- •Language and area Lecture 1
- •Introduction
- •Brief geographical outline
- •Lecture 2 history of the united kingdom
- •Lecture 3 The Theme: national symbols of great britain and national characterisyics
- •The history and design of the union flag or union jack
- •2. The royal coat of arms
- •3. The british national anthem
- •4. National emblems
- •5. The patron saints of england, wales, scotland and ireland
- •National characteristics. National stereotype (part 2)
- •Lecture 4 religion in the united kingdom
- •Lecture 5 stratification in british society
- •1. Classification of the people of britain into classes
- •Lecture 6 the political system of the united kingdom
- •The united kingdom, a constitutional monarchy
- •2. The legislative branch of power
- •The House of Commons
- •3. The executive branch of power
- •4. Political parties
- •5. Judiciary Plan
- •2. Courts and crimes
- •Sentencing
- •Appealing
- •2. The comprehensive, selective and private systems of education
- •The Comprehensive System
- •3. Examinations
- •4. School year
- •Higher education
- •Lecture 8 traditions, manners, customs, special festivals, holidays
- •I. Britain round the calendar
- •5. St. Valentine’s Day – February 14
- •I’ll be your sweetheart, if you will be mine,
- •II. Festivals and fairs
- •III. Traditional ceremonies in london
- •IV. Engagements, weddings, births and funerals
- •1. Getting Engaged
- •2. Weddings The Forms of Marriage
- •VII. Manners
- •Lecture 9 cultural life in great britain
- •1. Various interests in great britain
- •2. Painting Painting in England in the 15th -17th centuries
- •Painting in England in the 19th and 20th centuries
- •3. Sculptures and architecture
- •4. Art galleries and museums
- •5. Cinema
- •6. The british theatre today
- •7. Music life
- •8. Folk music
- •Independent personal work texts for reading
- •I. Mass media
- •II. British youth
- •III. Environment
Lecture 5 stratification in british society
Plan
Classification the People of Britain into Classes
1. Classification of the people of britain into classes
In any society people are divided into different social groups (strata) and they are awarded unequal amount of prestige, economic rewards and power.
The following factors are considered important in identifying social status of a person:
how much a person earns,
what job one does,
how a person speaks,
how a person thinks,
how well mannered a person is,
what school a person or his children attend,
where one lives.
Let’ s start considering the hierarchy in Britain.
Social differentiation in British society is the following:
Upper Class
Aristocracy and the top rich people in Britain (the royal family, the surviving titled families from feudal system and old landowning families with aristocratic background (dukes, earls, barons) and the entrepreneurial rich enjoy special status in Britain, the status of the upper classes who are a very small minority of the country’s population (not more than 1% of it). They are treated with great difference in Britain, though not by all the people.
Most of the people are classified according to their occupation:
Middle Class / “White Collar”
CLASS 1: Professional occupations, including higher-grade professionals and higher administrators, lawyers, architects, doctors, managers, university teachers
CLASS 2 :Intermediate occupations, including intermediate professionals and administrators, e.g. lower-grade professionals, administrators and managers, supervisors and higher-grade technicians, shopkeepers, farmers, actors, musicians, teachers
CLASS 3 N (a): Skilled occupations (Non-manual), including non-manual workers, e.g. clerks, sales and rank-and-file workers, small proprietors and self-employed artisans, draughtsmen, lower-grade technicians and foremen, etc.
Working Class/ “Blue Collar”
CLASS 3 M (b): Skilled occupations (Manual), including skilled manual workers in industry, e.g. electricians, coalminers, etc.
CLASS 4: Partly skilled occupations, including semi-skilled workers, e.g. milk rounds men, telephone operators, fishermen, farm workers, semi-skilled workers in industry, etc.
CLASS 5: Unskilled occupations, including unskilled workers, e.g. night watchers, collectors, cleaners, labourers
Occupation is related to many differences in people’s access to life chances in such areas as education, health, money spending patterns, leisure style and working conditions. For example, in the area of status differences at work classes 1 and 2 enjoy the best terms and conditions of employment. Their holidays are more than 15 days, they are freer in choosing the better holiday time, and they may enjoy such things as being always paid sick pay and higher pensions. There are no pay reductions for lateness.
Different occupations mean different life chances in caring for one’s health, in choosing leisure styles and social activities. It is easier for the rich to follow the healthy way of life than for the less privileged. As for the leisure style, it is worth saying that it is the wealthiest people who can enjoy higher culture – visiting theatres, concert halls, museums whenever they’d like to, being involved in arts, music and other creative activities.
Occupation as a class distinction is related to differences in incomes, social prestige (British people rank MPs, lawyers, doctors and university teachers higher than non-manual workers and manual workers), in education, life style, and speech.