Upper middle class[edit]

Harrow School. The Public School is traditionally one of the key institutions of the upper-middle-class in Britain.^[37]

The upper middle class in Britain broadly consists of people who were born into families which have traditionally possessed high incomes, although this group is defined more by family background than by job or income. This stratum, in England, traditionally uses the Received Pronunciation dialect natively.

The upper middle class are traditionally educated at private schools, preferably one of the 'major' or 'minor' "public schools"^[38][39] which themselves often have pedigrees going back for hundreds of years and charge fees of at least £33,000 per year per pupil (as of 2013).^[37][40]

Many upper-middle-class families may have previous ancestry that often directly relates to the upper classes. Although not necessarily of the landowning classes - as a result, perhaps, of lack of a male heir - many families' titles/styles have not been inherited and therefore many families' past status became dissolved.

Although such categorisations are not precise, popular contemporary examples of upper-middle-class people may include Boris Johnson, David Cameron (politicians),^[41] Helena Bonham Carter (actress),^[42] and Matthew Pinsent.^[43]

Upper class[edit]

Main article: Upper class

Woburn Abbey, family seat of the Duke of Bedford

The British "upper class" is statistically very small and consists of the peerage, gentry, and hereditary landowners. The majority of aristocratic families originated in the merchant class, and were ennobled between the 14th and the late 19th century.^[44] Those in possession of a hereditary peerage (but not a life peerage)  – for example a Dukedom, a Marquessate, an Earldom, a Viscounty or a Barony – are typically members of the upper class.

Traditionally, upper class children were brought up at home by a nanny for the first few years of life, and then schooled at home by private tutors. From the late 19th century, it became increasingly popular for upper-class families to mimic the middle-classes in sending their children to public schools, which had been predominantly founded to serve the educational needs of the middle class. Nowadays, when children are old enough, they may attend a prep school or pre-preparatory school. Moving into secondary education, it is still commonplace for upper-class children to attend a public school, although it is not unheard of for certain families to send their children to state schools.^[45] Continuing education goes can vary from family to family; it may, in part, be based on the educational history of the family. In the past, both the British Army and clergy have been the institutions of choice, but the same can equally apply to the Royal Navy.

28. What does it mean to be rich and to be poor in Britain?

29. What are the main changes to British society in terms of age, ethnic origin and family structure since the middle of the 20^th century?

30. Are class divisions in British society real or imagined? Find evidence to support your arguments?

31. In what ways are women still disadvantaged in British society? Why might young males, however, feel disadvantaged?

32. Do you think the children of mixed-race partnerships will remain disadvantaged? Give evidence for your point of view.

33. In what ways do you think that class divisions and the gulf between rich and poor are changing in Britain?

43. Both women and ethnic minorities suffer disadvantages in Britain. Do you think those disadvantages are comparable?

44. What are unemployment rates among different ethnic communities in Britain?

45. What can you say about the changing role of women in politics in Great Britain?

46. What predictions can you make about British society? In what ways is it likely to differ by 2015 from today?