ABSTRACT

We have argued in earlier chapters that the new middle class cannot be understood as a homogenous social group. Rather, we have outlined a series of ‘boundaries’ associated with social origin, education and occupation which can be seen to relate to the interests, tastes and leisure preferences of particular social groups. Of course, such findings need to be examined in the context of the households through which our subjects’ lives are lived. To that end this chapter examines the structure of the households on The Heath with regard to our thesis of fragmentation and the relationship between gender differentiation, domestic labour and leisure.