What is socio-economic class?

Socio-economic class is a group of people who share a similar economic position, usually judged by occupation. Class shapes income, wealth, lifestyle and life chances.

How does the ONS measure social class?

The ONS uses the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), introduced in 2001. The NS-SEC places people in eight classes according to their occupation and employment conditions.

What is subjective class?

Subjective class is the class a person believes they belong to. Many people in middle-class jobs still describe themselves as working class.

How do functionalists view socio-economic class?

Functionalists see class differences as the fair outcome of competition for unequal rewards. Class positions reflect how skilled and important people's jobs are.

What decides a person's class, according to Marx?

Marx argued that class depends on a person's relationship to the means of production. The means of production are the land, factories, machines and capital used to produce goods.

AQA GCSE Sociology 8192

The Sociological Approach

Topic overview Key sociological concepts Sociological perspectives: consensus and conflict Durkheim, Marx and Weber How sociological knowledge develops

Families

Topic overview Functions of families Family forms and diversity Conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour Changing relationships within families Criticisms of families Divorce in Britain since 1945

Education

Topic overview Roles and functions of education Education, capitalism and the correspondence principle Class and gender differences in achievement Ethnicity, parental choice and school markets Processes within schools

Crime and Deviance

Topic overview Social construction of crime and deviance Formal and informal social control Explanations of criminal behaviour Patterns of crime and public debates Crime statistics and the dark figure

Social Stratification

Topic overview Functionalist theory of stratification Marx, Weber and socio-economic class Factors affecting life chances Poverty as a social issue Forms of power and authority Power relationships

Research Methods

Topic overview Research design, hypotheses and data analysis Sampling methods Questionnaires and interviews Observation and mixed methods Types of data and official statistics Reliability, validity, ethics and practical issues

Social Stratification

Marx, Weber and socio-economic class

3 things to know
Paper 2

Overview

Socio-economic and subjective class, the NS-SEC, Marx on the means of production, ideology and class struggle, Weber's market situation, status and party, and proletarianisation.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How do the upper, middle and working classes differ?

Key term

How did Marx explain the origins of class?

Key term

What is class struggle, and where did Marx think it would lead?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is socio-economic class?
Model answer
Socio-economic class is a group of people who share a similar economic position, usually judged by occupation. Class shapes income, wealth, lifestyle and life chances.
2
How does the ONS measure social class?
Model answer
The ONS uses the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), introduced in 2001. The NS-SEC places people in eight classes according to their occupation and employment conditions.
3
How do the upper, middle and working classes differ?
Model answer
The upper class owns great wealth, often inherited, and includes the aristocracy. The middle class does non-manual, white-collar work such as professional and managerial jobs. The working class does manual work, skilled or unskilled.
4
What is subjective class?
Model answer
Subjective class is the class a person believes they belong to. Many people in middle-class jobs still describe themselves as working class.
5
How do functionalists view socio-economic class?
Model answer
Functionalists see class differences as the fair outcome of competition for unequal rewards. Class positions reflect how skilled and important people's jobs are.
6
What decides a person's class, according to Marx?
Model answer
Marx argued that class depends on a person's relationship to the means of production. The means of production are the land, factories, machines and capital used to produce goods.

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The Sociological Approach

Families

Education

Crime and Deviance

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A communist society would follow.

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AONS figures show that divorces rose briefly after the Second World War.

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