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Unlock This CourseIn the 1960s, sociologists Goldthorpe and Lockwood conducted the famous "Affluent Worker" study, which suggested that the working class was becoming more middle class (embourgeoisement). However, Fiona Devine's later research challenged these findings and provided important insights into how social class continues to shape life chances in modern Britain.
Key Definitions:
In the 1960s, Goldthorpe and Lockwood studied workers at Vauxhall car factory in Luton. They found these workers had:
They concluded that while workers were more affluent, they hadn't become middle class in their values or identity.
Fiona Devine revisited the study in the 1990s and found:
Devine argued that class background continued to significantly impact people's opportunities despite increased affluence.
Devine challenged the idea that Britain had become a meritocracy where hard work and talent alone determine success. Her research showed how class advantages are passed down through generations in ways that aren't always obvious.
Devine conducted in-depth interviews with 62 men and women in banking, engineering and the health service in the 1990s. She used a qualitative approach to understand how people experienced class and mobility. This contrasted with Goldthorpe's more quantitative approach, allowing her to uncover the subtle ways class continued to shape people's lives despite apparent mobility.
Devine found that despite some upward mobility, class background continued to significantly influence people's life chances in several key ways:
Middle-class parents used their knowledge and resources to navigate the education system, choosing better schools and supporting children's learning. Working-class families often lacked these advantages, limiting their children's educational opportunities.
Social networks and connections (social capital) helped middle-class people find better jobs. Those from working-class backgrounds often lacked these connections and faced barriers to entering prestigious professions.
Middle-class families could often help their children onto the property ladder. This created a wealth gap that persisted across generations, as property ownership became a key factor in economic security.
Devine drew on Pierre Bourdieu's concepts to explain how class advantages are maintained:
Middle-class families pass on knowledge, tastes and ways of speaking that are valued in education and professional settings. Examples include:
Networks and connections that help people get ahead:
Devine's research highlighted that while some individuals experienced upward mobility, structural barriers remained significant:
Devine noted what some sociologists call a "glass floor" effect - where less academically able children from privileged backgrounds are protected from downward mobility. Their parents use resources to ensure they don't fall down the social ladder, through private education, paying for extra tutoring, using connections to secure internships and providing financial support during early career stages.
Devine's work can be compared with other sociological perspectives:
Functionalists like Davis and Moore argue that inequality is necessary and that modern societies are meritocratic. Devine challenges this by showing how privilege is reproduced across generations.
Marxists would agree with Devine that class inequality persists but might argue she doesn't go far enough in critiquing the capitalist system that creates these inequalities in the first place.
Strengths:
Limitations:
Devine's work is crucial for understanding life chances because it shows that despite increased affluence and educational opportunities, class background continues to significantly shape people's life paths. Her research reveals that:
By understanding Devine's critique of the Affluent Worker study, we gain insight into how class continues to operate in contemporary Britain and why addressing inequality requires more than just economic policies.