Life Chances » Factors Affecting Life Chances - Class

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

What social class is and how it's measured
How class affects life chances in education, health and employment
Different sociological perspectives on class inequality
Key case studies showing class impact in the UK
How to analyse class as a factor in life outcomes

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Understanding Social Class and Life Chances

Social class is one of the most significant factors that shapes our opportunities in life. From the moment we're born, our class position can influence everything from our health and education to our income and even how long we might live.

Key Definitions:

Social Class: A way of categorising people based on their economic position, occupation, income, wealth and social status.
Life Chances: The opportunities individuals have to improve their quality of life, including access to healthcare, education, housing and employment.
Social Mobility: The movement of individuals or groups from one social class position to another.

How Do We Measure Social Class?

📈 Traditional Class Models

Traditionally, the UK used a system based mainly on occupation:

Upper Class: Inherited wealth, aristocracy
Middle Class: Professionals, managers
Working Class: Manual workers

👥 Modern Class Measures

The newer National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) has 8 categories:

Higher managerial and professional
Lower managerial and professional
Intermediate occupations
Small employers and own account workers
Lower supervisory and technical
Semi-routine occupations
Routine occupations
Never worked and long-term unemployed

How Class Affects Life Chances

Education and Class

Your social class background strongly influences your educational outcomes, which in turn affects your future opportunities.

🎓 Attainment Gap

In 2019, only 26.5% of UK students eligible for free school meals (a marker of lower class) achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSE, compared to 49.9% of all other pupils.

🏫 School Resources

Schools in wealthier areas often have better facilities, more experienced teachers and more resources to support learning.

🏛 University Access

Students from higher social classes are still significantly more likely to attend university, especially elite institutions like Oxford and Cambridge.

Case Study Focus: The Sutton Trust Research

The Sutton Trust found that a child from a poor family is still less than half as likely to attend university as a child from a wealthy background. At the UK's most selective universities, the ratio is even worse - with the poorest young people being up to 10 times less likely to gain admission.

Health and Class

There is a clear relationship between social class and health outcomes in the UK.

💊 Health Inequalities

People from lower social classes experience:

Shorter life expectancy (up to 9 years less in the most deprived areas)
Higher infant mortality rates
Greater risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease
Poorer mental health outcomes

🏥 Causes of Health Inequality

These inequalities stem from:

Material factors (poor housing, inadequate diet)
Behavioural factors (higher rates of smoking, alcohol consumption)
Psychosocial factors (stress from financial insecurity)
Access to healthcare (difficulty getting appointments, travel costs)

Employment and Income

Your social class background significantly influences your employment prospects and earning potential.

💼 Job Security

Working-class jobs often have less security, with more zero-hour contracts and seasonal work. Middle and upper-class occupations typically offer more stability and benefits.

💰 Income Inequality

The UK has one of the highest levels of income inequality in Europe. The top 10% of households earn more than the bottom 40% combined.

🛡 Working Conditions

Working-class jobs often involve more physical risks, longer or irregular hours and less control over working conditions.

Case Study Focus: The Great British Class Survey

In 2013, the BBC conducted the Great British Class Survey with over 160,000 respondents. The research, led by sociologists, identified seven distinct social classes in modern Britain based on economic, social and cultural capital:

Elite (6% of population)
Established middle class (25%)
Technical middle class (6%)
New affluent workers (15%)
Traditional working class (14%)
Emergent service workers (19%)
Precariat (15%)

This research showed that class is more complex than just income or occupation alone.

Sociological Perspectives on Class and Life Chances

📖 Marxist Perspective

Marxists see class inequality as built into the capitalist system:

Society is divided between those who own the means of production (bourgeoisie) and those who sell their labour (proletariat)
The education system reproduces class inequality by preparing working-class children for working-class jobs
Health inequalities reflect exploitation of workers
The system is designed to maintain the power of the ruling class

🔬 Functionalist Perspective

Functionalists view class differences as necessary for society:

Different occupations require different skills and training
Higher rewards for more important roles motivate people to gain skills
Meritocracy means the most talented rise to the top
Some inequality is functional for society to operate efficiently

Cultural and Social Capital

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu argued that class isn't just about money but also about cultural and social resources.

💵 Economic Capital

Money, property and other financial assets that give advantages.

🎭 Cultural Capital

Knowledge, tastes and behaviours valued by society (e.g., speaking "properly", appreciating classical music, knowing about art).

👥 Social Capital

Networks and connections that can help you get ahead (e.g., "It's not what you know, it's who you know").

Is Class Still Important in Modern Britain?

Some sociologists argue that class has become less important in the 21st century, pointing to:

Increased social mobility compared to previous generations
The expansion of higher education
The growth of the middle class
The importance of other factors like gender and ethnicity

However, strong evidence suggests class remains crucial:

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed stark class inequalities in death rates
The cost of living crisis has hit working-class families hardest
Social mobility has actually stalled or reversed in recent years
The gap between rich and poor continues to widen

Case Study Focus: COVID-19 and Class

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted class inequalities in stark ways. People in working-class occupations were:

More likely to be designated as "key workers" who couldn't work from home
More likely to use public transport, increasing exposure risk
More likely to live in overcrowded housing where the virus could spread easily
More likely to have pre-existing health conditions that increased risk

As a result, death rates in the most deprived areas of the UK were more than double those in the least deprived areas.

Conclusion: Class and Life Chances

Social class remains one of the most powerful predictors of life chances in the UK. From cradle to grave, your class position shapes your opportunities, health, education and even how long you might live. While other factors like gender and ethnicity also matter (and often intersect with class), the evidence is clear that class inequality continues to be a defining feature of British society.

Understanding how class works helps us recognise structural inequalities rather than simply blaming individuals for their circumstances. It also helps us identify potential solutions, from targeted educational support to policies that reduce income inequality.

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