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 * Britain at a glance- Does the class-system still exist? **

Traditionally the Great Britain, especially England, is known for their class-system, dividing the people into groups, depending on their wealth, relations, and occupations etc. with the Royal family on the top of the hierarchy. Today many people claim that the class system is gone, while others means that it has only changed, or “gone underground”. But obviously the system has changed!


 * The 19th Century- The influence of the Industrial revolution **

No matter what people think of the class system today, they all agreed that the changes have been huge. Even the changes in the past hundred years have been enormous. According to Wikipedia the changes during the Victorian era were fundamental. Partly due to the Industrial revolution and the fast growing industry in the country also contributed to a change in the social structure. The industry workers started to form trade unions, and the poor were no longer ignored by the society. A rapidly growing infrastructure also made the trading and importation of goods easier, but also allowed everyone to travel, not only the rich. The poor could travel by train, and in 1871 a number of holidays were fixed, so that people from all parts of society could enjoy them. This was called the Bank Holiday Act. A few years earlier, in 1848 and 1869, the rapid progress of the industries and infrastructure inspired the Victorians to improve the sanitaire conditions in the cities. Though advertisement was a very new and little used way of promoting goods, soap was among the products advertised. The women’s rights were also fought for during this period, and through the Married Women’s Property Act in 1882 women got the right to still own property after they got married, and so got the opportunity to get a divorce without having to worry about poverty. In this late part of the 1800’s there was also set a minimum age for child workers and the basis for primary education was set. The attitudes of this period were still present for a while into the 20th century.

Bibliography: · “Social structure of the United Kingdom” Wikimedia foundation, last update 07.03.11, viewed 10.03.11, [] · “Britain’s class system ‘alive and well’, claims research, Article in “the telegraph” by Caroline Gammell, published 17.04.09, viewed 10.03.11 [] · “social history of England” Wikimedia foundation, last update 15.11.10, viewed 14.03.11, []