How Does Social Class Affect Life Chances?

How Does Social variance Affect Life Chances?LIFE CHANCESSOCIAL CLASS CONTINUES TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON LIFE CHANCES OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE CONTEMPORARY UK. DISCUSS THIS VIEW, USING APPROPRIATE EVIDENCE.In a modern western society individuals strive to achieve the things that ar designate as desirable, the best phone, a big house and a nice car. These are on the whole know as commodities alongside education, health and housing only if these commodities are very rarely distributed gibely and so actually achieving these things can be difficult (Stroud, 2001). The ability and prospect a person has to achieve these commodities is known as a persons support chances. in that respect are various factors that can determine a persons life chances including familial inheritance, friendly classify of parents, education, nestlinghood indigence, family, attitudes and discrimination, plus many more (Aldridge, 2004). A persons life chances will often be determined by their soci al class within their society. Social class is one of the oldest and possibly one of the most persistent inequalities in British society. Classes are groups of heap that all share the same ideals, opportunities and cultural beliefs. These class organizations can be defined by achieved or ascribed status. Achieved status is status that has been worked for, whereas ascribed status is from birth. Some class systems befool social mobility, which gives individuals the opportunity to move up or down classes.Throughout history there have been records of many different class systems, including slavery, the feudal system and the Hindu caste system. Some of these class systems restrained exist even in todays modernised world. Despite many adaptions taking gear up as life continues to change according to the National Equality Panel the UK is mum a long way from being a society of equal opportunity. There has been a lot of change over the last two decades that have indeed improved the lif e chances of many these changes have narrowed the inequalities in earnings, gender and education for ethnic minorities (Timmins, 2010). The biggest inequality that can be seen within the UK would be with income, with the majority of the UKs wealth being owned by plainly a small percentage.Within the contemporary UK there appears to be a class system divided into three categories, upper class, middle class and functional class. For each of these three classes there will be differences in the kind of advantages or disadvantages the people within them can have. These differences may be recognised by straightforward inequality with commodities such as council housing or privately owned housing in select locations, education at select informs compared to separate education, private healthcare opposed to NHS healthcare and luxuriouslyly paid occupations against misfortunately paid or no occupation opportunities. There could also be disadvantages overdue to a persons accent and dialect, appearance and clothing and the leisure activities that person indulges in. There may also be other less obvious inequalities, from social class, that can affect a persons life chances.In a modern society social class and life chances reckon largely on economic differences between groups, such as wealth and income, possession of goods, and a persons position in society (SFEU, n.d). The biggest differences in social class within the UK can be seen through a persons occupation. The upper classes can live off unearned income, such as land rents or inheritance. There are not many upper class people living off unearned income, despite there being some very wealthy people. In the UK most people fall into middle class or working class categories. The middle class is broken down into the higher middle class and the lower middle class. The higher middle class hold occupations in professional work such as law, medicine or owning businesses. This type of work requires education, qual ifications and skills. While the lower middle class hold occupations such as teachers and opticians. At one season lower middle class occupations were sought after and would have been regarded as higher middle class, but due to these professions now being stable surface paid positions they have decreased in class standing (Mills, 1956, cited in Anon, n.d). Working classes hold manual labour occupations and although this can often require a lot of skill it is not generally well paid (Anon, n.d).It is more than obvious to say that if a child has a good education and achieves high qualifications then that child is most likely to gain a high paying job. A person innate(p) into a family living in poverty would obviously not have the same opportunity to attend a top quality private school as a person born into a wealthy family. There is also the consideration of catchment areas with education that could prevent a person being able to attend a better school than provided in their local a rea. A lot of the best schools in the UK do have scholarship and bursary opportunities, however these do not always apply as some of the individuals from poorer societies are unable or unaware of how to apply for this assistance and if they do they could still be refused. For instance, a child from a council estate, living with lazy parents on the outskirts of a city would not be able to go to a private funded school in a big city. Whereas a child with parents as actors will almost always be instantly enrolled to the best private schools available.The main factor that affects health inequality in the UK is social class. There are many studies that show people born in to poor families have less chance of survival, grow up with poor health and may die at an early age. NHS waiting lists at an all snip high, those individuals with either low incomes or no incomes are increasingly waiting daylong for potentially lifesaving treatment. In contrast to this those people in what is conside red the upper classes are able to pay to have treatment privately and almost immediately, also having the opportunity to choose the best surgeon/doctor to perform the treatment. There is also the fact that many working class occupations cause illness but the people suffering are unable to take time away from their employment for fear of dismissal. Health inequalities may not be directly caused by social class itself but more as a result of social class inequality. Poor health can be a result of poor living conditions, bad eating habits, behavioural habits such as smoking and drinking and lack of exercise (Macintyre, cited in Burton, 2014).Another difference between life chances and differing social classes is the way crime is handled. A lot of national statistics state that most crime is committed by working class males. This is not needs true as a lot of wealthy people often commit crimes but are not prosecuted. Even when they are prosecuted there are major differences in the trea tment involved. For instance a white working class male arrested for fraud will find himself face down on the pavement and handcuffed behind his back. He will then be taken to a local police station, thrown in a cell and in conclusion interviewed for hours before having DNA, fingerprints and photographs taken before being released. In total contrast to this a wealthy public figure such as a politician or celebrity would be contacted through their PA or agent with a request to attend the police station at a time suitable and convenient for them. They will not be handcuffed, put in a cell or subjected to many hours of interrogation. They may have to provide DNA, fingerprints and photographs but this could also depend on the person in call into question.REFERENCESAldridge, S. (2004) Life Chances Social Mobility An Overview of the Evidence online. Available from http//www.swslim.org.uk/documents/themes/lt10_lifechances_socialmobility.pdf Accessed on twenty-fifth February 2014.Anon. (n.d) Social contrast Class War online. 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