Assess the view that fragmentation of the middle class has occurred.
The middle class is the non-manual white-collar workers. The British sociologist, Anthony Giddeons' describes this class as separate from the upper class because they own hardly any means of production. They do however possess widely recognized skills, mainly mental, which they can sell to the highest bidder. The fragmentation of the middle class is explained by sociologists as the division of members of the said class into groups, based on market and work situation, income, job and lifestyle.
The sociologists, Roberts et al. (1977) discovered while conducting a study of a sample of 243 male white-collar workers that four images within the middle class exist. These four images were very different views of the white-collar workers and their position in the middle class.
The first image known as "middle-mass" was held by 22 percent of the sample. This 22 percent believed themselves between a small, rich upper class and an improvised lower class.
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Middle Class Rut @ EDGEfest 21They held the view that the middle class made up the bulk of the working force, and made no distinction between manual and non-manual workers, different lifestyles and images, and ideological cleavages. Most holding this view were in the middle-range of incomes for white-collar workers.
The next image was called the "compressed middle-class" image and held by 19 percent of the sample. This 19 percent saw themselves squeezed between two groups: the small upper class and an increasingly working class. They felt threatened by both groups. Persons falling into this category were usually small business people.
The third image only had 15 percent of the sample subscribing to it. This image was named the "finely graded ladder" and contained four or more strata. This image is assumed as typical middle class image and persons...
Fragmentation of the Middle Class
This is pretty good, but what about structuralist and constructionist theory. You have done a good job covering marxist and functionalist theory but there are different perpectives that could have done with a bit of attention. Otherwise a very good effort because I know how hard essays are that are all theory based, especially when you have to apply Marx to it.
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