The document discusses the British social class system. It was once rigidly defined but is gradually eroding due to economic changes and multiculturalism. Traditionally, classes were defined by occupations and influenced factors like education and marriage opportunities. The main classes were the upper class of inherited wealth and titles, the middle class of professionals and business owners, and the lower working class of manual laborers. Today, the strict definitions of classes have blurred and most British people no longer strongly identify with a particular class.

1. SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM IN
BRITAIN
http://projectbritain.com/class.htm

2. Britain was once a class-ridden society.
Today, multiculturalism and a changing
economy are gradually eroding the
British class system, but some features
of the system still remain.

3. WHAT IS CLASS?
Sociologists define social class as the grouping of people
by occupations. Doctors and lawyers and university
teachers are given more status than unskilled labourers.
The different positions represent different levels of power,
influence and money. In days gone by your class would
affect your chances of getting an education, a job, etc.
and it would also affect the people who you could
socialise with and marry. Today this type of thing is all-
but-gone with the high-profile exception of the Royal
family.

4. THE BRITISH SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM
The British society has often been considered to be divided into three main groups
of classes:
• the Upper Class
Often people with inherited wealth. Includes some of the oldest families, with
many of them being titled aristocrats.
• the Middle Class
The majority of the population of Britain. They include industrialists, professionals,
business people and shop owners.
• Lower or Working Class
People who are agricultural, mine and factory workers.

5. THE BRITISH CLASS SYSTEM TODAY
Although some people in the UK still refer to themselves
as "working-class", "lower-middle" or "upper-middle" (and
of course there are those who think of themselves as the
"elite" class), to the majority of the British the meanings
don't seem to matter much these days.