The British Journal of Sociology
Volume 58 No 2 June 2007
pages 207-226
Abstract
The recent revival in interest in class subjectivity has been largely premised on class belonging as a form of identity, eschewing talk of class-consciousness. Evidence in this debate has been mostly qualitative and focused on specific social groups. This paper uses data from the 2003 British Social Attitudes Survey to map the sense of class belonging in England and to assess the strength of class belonging when placed alongside other social identities, such as gender and nationality. The paper also explores the extent to which class identity could be conceived of as class-consciousness through its links with attitudes to redistribution and workplace relations.
Keywords: Social class, identity, consciousness, social attitudes, quantitative sociology
Paula Surridge
Department of Sociology, University of Bristol