Social Class Essay
'Class is the basis of British politics: all else is embellishment and detail.' - Pulzer (1967)
Social class has traditionally been regarded as the most important voting behaviour factor, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s – as partisan alignment was very strong. In the 1950s, over 90% of people either voted for the conservative party, or labour. The party system significantly mirrors the class system. Thereby, middle-class individuals (classes A, B, C1) were expected to vote Conservative and the working classes (C2, D, E) were expected to vote labour. However, the link between social class and voting has diminished slowly over time due to a decline in the economy. In particular, the heavy manufacturing industry is in deterioration due to increasing competition overseas. As a result, there have been major changes: Firstly, there has been class de-alignment. The labour party, which is renowned for its pro trade-union stance – hence the support from the working class – has …show more content…
witnessed less people from classes C2, D, E voting for the party. If major industries are collapsing, trade unions will not be much use, but instead the government will need to fight for jobs. And depending on how an individual sees labour in securing jobs, they may decide to stray away from class alignment, and vote for the Conservative party. As of 2016, most Britons regard themselves as working class – despite 25% of people working in routine and manual occupations, 60% of Britons identify themselves as working class.
Regardless of the fact that the majority of Britons believe that they are working class, many politicians, Tony Blair, for one, believe in John Prescott’s statement of: "We are all middle class now," This shows that many individuals, even when they move up in class due to an increase in pay, cling to their working-class values. “The class divide is alive and well in Britain” – Kristy Swales, (NatCen’s Survey Centre). This is the most evident when it comes the recent Brexit referendum. Poorer areas were much more likely to vote for leave than they were to vote for remain. For instance, Cambridge had an estimated out-vote of 27%, compare this with Peterborough, a less well-off city of the same size, which had a predicted 62% out-vote. Evidently, there are still major signs of class-based voting in the United
Kingdom. Although in the 1950s class-based system was fairly simple: classes A, B, C1 voting for the Conservative party, and classes C2, D, E voting for Labour, class in modern politics has changed. In the past there was a pyramid-based class system – the elite and rich at the top, while the poorer, deprived individuals in society were at the bottom. However, in modern politics it has been argued that there is a diamond-based class system. The BBC’s 2013 study of the modern class system reveals that there are indeed seven different classes. This study does not define class on the one variable – job position – but instead takes into consideration “economic, cultural and social resources or 'capitals' that people possess”.
Social class has traditionally been regarded as the most important voting behaviour factor, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s – as partisan alignment was very strong. In the 1950s, over 90% of people either voted for the conservative party, or labour. The party system significantly mirrors the class system. Thereby, middle-class individuals (classes A, B, C1) were expected to vote Conservative and the working classes (C2, D, E) were expected to vote labour. However, the link between social class and voting has diminished slowly over time due to a decline in the economy. In particular, the heavy manufacturing industry is in deterioration due to increasing competition overseas. As a result, there have been major changes: Firstly, there has been class de-alignment. The labour party, which is renowned for its pro trade-union stance – hence the support from the working class – has …show more content…
witnessed less people from classes C2, D, E voting for the party. If major industries are collapsing, trade unions will not be much use, but instead the government will need to fight for jobs. And depending on how an individual sees labour in securing jobs, they may decide to stray away from class alignment, and vote for the Conservative party. As of 2016, most Britons regard themselves as working class – despite 25% of people working in routine and manual occupations, 60% of Britons identify themselves as working class.
Regardless of the fact that the majority of Britons believe that they are working class, many politicians, Tony Blair, for one, believe in John Prescott’s statement of: "We are all middle class now," This shows that many individuals, even when they move up in class due to an increase in pay, cling to their working-class values. “The class divide is alive and well in Britain” – Kristy Swales, (NatCen’s Survey Centre). This is the most evident when it comes the recent Brexit referendum. Poorer areas were much more likely to vote for leave than they were to vote for remain. For instance, Cambridge had an estimated out-vote of 27%, compare this with Peterborough, a less well-off city of the same size, which had a predicted 62% out-vote. Evidently, there are still major signs of class-based voting in the United
Kingdom. Although in the 1950s class-based system was fairly simple: classes A, B, C1 voting for the Conservative party, and classes C2, D, E voting for Labour, class in modern politics has changed. In the past there was a pyramid-based class system – the elite and rich at the top, while the poorer, deprived individuals in society were at the bottom. However, in modern politics it has been argued that there is a diamond-based class system. The BBC’s 2013 study of the modern class system reveals that there are indeed seven different classes. This study does not define class on the one variable – job position – but instead takes into consideration “economic, cultural and social resources or 'capitals' that people possess”.