The bottom class are know as the Underclass, some people argue that they are to be seen as working class but that’s an individual opinion. The people who are classed as the Underclass are people who are unable to move upwards in the social hierarchy. Because of the lack of chances and possibilities the percentage of the Underclass is continuously increasing. Who are the Underclass? Crisis’ explanations are people who have had to go through debts, reductancy, relationship breakdown, eviction or simple bad luck. Others like those with mental health problems and a history of physical abuse. Shelte’s explanations are that many are young single couples and couples without children. People on low income are not able to afford to rent any property. Being homeless effects life chances because they are denied the opportunity to live a normal life. They aren’t able to get a job so they don’t have any money, because they haven’t got any money they aren’t able to afford some were to live.
The social class hierarchy in Britain :
traditional upper class new upper class(new rich)
upper middle class
lower middle class
new working class
UNDERCLASS
There are many reasons for social mobility, one of them is marriage. Women tend to marry rich men to ascend in the hierarchy. I personally think that this is due to the gender inequality that there is between males and females because men always tend to be employed for the most important jobs and so for a woman to be successful she has to marry someone with power. This leads on to the woman’s status, in which it is not considered of any importance because of marrying someone with money. This discriminates women and it is at this point were gender inequality occurs. Over the years women have always fought for equality these women are know as feminists. The aim of the feminist movement is to gain unity, equal opportunities, free abortion on demand and 24 hour nursery. Feminists believe that beauty contest such as Miss World are exploiting women because the contest is to do with physical appearance and it is practically aimed at men because they wear a small amount of clothes and men tend to like to look at women who don’t wear much.
Due to feminist protestors women have gained equal rights, a choice wether to have children and who they want to marry. Even though women have gained some equality gender discrimination still goes on in the work place and women are always being exploited because most pornography is aimed to satisfy men, and for example on newspapers women are continuously exploited with pictures of them showing their body.
Social mobility also happens when people have exceptional skills such as being good at a certain sport for example David Beckham who is a really good football player. They use these talents to succeed in a profession of that certain sport i.e. David Beckham as a footballer.
Others ascend in the social hierarchy because they have had luck, foe example winning the lottery you win an incredible amount of money which boosts you up the social class hierarchy.
When a profession is based on a talent it is difficult to keep on to it, using the same example as before, David Beckham isn’t always going to be able to run or aim like he does now he might suffer from an injury that could ruin his career. When it is based on luck, the luck wont be there forever for those who have won the lottery unless they find a way to keep increasing their money they will run out of the money they won.
Education has improved for the working class. Everyone has an opportunity to succeed in a career that will raise him or her up to a higher class in the social hierarchy this would be seen as an achieved position in stratification.
For those who have difficulties in learning there are special programs to help them improve.
Even though education has improved the inequality within professions when it comes to get a high status employment the employers are biases to the ones who had enough to afford to go oxford or Cambridge.
In conclusion those who are at the top or bottom of the social class hierarchy are not there necessarily because they deserve to be there but because of other reasons. Those who have the higher status don’t achieve their position but it is ascribed for them or some people (usually women) marry someone who is in a higher social class that them which also is a position that hasn’t been achieved.
Some people do achieve their position in the hierarchy but most of them didn’t achieve it.
The people who are at the bottom don’t get an equal chance to achieve anything better than what they were put in. they are being discriminated on the way they look or because of their awful lifestyle but the people who judge them don’t stop to think why they might of had the unfortunate cause that lead them to their position.
Due to the inequality the Underclass are stuck at the bottom with no opportunities to improve their status.