You should be aware of recent changes to the class structure of British society. There are several points to consider;
- Society has become more open in recent years as people have found it easier to move from one social class to another. This most common trajectory is the movement of people from the working-class to the middle-class. Some sociologists describe this movement as embourgeoisiement
- The life chances available to women have improved since the 1970s. One explanation for this is the impact of feminism.
- The life chances available to people from ethnic minorities have also improved in recent years, in part due to legislation designed to prevent discrimination. Changing attitudes within society should also be considered
- A small minority of people still gain a position within society via ascribed status (e.g. the royal family)
You also need to identify changes to the distribution of wealth and income within society since the 1970s. For example due to changes to the tax and benefits system, the rich have gained in wealth and income. Britain now has a relatively low level of income tax for those on a high level of income.
You also need to explain why such changes have occurred to the distribution of wealth and income. For example during the 1980s the number of people in poverty doubled. This was partly due to changes to the welfare state which included;
- Reducing the value of welfare benefits
- Encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own (and their families) needs, rather than relying upon the state. The aim of such changes was to tackle the dependency culture – an idea influenced by the New Right
Since 1997 the Labour government has attempted to reduce the level of poverty by;
- Increasing the level of public expenditure on the welfare state
- The welfare to work programme
- An ideological commitment to helping those less advantaged within society
Whilst the gap between rich and poor has continued to grow, there has been a decline in the rate of child poverty since Labour came to power. The government’s target is to end child poverty by the year 2020. |
