Until recently the official way of categorising people into different social classes was the bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened Generals classification. This method was used by bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened up until 2000.
The Registrar General's classification divided people up according to 5 bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened groups:

Class 1: Professional - lawyers, bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, accountants etc
Class 2: Intermediate - bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, managers, farmers etc.
Class 3: Skilled Non Manual - bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened workers, shop assistants etc.
Class 4: Semi Skilled Manual - plumbers, bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, supervisors etc.
Class 5: Semi Skilled Manual - road sweepers, bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, labourers etc.

Many sociologists used the term bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened class to describe the bottom three strata.

Problems Using Occupation to Measure Social Class

1. What Marxists term the bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened are excluded from the classification - those people wealthy enough to live off business bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, private incomes, rent etc.
2. People without occupations are excluded e.g. the unemployed, bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, housewives
3. The RGs classification has been criticised by bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened as being sexist with its emphasis on the "head of the household" - in households where women had a higher bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened occupation than men women were still classified in the lower group of the man.
4. Dual income families may be able to afford the bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened of a higher social group.
5. There were wide discrepancies of bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened and lifestyle within the five strata.


In 2000 the RGs classification was replaced by Goldthorpe's New Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC)

This model has now fully replaced the RGs classification for bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened statistics and government research and bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened. The NS-SEC is based on; employment relations - whether people are self employed or employed and what authority they exercise over others, and market conditions - salaries commanded promotion opportunities, autonomy, and sick pay entitlements, hours worked.

According to the NS-SEC there are 8 social classes:

Class 1: Higher managerial and bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened - senior civil servants, MDs, doctors, barristers, architects etc.
Class 2: bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened managerial and professional - teachers, nurses, police officers, journalists etc
Class 3: Intermediate - secretaries, clerks, computer operators, driving bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened
Class 4: Small employers and self accountable workers - taxi drivers, publicans, bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, window cleaners
Class 5: Lower supervisory, craft and related - bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, drivers, plumbers, printers
Class 6: Semi routine - traffic wardens, bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened dressers, call centre workers
Class 7: Routine - bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, road sweepers, labourers
Class 8: Long term bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened and never employed

Strengths of NS-SEC
1. Unemployed are now included.
2. Recognises changes in economy and changes in the perceived status of some occupations e.g. teachers were bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened from class 1 in 2001 because their pay and conditions of service had bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened considerably
3. Gets rid of "head of household" clause. Women are now recognised and categorised according to their own occupations rather than their bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened.
4. It no longer divides workers along a strict non manual/bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened divide.

Weaknesses of NS-SEC
1. It still doesn’t classify those who live off bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened, rent etc. without working
2. There are still big differences of income and lifestyle within groups. For instance a Head teacher and a newly qualified teacher would both be lumped in class 2 whilst the former may earn bourgeoisiecleanersdecoratorsdemoteddishwashersdoctorselectriciansengineersfeministsgovernmenthairhusbandsincomeinstructorslifestyleLowermanualoccupationalofficeofficialplanningprofessionalprofitsRegistrarstatusstudentsteachersthreeunemployedworkingworsened times the salary of the latter.