Social class quiz - what are you?

[Rhyfelwyr]

I noticed this interesting quiz on the BBC website. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22000973).

It only takes a couple of minutes to do, since it's a shortened version.

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical of the division into economic, cultural and social aspects. It seems to me that the culture element just acknowledges the fact that young people (beyond the underclass level) tend to take part in more social activities. Social capital to me also seems to be a pretty meaningless indicator of anything.

As for my results, I was dubbed Precariat. In other words, the underclass, or lumpenproletariat. I based my answers on my situation a couple of months ago when I had my own place. I earned minimum wage and later lost that, rented a cheap place in a notorious area, didn't have any respectable people in my social circle, only hobbies were the gym and football, etc. The test is pretty short though and didn't take account of things like the fact I have a university degree.

I'm curious to see how other Orgahs would rank on this test...

[Beskar]

Precariat, based sololy on income. Under different conditions, would easily be Emergent service workers, or Established middle class, since I scored high on Social and Cultural.

[Lemur]

Result: the class group you most closely match is:

Technical middle class

This is a small, distinctive and prosperous new class group. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Mix socially with people similar to themselves
Work in research, science and technical fields
Enjoy emerging culture such as going to the gym and using social media

[Papewaio]

Established middle class

Mainly because of all the classical music my wife listens to...

Seems to be a lack of actual job oles listed for the technical 'class'. No engineer or IT&T roles other then the very small part for software designers. Might as well had listed social studies teachers rather then teacher and lift installation electrician rather then electrician. Pretty flawed questions when some categories are very narrow and others overly wide.

[HoreTore]

"Established Middle Class"

I'm such a champagne socialist.... Though take away my flat(which I own almost nothing of anyway), and I turn into the "emergent service workers" class.

Bah. I'm a wage-labourer.

[Greyblades]

Oh good, the piss fountain has rearranged itself.

[Kadagar_AV]

Result: the class group you most closely match is:

Emergent service workers

This class group is financially insecure, scoring low for savings and house value, but high for social and cultural factors. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:

Are young
Enjoy a cultured social life
Rent their home - almost 90%




Though, had I filled it in a year ago, when I had a fiance and private school job II am sure I would have scored entirely different.

[TinCow]

Result: the class group you most closely match is:

Elite

This is the wealthiest and most privileged group in the UK. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Enjoy high cultural activities such as visiting museums and listening to classical music
Went to private school and elite universities
Socialise with people who do a wide variety of jobs



I'm a bit surprised, I expected to show up as "Established Middle Class." I find it a bit odd that knowing people with lots of different jobs counts as being part of the elite. Most of my friends have very modest incomes and many are in public service and entertainment. I would think that the 'Elite' would be represented by a more insular social grouping, not a more expansive one.

[Ronin]

Result: the class group you most closely match is:

Technical middle class

This is a small, distinctive and prosperous new class group. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Mix socially with people similar to themselves
Work in research, science and technical fields
Enjoy emerging culture such as going to the gym and using social media


same

[Kadagar_AV]

I'm not the only poor guy then...

I find the test too narrow.

And did they just tell me that I am poor, but at least I have friends and can get laid?

[TinCow]

Then again, British Tests shouldn't be expected to accurately reflect an American, I guess, though as long as you don't look at it too hard I guess it is accurate enough.

It's definitely a bit wonky, particularly for us Yanks. I noted as well that going to museums counts as an 'elite' style cultural activity. I live in DC... everyone here goes to museums because there are a ton of them and they're really damn good. Those same museums are packed with average joe American tourists coming to check out their capital. I guarantee that if walked into any Smithsonian and had to give a social class to the people you met inside, you would not be saying 'Elite' a great deal. I have a feeling that the museums that the test was talking about were more along the lines of art galleries.

It's also worth noting that the methodology section of that site says that the full survey listed 27 cultural activities and 37 occupations. That quiz we all took included 16 cultural activities and 18 occupations. So, we clearly didn't get the full thing.

[Rhyfelwyr]

That test was really more a sample than anything. The link to the full one is in one of the related articles, but it takes 25 minutes to complete.

[Major Robert Dump]

Emergent Service Worker, apparently based on my "low savings".

Little do they know that I convert my liquid assets from cash to Ivory. Joke is on you, limeys

[TinCow]

That test was really more a sample than anything. The link to the full one is in one of the related articles, but it takes 25 minutes to complete.

I took the full one and it's definitely far more thorough. Oddly though, it doesn't tell you your class it just ranks your results. My results from the full test had a much lower social ranking than I got on the smaller one:


YOUR RESULTS
You scored 97/100 for economic capital
Your financial resources are higher than the average person in the UK. Find out more below.


You scored 50/100 for social capital
Your social network is about the same as the average person in the UK. Find out more below.


You scored 90/100 for cultural capital
Your range of cultural interests is broader than the average person in the UK. Find out more below.


Here's a link to the full test, for anyone interested:
https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/class/

A warning for Yanks: there are a lot of UK-specific questions. I was able to answer adequately as I grew up there, but I think many of the cultural questions would have you all scratching your heads.

[Husar]

I got Precariat, but I'm still studying so my income is still rather low.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Emergent service workers


It should be "declining service workers". I wouldn't call what we are doing "emerging"

[Sarmatian]

New affluent workers

This class group is sociable, has lots of cultural interests and is in the middle of all the class groups in terms of wealth. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:

Are young
Come from a working class background
Own their own home



Here it is, whatever it means.

[Catiline]

It's broken. You get Elite if you have income or assets even if you have no friends and no hobbies.

[HoreTore]

Here it is, whatever it means.

Huh. That sounds a lot more appropriate for my situation than "established middle class". My public sector income is below the national average(as a teacher), but then again I suppose Norwegian wages are higher than british wages(peasants!).

As for those of you who don't understand what "emergent service worker" means, it's basically the new working class which is employed as shop workers, tour guides, waitresses, hairdressers and so on instead of traditional industry.


It's broken. You get Elite if you have income or assets even if you have no friends and no hobbies.

Broken? Isn't that rather spot on? ~;)

[Fragony]

Established middle class

This is the most gregarious and the second wealthiest of all the class groups. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:

Enjoy a diverse range of cultural activities
Went to university
Are comfortably off, secure and established

[Sigurd]

I got

Elite

This is the wealthiest and most privileged group in the UK. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Enjoy high cultural activities such as visiting museums and listening to classical music
Went to private school and elite universities
Socialise with people who do a wide variety of job


Ok, so I earn good and live in a house that has doubled its value from when I built it. I like classical music and have doctors and university professors in the family, and yeah.. ok I like Opera and I have a daughter who dances ballet. But really...?

[Furunculus]

New Affluent Workers: This class has medium levels of economic capital and higher levels of cultural and social capital. They are a young and active group.

seems dubious.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Established middle class. I overscored for middle class in the purple, but underscored in one of the blues. Apparently I am not going to be found at the barricades any time soon.

[classical_hero]

I got

Elite

This is the wealthiest and most privileged group in the UK. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Enjoy high cultural activities such as visiting museums and listening to classical music
Went to private school and elite universities
Socialise with people who do a wide variety of job


Ok, so I earn good and live in a house that has doubled its value from when I built it. I like classical music and have doctors and university professors in the family, and yeah.. ok I like Opera and I have a daughter who dances ballet. But really...?

That is a typical snob. :wink:

For myself I got Traditional working class, but I would have got if I were working and not ill.

[Beskar]

It's broken. You get Elite if you have income or assets even if you have no friends and no hobbies.

Which is what I stated in my post. It is rather silly.

[Veho Nex]

Result: the class group you most closely match is:

Technical middle class

This is a small, distinctive and prosperous new class group. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Mix socially with people similar to themselves
Work in research, science and technical fields
Enjoy emerging culture such as going to the gym and using social media


Thats what I got too, which is funny cause I make 9$ an hour working 24 hours a week. Don't own my own home or even a car.

[Fragony]

I got

Elite

This is the wealthiest and most privileged group in the UK. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:


Enjoy high cultural activities such as visiting museums and listening to classical music
Went to private school and elite universities
Socialise with people who do a wide variety of job


Ok, so I earn good and live in a house that has doubled its value from when I built it. I like classical music and have doctors and university professors in the family, and yeah.. ok I like Opera and I have a daughter who dances ballet. But really...?

Bring forth the guilliotine! There is no excuse

[HoreTore]

Gosh darn it, I misread Frag's post... I thought he got elite for himself, instead he was just quoting Sigurd... There goes my plan to pester him with accusations of elitism in every future argument....

Oh, and don't worry about Sigurd; he's from Bergen. That automatically makes him bottom of the heap. The discard pile.

(and yes, I'm still pissed at the 3-1 loss)

[Fragony]

To be fair, I can't rule out I will be some day, takes time

[Idaho]

To be fair, I can't rule out I will be some day, takes time

I will need the faith of total relism to help me through that dark day.

[Fragony]

I will need the faith of total relism to help me through that dark day.

Oh don't worry, the worst that can happen to you is that I buy you a beer that isn't your favorite brand