Class war: new social groupings provoke outrage on social media

THE TRADITIONAL three-tier British class system is out of date, according to a survey of more than 161,000 people conducted by the BBC. Instead of upper, middle and lower classes the UK now has a total of seven social classes ranging from the 'elites' to the 'precarious proletariats'.

Other unfamiliar labels included in the new social order are 'Technical Middle Class', 'New Affluent Workers' and 'Emergent Service Workers'.

The new class system was devised by Manchester University's Professor Fiona Devine and London School of Economics' Professor Mike Savage. They based it on the findings of the Great British Class Survey - the largest ever study of its kind. A shorter version of the original 20-minute survey can be taken by Britons on BBC News' website.

The new system was greeted with scepticism by social media users, who pointed out the short version of the quiz could be easily manipulated to get wildly different results. One privately-educated Twitter user deemed to be 'traditional working class' wrote "perhaps I should ask for my public school fees back?".

Its methodology was also mocked by Mumsnetters with user 'eatyourveg' (who was deemed to be part of the 'established middle class') remarking: "Quite how they determine class by asking if you use Twitter/Facebook or know a scientist, nurse secretary or cleaner is rather dodgy if you ask me".

Satirical website the Daily Mash also had a few laughs at the expense of the new class system, joking that it had been "greeted with a sigh of relief from a nation of people too lazy to have individual characteristics". They 'quoted' salesman Tom Booker saying: "Far from being an archaic load of cack, the class system is a handy ready-reckoner for how to behave. As a 'new affluent worker' I understand now that I must drive a stupid little Mini car, own at least six cook books and do cocaine every other weekend."

As The Guardian points out, it isn't surprising the study has attracted some consternation: nothing obsesses the British as much as class. But Professors Savage and Devine defended the study, saying traditional class definitions only applied to 39 per cent of the respondents to their January 2011 survey. "We devised a new way of measuring class, which doesn't define class just by the job that you do, but by the different kinds of economic, cultural and social resources or 'capitals' that people possess", they said.

Britain's new social order
 

Elite - High level of all three capitals, economic, cultural and social

Established middle class - High levels of all three capitals but less privileged than the elite

Technical middle class - High economic capital but less cultural capital

New affluent workers – High levels of cultural and social capital but medium economic capital

Emergent service workers - New class with low economic capital but high levels of cultural and social capital.

Traditional working class - Low on all three capitals, but not the poorest

Precariat – The poorest, low on all three forms of capital