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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.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 6 May 201300:15

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
•Receive a personalised 'coat-of-arms'
•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 201316:00
  • Mon 6 May 201300:15

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Explore further with The Open University

BBC Thinking Allowed is produced in partnership with The Open University

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