Class and Status

Quizzes

In the first quiz "What class are you really"? i got traditional working class. I do agree with this result as i am not very "posh" however neither am i "less fortunate". I would say stereo typically traditional working class is the most common class in our society and i think it describes me quite well. - "You’ve worked hard, you’re doing okay, and frankly anybody who looks down on your because your job isn’t a fancy one can shove it. You’re the bedrock of the country, you live a good life, and you’re proud of that. If you were a vehicle, you’d be a good old Transit Van. But a nice one, not one of those old clapped out ones." 

In the second quiz i received the result of being technical middle class. I also think this is a fair representation of me as i like to socialise with people similar to myself and i enjoy going to the gym and using social media. I believe these quizzes base the result of your class on your personality. This could be a unfair representation because someone could have a very different personality to their family even though their family could be seen as "posh" and this means they could be seen as "middle class". - "This is a small, distinctive and prosperous new class group. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:

• Mix socially with people similar to themselves
• Work in research, science and technical fields
• Enjoy emerging culture such as going to the gym and using social media".

How class is measured & categorized

Upper Class: The upper class is the social class composed of those who are rich, well-born, powerful, or a combination of those. They usually wield the greatest political power.

Middle Class: The middle class is the most contested of the three categories, the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the lower and upper classes. One example of the contest of this term is that in the United States "middle class" is applied very broadly and includes people who would elsewhere be considered working class. Middle class workers are sometimes called "white-collar workers".

Lower Class: Lower class (occasionally described as working class) are those employed in low-paying wage jobs with very little economic security. The term "lower class" also refers to persons with low income. The working class is sometimes separated into those who are employed but lacking financial security, and an underclass—those who are long-term unemployed and/or homeless, especially those receiving welfare from the state. 

I believe the labels given to each class and status are wrong. This is because you can get someone from a very "posh"/ "higher class" family however they decide to be more middle class and have different personalities as to how they act. This is just the same for a individual from a lower working class family to have a higher class personality or behave differently to their family out of their own decisions. I think the categorized labels people are given are just based on stereotypical views of people.

How is class represented through mise en scene in TV dramas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IscFlwFNB6I

This clip from Downton Abbey represents the upper class and the lifestyle they live. At the beginning of the clip its shows an establishing shot showing off their big posh mansion. The clip then moves on to show a woman sat in her very fancy bedroom, the colours and furnishings give the idea of a very expensive room and a lot of money spent. The plain but sophisticated furnishings represent a very relaxing and mature atmosphere. The lighting in this scene can also be mentioned as it creates a relaxing mood. The clip then moves on to the characters in the show being shown in their posh and very smart costumes. The suits, dresses and very over the top clothes clearly shows a wealthy family.

This clip is from the TV drama Shameless and shows their lower class and status. It starts of showing their dirty and very basic house they live in. The walls are very plain and the furnishings are very old and ruined. They then move on to mentioning the family including 6 children, this is a stereotype for lower class families to have bigger families and more children which could suggest them receiving more money. Finally their clothing and appearance suggests them belonging to a lower class as they are dirty, old and look very bland. Most of what they wear are plain tshirts and jeans. Frank is also shown to have unkempt and greasy hair which could suggest that lower class people are "dirty" and "lazy".