Session 1: Measuring social classLearning objectives – what is your target? (D-E) Explain what social class is and state a way of measuring it(C) Describe two different methods for measuring social class (A*-B) Be able to explain and critique (evaluate) different methods for measuring social class

Starter – Complete this 4 mark question:

“Explain what sociologists mean by social class.”

Remember the structure:1) Basic definition 2) Full explanation of term 3) Give example 4) Explain example

n.B We will do this again later to compare your progress

More power, wealth, income and status

Less power, wealth, income and status

Upper class

Working class

Classes in the UK

Middle class

Underclass?

More power, wealth, income and status

Less power, wealth, income and status

Upper class

Working class

Class according to Karl Marx

More power, wealth, income and status

Less power, wealth, income and status

I Professional occupations

Registrar General’s scale

II Managerial

III (N) Skilled non manual

III (M) Skilled manual

IV Partly skilled

V Unskilled

This was used by the government until 1998

Old method

Activity - Put the following jobs in the correct category according to the registrar general’s scale – use p.286 to help

you.

Extension: Can you spot any problems with this using this scale? Why do you think the government stopped using it after 1998?

Office cleaner Doctor’s Receptionist

Biology teacher Farmer

Unemployed Bus driver

Car mechanic Solicitor

More power, wealth, income and status

Less power, wealth, income and status

Professional occupations

Registrar general’s scale

Managerial

Skilled non manual

Skilled manual

Partly skilled

Unskilled

Solicitors, surgeons, architects

Teachers, nurses, pilots

Secretary/receptionists

Bus driver, electrician, hairdresser, mechanics

Postal worker, bartenders, caretakerRefuse collectors, cleaners

What are the problems with using occupation to measure social class?

1) Doesn’t include groups such as…

2) Married women were classed as….

3) Doesn’t reflect other factors such as…

Problem’s with the Registrar General’s scale

Students, retired, unemployed…

the same as their husbands…

Wealth, status, property…

More power, wealth, income and status

Less power, wealth, income and status

Higher managerial

NS-SEC class scale

Semi routine

Routine

Never worked & long term unemployed

Lower supervisory & technical

Employers (in small businesses)

Intermediate

Lower managerial

Higher professional

Activity - Now try to match up the jobs from before to this new scale.

Solicitor

Teachers

Secretaries

Farmers

Car mechanic

Bus driver

Cleaner

Unemployed

Extension – Can you spot any problems with this scale?

Put the following job in the correct category according to the NS-SEC scale – use p.287 to help you.

Office cleaner Doctor’s Receptionist

Biology teacher Farmer

Unemployed Bus driver

Car mechanic Solicitor

More power, wealth, income and status

Less power, wealth, income and status

Higher managerial

NS-SEC class scale

Semi routine

Routine

Never worked

Lower supervisory

Employers

Intermediate

Lower managerial

Higher managerial

solicitor

teachers

secretaries

farmers

Car mechanic

Bus driver

cleaner

Unemployed

Why is this better than the Register general’s scale?

Advantages of NS-SEC scale

Includes whole populationReflects levels of authority

These all mean the same

1) Describe one way the government could measure social class and explain how it may be problematic. (5)

2) Describe one way the government could measure social class and explain how it may not be accurate. (5)

3) Describe one way in which social class can be measured explain problems with this method(5)

4) Describe one way in which social class can be classified and explain problems with this way of classifying people (5)

Describe one way of measuring social class and explain how accurate this measurement is. (5)

One way could be using the registrar general’s scaleFor example a surgeon is upper class professionalThey are not accurate because people may have a professional job but not a lot of money.This means that it doesn’t take into account other factors.For example a newly qualified surgeon may still be paying off university debt which means that he does not have the wealth or status of most upper classes people.

2/2

3/3

Identify

Explain

5/5

Plenary

Using the learning objectives, explain which grade you think you have achieved and why.

Learning objectives – what is your target? (D-E) Explain what social class is and state a way of measuring it(C) Describe two different methods for measuring social class (A*-B) Be able to explain and critique (evaluate) different methods for measuring social class

Session 2 – Social class and Life chances

Starter – Complete this 4 mark question again now that you can add a more full explanation (i.e. how it is measured)

“Explain what sociologists mean by social class”

Learning objectives – what is your target? (D-E) Define the terms social class and life chances(C) Identify links between social class and life chances(A*-B) Explain sociologists’ views on class and life chances

Remember the structure:

1) Basic definition (what it means)

2) Full explanation of term (e.g. can you explain how social class is measured?

3) Give example

4) Explain example

Paired workYou have 30 minutes to prepare an answer to the following

question.

“Discuss how far sociologists would agree that social class is the most important factor when determining a person’s life chances. (12 marks)

Hints• All the information you need is on pages 282-284 – but

you’ll have to find it and interpret it• Use the writing frame as a guide• Don’t forget the extensions.

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that social class is the most important factor in

determining life chances. (12 marks)

10-12 •Evidence of clear understanding shown through developed use of relevant sociological concepts and/or ideas•Well-focused discussion which explicitly and in detail addresses ‘how far’.•Spell, punctuate and use grammar with considerable accuracy•Use wide range of specialist terms

7-9 • Evidence of a more developed level of understanding of the relevant sociology (i.e. link between social class and life chances).•Evidence that the candidate recognises ‘how far’ eg via a less-developed or more limited use of the sociological examples in the 10–12 band descriptor.•Spell, punctuate and use grammar accurately •Good range of specialist terms

4-6 •Some use/understanding of relevant sociological concepts (eg definition of social class and life chances) and/or ideas (eg those from Marxist and Functionalist perspectives), though focus may not be consistent and the quality/range of the material may be limited. •No response to ‘how far’.•Spell, punctuate and use grammar with some accuracy. •Limited specialist terms.

Session 3: Does social class still matter?Learning objectives – what is your target? (D-E) Identify two reasons why social class may be hard to define(C) Explain why it may be argued the social class is less important today(A*-B) Evaluate whether social class is still relevant today

Starter – Explain which social class each of these people belong to. If you have any difficulty, explain why!

1) Duchess of Cambridge (nee Kate Middleton)

2) Lord Alan Sugar (from the Apprentice)

3) Unemployed jobseeker

4) School child

So what were the problems with this

task?

Do we live in a classless society?

“Class was a staple part of the British way of life. Each class had unique characteristics. The upper class had stately homes, aristocratic backgrounds and posh accents; the middle class, semi detached houses, suits and bowler hats; the working class, common accents, fish and chips and council flats. This produced a society divided between Use” (the workers) and “Them” (the rich and the bosses). Pubs always had a public bar and a lounge. Even railway carriages were divided into First, Second and Third class compartments.” McDonough (2002)

Think/Pair/ShareDo you think this

statement is accurate? Why? Why not?

Extension: Does this statement sound Marxist or Functionalist? Why?

Independent work:1) Read pages 322 – 323a) Explain why can it be argued that the working class has

shrunk.b) Explain why it can be argued that social class identities have

weakened.c) Identify 3 other factors might we identify as important to our

identity other than social class.d) Identify the 4 other social factors that Saunders thinks are

important in addition to social class.

2) Read page 324a) Choose 3 of the bullet points that you think are the most

important and copy them into your book (evidence for 12 mark Qs)

3) Read page 325 a) Summarise each sociologist’s view on whether class still

matters:(i) Roberts (2001)(ii) Furlong et al (2006)(iii) Curtice & Heath (2009)

Extension: Answer the stretch and challenge question on page 325

All

Most

Some

Starter

1) Summarise this extract in your own words (using the new keyword)

2) Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

“Fifty years ago there was an almost official and agreed class ranking, and everyone knew where they were located. That has completely gone now. Whereas once it would have been straightforwardly, objectively wrong for someone in a middle-class profession to think of themselves as working class, that’s not necessarily true now. These aren’t terms that have an agreed meaning any more.”

Decca Aitkenhead, The Guardian, 2007

Key term

Subjective status/class = the status/class someone would identify themselves as.

Homework due Monday

“Discuss to what extent sociologists would agree that social class is less significant now than 50 years ago.” (12 marks)