ABSTRACT
The predominant impression was that class divisions and socio-economic inequalities were becoming less important. Although long-term changes in income distribution have been comparatively small, it seemed reasonable to assume that this was compensated for by the growth of welfare services and the increasing volume of protective and regulatory legislation. Economic indicators are largely blind to the qualitative changes in the material and social environment, which are so crucial to human welfare. That the heights of civil servants should be more closely related to their achieved employment grade than to their fathers’ social class may reflect differences in the two classifications as well as in the accuracy of the information provided. Employment grade within the civil service provides a much clearer socio-economic ordering of the population than do the registrar general’s occupational classes. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
