Chapter 1 英国社会与文化Introduction.ppt

The United Kingdom is increasingly described as a classless society. *Major(1990) *Blair(1999) However many people still believe society is ordered in terms of class and that discrimination occurs between classes. Everything a Briton does and says is influenced by class. Accent*, vocabulary*, job*, hobbies* and types of relationship all fit into the class structure. 1.Higher managerial and professional occupations, including employers in large firms, higher managers, professionals whether they are employees or self employed. 2. Lower mangerial and professional occupations and higher technical occupations. 3. Intermediate occupations (clerical, administrative, sales workers with no involvement in general planning or supervision but high levels of job secureity, some career prospects and some autonomy over their own work schedule) 4. Small employers and self employed workers 5. Lower technical occupations (with little responsibility for planning own work), lower supervisory occupations (with supervisory responsibility but no overall planning role and less autonomy over own work schedule) 6. Semi-routine occupations (moderate levels of job security; little career prospects; no pay increments; some degree of autonomy over their own work) 7. Routine occupations (low job security; no career prospects; closely supervised routine work). 8. Never worked or long-time unemployed. Unlike some other countries such as the USA, class in Britain is more a matter of values and behaviours such as accent, vocabulary, manners, style of dress and taste than purely money (Fox). Below is a description of the various social classes. Upper Class The Upper Class in Britain is statistically very small and consists of the peerage, gentry, and landowners. These people were traditionally the wealthiest in the land having inherited money and position. Typically they would speak with a Received Pronunciation accent and been educated at public schools. Traditionally the upper class had a disda