Is Britain A Class-Less Society Analysis

1548 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Postmodernism and its effects on society

Use two texts from the module to consider whether Britain today is or is not a class-less society.

Class is a ‘system of ordering society whereby people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic factors.’ When considering whether or not Britain runs a class system one must consider its political system, being Capitalism in this case. Capitalism is ‘an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.’ It is according to Marxist readings that Britain today is a society that is based entirely upon class as there is …show more content…

We live in a world in which diversity, flexibility, choice and consumption is encouraged. For instance this is shown through the variety of jobs one can have in his/hers lifetime. Nazneen in Brick Lane starts a part-time job making garments in bulks using her sewing machine. Whilst Robert tends to portray himself as someone who is still experimenting with his job role as a doctor; so much so that he claims to be the authority. The old you according to postmodernists is your class, your family background and the area where you may live; yet the new you is about designer labels, the right clothing, music and cars. Both texts do not look at Britain from such a perspective; instead they look upon Marxists readings in greater depth. ‘Postmodernism points out that the genres through which we describe the brutal ‘facts’ of history set the terms for how we read our collective’s past legacy.’ Thus suggesting that in terms of class that the rich may stay rich and the poor may stay poor but one can play around with the idea and suggest ways for it to not be the case but it will always be like that as you cannot possibly ‘escape from it.’ Capitalism will always exist but individuals begin to distance themselves from class. Although in Brick Lane Nazneen’s family is portrayed as a working class family who live in an estate and Christopher in Blue/Orange as the underclass because of his African Caribbean background- postmodernists would argue that this view is entirely outdated. Society is forming a global culture in which beliefs are being shared around the world and consumption is becoming the central feature of our lives. Society is so very fragmented now that the upper class and working class have almost merged into one. Musical tastes are shared and appreciated and designer labels have become available to many. However it can be argued although class

Show More
Related

  • Cross-Class Unity During the Blitz: A Non-Existent Component of the Myth of the Blitz

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before World War II, Britain was strictly divided into classes: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower working class. Once born into a class, it was almost impossible to leave; people were bound to classes for life. The structure was stern and rigid. George Orwell even called England (and by extension Britain) “the most class-ridden country under the sun.” Classes tolerated each other, but the “upper and middle class people were brought up to believe the lower classes dirty and inferior,” creating an environment of stark inequality (The Class System). The small upper class held the majority of the wealth and employed much of the large lower class as servants, paying them menial wages. The middle class, who consisted of doctors, shopkeepers, lawyers, and people in similar professions, remained sandwiched in the center. On September 7, 1940 the blitz began and bombs started to rain down on London. However, the force of the bombs did little to blast away the walls that separated and distinguished the classes.

    Read More

  • Class and Poverty in Australia

    1827 Words  | 4 Pages

    Class is a key idea related to inequality, prejudice and discrimination in Australian society. It has been considered out of fashion, because some Australian people think that there is no class difference between people in Australia, everyone enjoys equality in society. In fact, the recent de-regulation of the workplace, and the widening gap in access to hospitals, schools and employment opportunities between the rich and poor, have made class more visible in Australian than ever before. Class is "a category of people who have generally similar educational histories, job opportunities, and social standing and who are conscious of their membership in a social group that is ranked in relation to others and is replicated over generations" (Kent, 1998:87). This essay argues that class cause continues to inequality in Australian society. Firstly, class structures labor market inequality. Secondly, class shapes the quality of a person's life. Thirdly, class inequality produces continuing class differences into the next generation. Finally, class has becoming a debate in Australian society, because class inequality encourages the `right' people to work more efficiently in the workforce and helps people to identify themselves in society, but continuing relevance of the concept of class is a matter in contemporary Australia.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Social Classes in America vs. 1984

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    If you have ever read the book 1984 by George Orwell, then an interesting topic may have crossed your mind. The way the classes of people break down can be quite similar, and very different at times. In the United States, we have classes like the lower class, the working class, and the middle class. In 1984, there were such classes as the Proles, the Outer Party, and the Inner Party. The way the classes are broken down in 1984 reminds me a little bit of my old history class. When I studied medieval times and the classes back then were broken down into the nobles, the bourgeois, and the serfs.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Tingle's The Vexation Of Class

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    The working class stays working and the middle class stays being middle. Author Nick Tingle, wrote “The vexation of class”, he argues that the working class and the middle class are separated educationally based on culture and the commonplace. Tingle uses his own personal experiences and Ethos, to effectively prove his point about the difference in class based on culture ; although, Tingle also falls short by adding unnecessary information throughout the article that weakens his belief entirely.

    Read More

  • Class in Australia Today

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    (p1) Broadly speaking, class is about economic and social inequality… (p6) We have a tendency for groups of advanced people to congregate together, and groups of disadvantaged people to congregate so that inequalities persist from generation to generation.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of People Like Us: Social Class In America

    1655 Words  | 4 Pages

    Diversity is part of the American lifestyle. America is a country built on capitalistic principles, where a countries’ economy is controlled by a small number of people. People who tend to have power in the society tend to separate themselves from the rest. Looking back at different time period of American history diversity has shaped up the lives we live as Americans, whether it is because of gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, socioeconomic background, and capabilities/ disabilities, there is always diversity in society. Although, diversity is increasingly being viewed positively, and as much as people are proud of their differences. There will always be a way for human beings to diversify themselves into groups in which share similar interests.

    Read More

  • Class Division: Affecting American Lifestyles

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the “Class Of America” article, the author Gregory Mantsios displays his point of view on what society says class individuals are in and how that affects their lives further than people in America think. Mantsios believes that citizens in the United States prefer not be put in different social categories like higher, middle, or lower class just because of the income value. Mantsios elaborates on his beliefs about class categories in America and disproves them by using statistics for evidence. In example, he claims that the class you are placed in will affect your lifestyle. Mantsios also debates that whatever class you fall under reflects on how well you will prosper in life, just like schools connecting test scores and the level of schooling the student receives. Whatever class a person is categorized in defining their future in life, even, if they choose to not see it that way that’s how it is.

    Read More

  • The Dispossessed: What Is a Working Class?

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    What do you think of when you hear “working-class?” One perhaps might think of a

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In Canada

    1734 Words  | 4 Pages

    Class can be defined as a way society separates people into groups based on their socioeconomic

    Read More

  • Social Class

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social class has existed in our society since its foundation. Working class, middle class, upper middle class, or upper class, whatever your standing, social class can affect your place in society. Social class can be defined by where you live, who you talk to, where you get an education, even by the clothes you wear. These may not be definite determinants of social class, but categorization of people becomes easier when looking at these factors. In previous papers, I have claimed that social class is a result of capitalism. Though, I still believe this to be true, there are many factors that can affect social class and vice versa. Theorists have looked at different aspects of how these can affect social class. In my paper I am going to explore capitalism, stratification, racism, segregation, and education and their relationship with social class and how this can cause social conflict; I will have a primary focus of how Weber, DuBois, and Marx views this relationship.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Marx Weber And Durkheim

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    People uses it to indicate your economic status and power level. Class has been an essential object of analysis for many scholars. Sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, and historians have all further extend their theory with the concept of class. However, there isn't a consensus on its best definition. While the 'perfect definition' is yet to be decided, many scholars tend to agree that the term has different contextual meanings. Generally, public understand it as a model of social stratification in which individuals are placed into a group based on their social categories: upper, middle, and lower classes, with upper class controls majority of the wealth and lower class having less accessibility to resources. This ties in well with Marxian as Marx focused mainly on economic attributions.

    Read More

  • Class Conflict in Britain

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    Whilst there may be some truth in this 'embourgeoisement' theory, there is also no doubting the fact that it is an exaggerated view. To say that 'we are all middle class' (Blair 1998) is an absurdity. Class conflict may have been subdued but not only because of growing affluence. The capitalists have managed to silence what was once a

    Read More

  • The Ideology of Karl Marx on Sociology

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    A social class can be defined as a large group of people sharing similar economic resources. (Giddens, 1997) Communist Marx identifies two social classes: bourgeoisie and proletariat. “Marx held that history was a series of class struggles between owners of capital (capitalists) and workers (the proletariat).”(econlib.org, 2013). Marx states that the bourgeoisie cannot exist without proletariat and the other way round. In The Manifesto Marx and Engels outline the evolution of the bourgeoisie.

    Read More

  • Wal-Mart and Class Inequalities

    2364 Words  | 5 Pages

    Perrucci, Robert and Earl Wysong. 1999. The New Class Society. Lantham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Industrial Revolution In Britain

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    As depicted by Charles Dickens in Hard Times, it’s a matter of fact versus fancy, standard versus imagination. In many ways, during a time where Marxism was booming and the idea of Communism would’ve been very appealing to many, the Industrial Revolution ruined these standards and allowed Britain’s economy to grow. Yes, there was an upper and lower class, but the newly introduced middle class gave a subtle “equality” in the sense that upper class life wasn’t so out of reach anymore. They found themselves in a system that allowed the lower class to evolve into the middle class and maybe even the upper class if they worked hard enough. “A major part of the revolution was the development of factories and mass production.

    Read More

More about Is Britain A Class-Less Society Analysis

Open Document