Social Classes In Victorian England

During this time the social class depended on how much land you owned. Royalty in your Kings and Queens was part of the upper class; the noble lords and vassals followed the

they belonged to were proud to be British - the "best nation in the world". Theatres, musicals, proms concerts and films entertained the growing population. The upper classes led such a lavish life of luxury that the Edwardian

The best class to be in was the gentry because they were the richest of the rich. The people that made up the gentry included plantation owners (the Tidewater), merchants/business owners, ministers, royal officials, successful lawyers and wealthy artisans, such as goldsmiths. The gentry owned most of the land, were very powerful, were the most likely to hold office, and the men had the right to vote.

As for laborers, they were the lowest class in society (McKinney). This class was made up of beggars, artisans, carpenter, shoemakers, and brick masons (McKinney). Although the work that laborers did was an important piece in the society of 16th century England, they weren’t respected as if they accomplished anything (McKinney).

Unlike upper class they did not necessarily inherit their money but earned it off their own hard work. They could afford their own town house and servants to run the household. Over time these class of people grew more influential and eventually gained the right to vote in 1832. They were below the aristocracy but above the workers.

The concept of social class has been around for ages and is still a part of today’s society. Social class is not only based on the individual’s wealth but also on their social standing such as; monarchs, priests, nobles, merchants, and peasant class. The peasant class was practically ignored, which means that the higher classes would only pay attention to each other. This can be the case in society today, there are some people who feel that their career makes them higher than a janitor. Even though humans have been around for centuries, social class is still a big issue.

* The upper class was the highest of them all and the people who qualified to be in this category were very wealthy and proper people.

The upper, middle, and lower class. The upper class streamed from the aristocrats of earlier time periods. The middle and lower classes were the working classes. The middle class however had jobs with better pay, a better standard of living ,and better sanitation then the lower class but still had struggles with day to day necessities. The lower class were very poor and had difficult lives. Many children worked in the lower class. This relates to A Brave New World as the lower classes were not focused on in society very often, and had difficult jobs and less access to resources from their conception, this caused the lower classes to in general have low

The following class, which was by far the largest, was the middle class. (Population and Social Rank) This included owners of small stores and businesses, small farmers, and craftsmen. (1727: Colonial America) They were mostly educated, and lived successful lives. They also had very high moral standards and some were deeply religious. (Population and Social Rank) Most middle class men could vote, but few held public office, as the gentry used their wealth and influence for political control. Middle class women ran self-sufficient households, and made their own clothes, candles, cheese and soap. Few were educated. (1727: Colonial America)

The upper class lived lavishly. They had extreme wealth that tended to be money that was inherited from their family. In Document 1, it depicts people dressed in fancy attire appearing to be at a picnic in a

One Victorian sentiment was that a civilized individual could be determined by her/his appearance. This notion was readily adopted by the upper classes and, among other things, helped shape their views of the lower classes, who certainly appeared inferior to them. In regards to social mobility, members of the upper classes may have (through personal tragedy or loss) often moved to a lower-class status, but rarely did one see an individual move up from the abysmal lower class. Although poverty could be found almost anywhere in Victorian London (one could walk along a street of an affluent neighborhood, turn the corner, and find oneself in an area of depravity and decay), most upper-class

The rich Romans had life good. They often lived outside the city, away from the smells and noise. The beautiful houses you may see in the hills, Thats where they lived. To go along with their commodities, they lived a life of extreme luxury and extravagance. The rich had not only butlers, but maids and slaves, all of whom catered to their masters every wish. This life of luxury wasn’t just shorted there. The rich had a much more broad and expansive and nutritional diet as well. This diet consisted of not only fresh fruit, meat, fish and wheat products such as bread. All of these were fresher than what could be afforded by the poor, as well as most were not capable of having the offer of the meat the rich seemed to enjoy so much. The rich often even enjoyed the sports that some couldn 't afford. The life of luxury that these people lived, was very, situationally accomodating. The things which allowed them these luxuries, were not

The middle class consisted of doctors, lawyers, engineers, managers, social workers, architects, and teachers. Many of those in the middle class moved away from the central city to avoid crime and pollution. Middle-class families could afford their own homes and better quality clothing. Most families also had at least one live-in servant. This gave an advantage to women to pursue activities outside the home.

wanted to be wealthy. They substituted their pursuit of happiness for the pursuit of wealth. Meaning, not only did they work hard at becoming wealthy, they gave their all and many died trying. On the other hand, people who didn’t have to work hard to get the money still didn’t work hard the whole time they had the money. They were a part of the leisure class.

Merchants and bankers were the most socially mobile group in the renaissance. The often started from humble beginnings- as peddlers or craftsmen, for example- and exploited new commercial opportunities to become very wealthy. Once they were rich, they tried to behave like the nobility. Many became patrons and leaders of society (“Social Order” pp.58).