Trust
• The UC sold almost a ¼ of all land in England between 1918-1920
• There was a new UC emerging - those who were willing to work for a living and those who had become wealthy through business and purchased the trappings of an aristocratic lifestyle
• The rise in the Labour party led to more WC and MC M.P's
• WW1 led to a change in the middle Class


  • Upper MC worked to try and separate themselves from lower MC
  • In 1926 a MC housing estate in Bromley Kent built a 2m wall topped off with broken glass to keep out a new WC council estate next door
  • In the period 1918-79 there was a massive growth in MC jobs such as clerks, technology and engineering
  • By the outbreak of WW2 homeownership was also seen as a key part of being MC
• By 1939, 60% of middle class were home owners, compared with 20% of the working class. The suburban lifestyle also came to define the working class
• War had led to a more democratic society in Britain. 1918 - Representation of the People Act = votes for women (31+) and men (21+)
• After the war if you had a job prices fell quicker than wages = more spare money to spend on lifestyle
• Some thought changes that started after WW1 would lead to class warfare - it didn't happen
• Many WC didn't fight in the war as they worked in reserved occupations
• 1926 General Strike - Traditionally MC newspaper (Times) attacked the striking workers. MC volunteers filled the jobs of the striking workers
• By end 1920's strikes falling + Conservative govt supported by UC/MC and WC
• 1929+ and the Great Depression also did not lead to class warfare. Unemployment led to a fall in trade union membership in badly hit areas. Unions in new industry areas didn't call their workers out to support those in towns like Jarrow
• In the end by 1939 the class system was very similar to 1914. In truth WW1 had an impact BUT WW2 had a greater impact
• Mass Observation was an organisation who did social research. During WW2 they were often told by WC people that they wanted more equality in Britain after WW2
• Some believed WW2 would lead to a more classless society
• WW2 had a big impact on all classes. Rationing, evacuation and the loss of their homes due to bombing. All the classes mixed more than ever due to the war. We were all in it together
• Mass Observation records show that little actual social change happened during the war. Yes, WC children were sent to MC homes, but often all this did was reinforce class prejudices. For example some psychologists claimed that WC children's bed wetting was due to the poor standards in WC homes
• 1945 Election - Both the Conservatives and Labour campaigned on a greater role for the government and support for the Beveridge Report (but more so by Labour)
• 1945 = Labour won. Labour was committed to nationalisation of key industries and introducing a welfare state. This would significantly changed the role of the government in people's lives BUT didn't seem to have much impact on the idea of class
• Labour's policies 1945-51 were more aimed at making sure the hardships experienced by the 1930's didn't happen again, rather than changing class
• The change with class really increased in the 1950's
• 1950's-60's people had more money, more leisure time and more choice in what they bought. This had an impact on class
• At the same time people's ideas about morality, sexuality, marriage, abortion and homosexuality were changing. These changes led to changes in the law
• Some people however disliked these changes
• Rationing ended in the 1950's


  Credit became easier to get hold of = WC could buy more things than ever before
• Overall, wages between 1950-79 increased for the majority of workers + welfare state


  Led to better standard of living
• This led some people to question how class could be based on wealth