ABSTRACT
The growth of non-manual employment has had significant implications for many aspects of post-war British society. In this chapter the major topic that will be addressed is the import of these changes in the employment structure for a number of debates relating to social class. Two major areas will be discussed: first, the erosion of the historico-sociological convention whereby the manual/non-manual distinction was regarded as a significant class boundary, and second, the impact of the employment of women. In the concluding discussion, the possible consequences for social attitudes of the development of non-manual employment and the consumerist service economy will also be briefly discussed. First, however, the rather different uses and definitions of the class concept within sociology and history will be described.
