Social class remains one of the most important influences on people’s life chances in the UK. It affects the money people earn, the wealth they can build, the type of work they do, the homes they can afford, the education they access and the health they are likely to experience.
For Cambridge OCR A Level Sociology, students need to understand the main patterns and trends in social inequality and difference. This includes looking at inequality in relation to social class, especially through work and employment, but also through wider areas of social life such as education, housing, health, poverty and political influence.
Social class is not simply about whether someone sees themselves as working class or middle class. Sociologists often examine class through occupation, income, wealth, education, housing and access to power. These resources are not shared equally. As a result, people from different class backgrounds may begin life with very different levels of security and opportunity.
Income inequality and wealth inequality
One major trend is the unequal distribution of income and wealth.
Income is the money that people receive through wages, benefits, pensions, investments or other sources. Wealth refers to assets that people own, such as property, savings, shares, businesses and pensions.
Wealth is often more unequally distributed than income. Some households have savings, property and financial support from family members. Others have little or no financial buffer if they lose work, face rising rents or experience an unexpected expense.
This matters because wealth can be passed between generations. Parents may be able to help their children with university costs, driving lessons, rent, a house deposit, unpaid internships or periods of unemployment. Young people without this support may have to take lower-paid work sooner, remain in the parental home for longer or be unable to move to areas with more employment opportunities.
This links closely to Atkinson’s work on inherited wealth. Atkinson argued that inherited resources can make inequalities more persistent because people do not begin adult life with equal economic resources. A society may appear to reward talent and effort, but family wealth can give some people a significant head start.
The OCR suggested-studies guide also identifies Rowlingson and Mullineux as a useful source for exploring income and wealth inequality. Their work is useful because it directs students towards the gap between those with secure incomes and assets and those who are much more vulnerable to financial insecurity.
Work does not provide equal security
Work and employment are central to class inequality. It is not only whether someone has a job that matters. The type of job, level of pay, contract security, working hours, access to training and promotion prospects can all shape life chances.
Professional and managerial occupations are often more likely to offer regular salaries, pensions, paid holidays, career progression and greater control over working conditions. By contrast, some manual, service-sector and low-paid jobs may involve insecure hours, limited progression and a greater risk of redundancy.
This connects with Roberts’ research on social mobility and middle-class employment security. Middle-class employment can provide protection against economic uncertainty. Parents in secure professional occupations may also be better placed to support children through education, offer advice about careers and provide access to useful contacts.
However, working-class people are not all in the same situation. Some have skilled, secure and well-paid employment, while some middle-class households may experience debt, insecure employment or high housing costs. Social class should therefore be seen as a pattern of unequal chances rather than a fixed label that determines every individual outcome.
A key contemporary issue is in-work poverty. Employment reduces the risk of poverty, but it does not guarantee a secure standard of living. Low pay, unstable hours, high housing costs and insecure contracts can mean that people are working but still struggle to afford food, heating, transport and childcare.
This is important for OCR because it shows that class inequality is not simply about unemployment. It can also be found within the labour market itself.
Economic restructuring, deskilling and insecure work
Changes in the economy have also affected different social classes unevenly.
Historically, many working-class communities were based around manufacturing, mining, engineering, docks and other industrial employment. Deindustrialisation, outsourcing, automation and the decline of some manual industries have changed the employment landscape. In some areas, secure skilled work has been replaced by lower-paid service work, warehouse work, agency work or insecure employment.
This links to Gallie’s research on deskilling and economic restructuring. Gallie argued that working-class and manual workers were disproportionately affected by changes in the economic structure. When industries decline, the consequences can extend beyond employment. Local areas may experience lower incomes, fewer apprenticeships, reduced investment, poorer transport links and fewer opportunities for young people.
Economic restructuring can therefore affect class inequality through place as well as occupation. A young person growing up in an area with limited access to secure work, higher education, reliable public transport or professional networks may face different opportunities from a young person growing up in an affluent city or commuter area.
The Sutton Trust’s research on social mobility is particularly useful here. It shows that opportunity is not distributed evenly across England and that the place where someone grows up can shape educational outcomes, access to work and chances of upward mobility.
Education, networks and access to elite careers
Education can create opportunities, but it does not remove class inequality automatically.
Middle-class families may have more access to resources that support educational achievement. These can include private tutoring, a quiet place to study, books, educational trips, careers advice, family knowledge of university applications and financial support while studying.
Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital is useful here. Cultural capital refers to knowledge, language, tastes, confidence and behaviour that may be valued by schools, universities and employers. Middle-class students may be more familiar with the expectations of formal education and professional workplaces, not because they are naturally more capable, but because their upbringing may give them greater access to these resources.
Class inequality can continue after university. Access to internships, professional networks, work experience and informal career advice can influence who enters high-status occupations. Some internships are unpaid, poorly advertised or located in expensive cities. This can make them easier to access for young people who have family wealth or support.
The Sutton Trust’s research on elite professions suggests that working-class applicants can face barriers at the recruitment stage, even when they have the qualifications needed to apply. This raises important questions about meritocracy. If people with similar qualifications do not have similar chances of entering professional employment, then educational success alone may not be enough to overcome class inequality.
Poverty, food insecurity and everyday life
Poverty is one of the clearest expressions of class inequality. Poverty is not simply a lack of income. It can shape almost every part of daily life.
Households on low incomes may have to make difficult decisions between food, heating, rent, transport, internet access, clothing and childcare. These pressures can affect physical health, mental health, school participation, family relationships and the ability to take part in social activities.
This links to Wakeman’s work on food banks and nutritional deficiencies. Food-bank use is sociologically important because it shows how economic insecurity can affect diet, health and dignity. Food banks may provide essential short-term support, but their growth also raises questions about why so many households cannot afford basic necessities.
Food insecurity can have long-term consequences. A young person who is hungry may struggle to concentrate at school. Parents facing financial pressure may have less time, energy and money to support children’s learning. Adults in low-paid work may delay medical appointments, avoid social activities or take on extra shifts that affect family life and wellbeing.
For sociologists, this demonstrates how inequality can become cumulative. Low income may lead to poor housing, stress, worse health, limited educational opportunities and fewer chances of secure employment. These disadvantages can then be passed on to the next generation.
Housing and class inequality
Housing is another major area of class inequality.
Home ownership can provide security, wealth accumulation and the ability to pass assets to children. By contrast, private renting can involve high costs, insecure tenancies and less control over housing conditions. Social housing has traditionally provided more affordable and secure homes for many working-class households, but access to it has become increasingly limited.
Housing inequality affects life chances in several ways. High rents can leave households with less money for food, heating, transport and education. Overcrowding can make it harder for children to study. Frequent moves can disrupt schooling, friendships and access to local services.
Housing also connects strongly to wealth inequality. People who own property may benefit when house prices rise, while renters may face increasing costs without building assets. This can widen the gap between people whose families can help them onto the housing ladder and those who remain in insecure rented accommodation.
Health and life expectancy
Social class has a major effect on health.
People living in more deprived areas are more likely to experience poorer health and shorter healthy life expectancy. This does not mean that class alone causes ill health. Health is shaped by a combination of income, housing, work, stress, diet, access to green space, pollution, transport and healthcare.
However, class inequalities can influence many of these factors at once. Low-paid or insecure work may increase stress. Poor housing can damage physical and mental health. Poverty can limit access to nutritious food, leisure activities and preventative healthcare.
This is why sociologists use the idea of life chances. Life chances refer to the opportunities people have to achieve a good standard of living, stay healthy, succeed in education, access secure work and participate fully in society.
Class inequality is therefore not simply about money. It is about the unequal distribution of security, power, status, health and opportunity.
Is Britain meritocratic?
A meritocracy is a society in which people succeed mainly because of talent and effort. Supporters of meritocracy may argue that education, hard work and ambition allow people to move up the social class system.
There is evidence that some people do experience upward social mobility. However, sociologists question whether opportunities are genuinely equal.
People from different class backgrounds often begin life with unequal access to income, wealth, housing, educational support, networks and secure employment. This does not mean that working-class people cannot succeed. It means that success may require overcoming barriers that more advantaged people do not face.
A strong sociological argument is that class inequality is reproduced through several connected institutions:
- Families pass on economic resources, housing and cultural capital.
- Schools may reward middle-class language, behaviour and knowledge.
- Universities may be easier to access for students with financial support.
- Employers may value elite institutions, confidence and professional networks.
- Housing wealth can be passed between generations.
- Poor health and insecure work can limit future opportunities.
OCR Sociology: Key studies for social class inequality
For Cambridge OCR A Level Sociology, the following suggested studies provide useful starting points:
Rowlingson and Mullineux
Useful for examining income and wealth inequality.
Atkinson
Useful for explaining inherited wealth and the way class advantage can be passed between generations.
Roberts
Useful for examining social mobility and the greater employment security often available to middle-class households.
Gallie
Useful for examining economic restructuring, deskilling and the impact of changing employment patterns on working-class people.
Wakeman
Useful for exploring food banks, nutritional inequality and the consequences of poverty.
These studies can be strengthened with contemporary evidence from organisations such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Sutton Trust, Equality Trust, Trussell, Shelter, the Living Wage Foundation and the Office for National Statistics.
Exam focus
When writing about social class inequality, avoid simply listing statistics. Use evidence to explain how class affects life chances.
A strong paragraph should follow this pattern:
Social class inequality affects life chances because it influences the security, quality and rewards of employment. Gallie argues that working-class manual workers were disproportionately affected by economic restructuring and deskilling. As traditional industries declined, many workers experienced redundancy or were pushed into lower-paid service-sector jobs with limited training, promotion or long-term security. This means that inequality is not simply about whether someone is employed, but whether their work provides a stable income, predictable hours and opportunities to progress.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2026 supports this view by showing that employment does not always prevent poverty. People in low-paid, part-time or insecure work may still struggle to afford essentials such as food, rent, heating and transport. This can create a cycle of disadvantage. For example, households with insecure incomes may be unable to save, cope with unexpected costs or help children with educational resources, university costs or housing deposits. As a result, class inequalities in employment can affect other areas of life, including health, housing, education and family relationships. Therefore, Gallie’s work remains relevant because changes in the labour market can reproduce class inequality across generations rather than providing equal opportunities for social mobility.
Summary
Social class inequality remains visible in income, wealth, work, education, housing, poverty and health. The most important sociological point is that these inequalities are connected.
A person with secure employment is more likely to have a stable income. A stable income can improve access to housing, food, education and health. These advantages can then be passed on to the next generation.
For this reason, social class remains a powerful influence on life chances in contemporary Britain.
References
Equality Trust (n.d.) The Scale of Economic Inequality in the UK. Available online. Accessed 21 June 2026.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2026) UK Poverty 2026: The Essential Guide to Understanding Poverty in the UK. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Office for National Statistics (2026a) Healthy Life Expectancy, UK: Between 2011 to 2013 and 2022 to 2024. Newport: Office for National Statistics.
Office for National Statistics (2026b) Healthy Life Expectancy by National Area Deprivation, England and Wales: Between 2013 to 2015 and 2022 to 2024. Newport: Office for National Statistics.
OCR (2015) AS and A Level Sociology H180/H580: Suggested Studies Teacher Guide. Cambridge: OCR.
Rose, A. (2025) Life on Low Pay 2025: The Impact of Low Wages on UK Workers. London: Living Wage Foundation.
Shelter (n.d.) Loss of Social Housing. London: Shelter. Available online. Accessed 21 June 2026.
Sutton Trust (2025a) The Opportunity Index. London: Sutton Trust.
Sutton Trust (2025b) Elitist Britain 2025. London: Sutton Trust.
Trussell (2025) Hunger in the UK 2025. Salisbury: Trussell.
Trussell (2026) Food Banks Provide Over 2.6 Million Food Parcels. Salisbury: Trussell.