social class and identity

• Bordieu - class fractions are determined by various degrees of social, economic and cultural capital.

  • The dominant class have power to shape which attributes are valued, and are in a position to aqcuire and pass on capital to children.
• Upper class


  • Mackintosh and Mooney - upper class are invisible. They argue the term 'social closure'. Their education, leisure and lifestyle is seperate from everyone else.
• Middle class


  Fox - "upper" and "lower" highlight the differences in middle class. It can range from public sector jobs to private sector jobs. All m.c. people share different experiences
• Working class


  • Romanticised as hard working, straight talking, etc.
  • Skeggs - studied working class women who felt humiliated by how others judged them due to their background. They made efforts to show they are responsible.
• Underclass


  • Term used negatively to define people who rely on benefits and are blamed for their situations due to their choices.
  • Murray - generous benefits encourage people to develop a set of norms and values where they don't take responsibility for their own actions and expect to be looked after by the government
• Pakulski and waters (Postmodernists)


  We are defined by what we buy, not what we do
• Savage (Postmodernist)


  Society is not class free. Social class backgrouns is the most significant indicator of outcomes, such as education, health, life expectancy