Social class is the division of a society based on the perceived social status and economic status of individuals – it is not simply the wealth an individual earns that determines what social class they are considered to belong to. Generally, we think of class being separated into three categories – upper class, middle class and working class. However, changes to labour practices and the characteristics of social groups in the turn of the century has led to revisions in how class is determined and defined. In 2011, the Great British Class Survey (conducted by the BBC) revealed seven distinct class categories; these class categories were described as ‘elite’, ‘middle class’ (broken down into established and technical middle class), ‘new affluent workers’, ‘traditional working class’, ‘emergent service sector’ and ‘precariat’. The latter four vary in terms of their financial income and the perceived value of their ‘social contacts’, but all would fall under pre-established notions about the ‘working class’- labourers or low income workers. It is this fracturing of social classes into sub-categories that illustrates how unclear it can be who is or isn’t at risk of class inequality or restricted social mobility.

Class inequality occurs when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, typically through norms of allocation, and reinforce specific patterns along lines of socially defined categories of persons. Class inequality ensures only particular families have access to higher education for their children, access to particular schools or housing, access to high or low quality healthcare and even transportation or financial services. There are ways to resist or reverse the impact of class inequality through organisational support and conscientious behaviour as an individual.