British class survey; Tribute to Geoff Pearson
Laurie Taylor explores a unique piece of research conducted by BBC Lab UK and social scientists. Plus a tribute to the criminologist Geoff Pearson.
Laurie Taylor discusses the 'Great British Class Survey', a unique piece of research conducted by BBC Lab UK and academics from six different universities. The researchers devised a new way of measuring class, which doesn't define it by occupation but by the different kinds of economic, cultural and social resources or 'capitals' that people possess. But how have other academics with an interest in class reacted to this research? Mike Savage, one of the survey researchers and Professor in Sociology at the University of Essex, debates the merits of this new approach to class stratification with Colin Mills, lecturer in Sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford and Beverly Skeggs, Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths College, London.
Also, Dick Hobbs, Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex, offers a tribute to the eminent criminologist, Geoff Pearson who died recently.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
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BBC Great British Class Survey
BBC's Great British Class Survey Experiment
Does class still matter? If so, what does Britain's real class system look like?
Help us find out and discover the three factors that affect your life chances.
•Compare your scores to the nation's
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•Takes just 20 minutes
Mike Savage
Professor in Sociology at the London School of Economics
Find out more about Mike Savage
Colin Mills
Lecturer in Sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford
Find out more about Colin Mills
Bev Skeggs
Professor of Sociology and Head of the Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London
Find out more about Bev Skeggs
Dick Hobbs
Professor of Sociology and Director of the Criminology Centre at the University of Essex
Find out more about Dick Hobbs
Broadcasts
- Wed 1 May 201316:00BBC Radio 4
- Mon 6 May 201300:15BBC Radio 4
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