Fiducia TogetherSocial class
Grouping by economic position, and how it shapes life chances.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Social class groups people by occupation, income, wealth and status. Sociologists use categories from the Registrar General's scheme to the modern NS-SEC.
Where it applies
Sociology, and it appears in geography, history and English.
How it works
Class is one of the strongest predictors of educational outcome, health and life expectancy in the UK. Marxists see it as the fundamental division; functionalists see stratification as serving a purpose; Weber added status and power alongside economic position.
How to use it in your work
Use the concept of life chances and give evidence.
Name the perspective you are applying and one criticism of it.
Avoid describing class as fixed. Social mobility, and its limits, is usually the interesting part.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification and mark scheme.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Sociology Song The GCSE sociology topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.