Social Class in Modern Britain

Social class remains one of the most significant and contested concepts in British sociology. Despite claims that class is "dead," research consistently shows that class position continues to shape life chances — from educational achievement and health outcomes to income, housing, and political participation. The AQA specification requires you to understand how the class structure has changed, assess key debates such as embourgeoisement and proletarianisation, and evaluate contemporary models of class including the Great British Class Survey.

Key Definition: Social class is a form of social stratification based on economic factors — primarily occupation, income, and wealth — that divides society into hierarchical groups with different levels of resources and life chances.

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Measuring Social Class

Before examining how the class structure has changed, it is important to understand how sociologists measure class. The main approaches are:

1. The Registrar General's Scale (1911–2000)