2. Social Class – Definition
Social classes are economic or
cultural arrangements of groups in
society
3. Unskilled Working Class Definition
and Stereotypes
A worker who
possesses no
specialized knowledge
or skill. Any worker can
perform the tasks done
by an unskilled worker.
Examples of unskilled
workers are general
labourers, cleaners, and
road sweepers.
Stereotypes=
Unintelligent,
4. Skilled Working Class Definition
and Stereotypes
A worker who has
acquired special skills
e.g. hairdresser or tattoo
artist
5. Lower Middle Class Definition and
Stereotypes
Lower-paid
professionals, but not
manual labourers e.g.
police officers, non-
management office
workers, small
business owners
6. Upper Middle Class Definition and
Stereotypes
High-salaried professionals
(doctors, lawyers, higher rung
(were in the corporate market,
yet left for a reason such as
family time) professors,
corporate executives).
7. Upper Class Definition and
Stereotypes
The class occupying the highest
position in the social hierarchy
e.g. aristocracy and royalty
8. Skilled Working Class Class
Example
Burt Hummel= He owns his own business but it is a low grade
garage and he is skilled in mechanics. He is stereotypical of skilled
working class people as he is portrayed as being not too
intelligent, wearing mostly overalls and casual clothes and is quite
butch and manly, characteristics usually associated with the
profession.
9. Lower Middle Class Example
Dale Smith = Fits into lower middle by being a police inspector in
The Bill. He is quite anti stereotypical as although he wears
costumes consisting of mostly suits, he has quite a cockney,
casual dialect and has a friendly and warm persona which goes
against the idea of the lower middle class being proud.
10. Upper Middle Class Example
Doctor Carter = Is portrayed quite stereotypically as he is well spoken and
has a posh accent which is a contrast to the rest of the Mancunian's
accents. He wears costumes consisting of mostly suits, regularly attends
dinner parties with his professional friends and even alienated an ex
girlfriend to wear more formal costumes and speak more elegantly to try
and disguise her unskilled working class background.
11. Upper Class Example
She is portrayed as aristocracy due to living in the manor that is
Downtown Abbey and having maids waiting on her. She speaks with very
good English, dresses elegantly and is always impeccably polite. However
she goes against the stereotype of being pompous and arrogant as she
marries the chauefer who is socially 'beneath her' and willingly
volunteers as a nurse in the war giving her a more authentic sense of
personality.
