British Class Structure: Social Hierarchy and its Intricacies

Here's a subject that we all enjoy...class. What is class? Who determines what "upper", "middle", or "working" class is? Can we truly coexist?

Dr. Mark Boden, guest lecturer for my BLC course earlier this month, brought up several interesting points during that week’s lecture, the first of which was that class is embodied within all of us, whatever level it may be. Boden claimed that it would take generations for a family to “jump” social classes, based upon the amount of effort and convincing it takes to integrate into a particular class. Sure, one can work hard and move up social classes, but according to the Boden, an internal conflict may arise, posing a contradiction.

Are people ever fully integrated into this higher level on the hierarchical chain? Dr. Boden doesn’t think so. He asserts that class operates through culture , and is ultimately set by society. Thus, in the grand scheme of things, class is arbitrary.

Additionally, Boden affirms that class stems from where people think they are in society (politically or socially), so all hope for obtaining comfort in one’s own mind is not lost, though they would probably never be truly accepted into society. This may be more believable here in Britain due to the fact that so much of British history, and even modern day life, is centered on class, but I, for one, would have to disagree. It isn’t unlikely for a person from a lower class to integrate into a higher classed system, and surely doesn’t take generations to do so.

A previous lecturer (Dr. Wendy Stokes) mentioned, “No matter how far I go, I’ll never be Queen.” Here in Britain, if you aren’t of royal blood, then transcending across classes is fairly unlikely due to the fact that two “main” forms exist: upper class and working class.

Is it any different in America? I believe so. The western world has a different approach. All that’s needed is a solid education, and common interest in your area of expertise, since “work” and accomplishments are at the center of most “upper class” conversations anyway. One doesn’t have to sacrifice his/her own interests simply to be integrated. If so, the ideas of social mobility, “rags to riches”, and the “American Dream” were and have always been myths, which is evidently false.

I definitely invite comments for this post, as class is arguably a hot topic. Are their truly limitations to this hierarchical structure that centers around aristocracy? Perhaps I just have a biased, egocentric view and am unwilling to change...

Let the dialogue commence.

Darrion