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THE UPPER-CLASS IN BRITAIN

The British used to be "a class-ridden society" and their way of life was profoundly

affected by it. We are currently witnessing the disappearance of this society's division into

classes, but some dependencies resulting from this can still be distinguished and

characterized. The British upper class can simply be defined as high-born members of British

society, who have high social status and are very wealthy. This group is associated with peers,

nobility and hereditary landowners. As the title was hereditary, the size of this group was once

very small. People are currently gaining noble titles for accomplishments, so their number is

growing, but they are still a significant minority at the same time.

The upper class of Britain has historically included the landed gentry and the elite of

noble families with hereditary titles, considering their origins. Between the fourteenth and

nineteenth centuries, the vast majority of post-medieval aristocratic families came from the

merchant class and were ennobled, entering into marriages with the old aristocracy and

nobility. This term has also included rich and prominent members of the managerial and

professional class since the Second World War. For a very long time in history, the upper

class has been associated with the aristocracy, but by the twentieth century this relationship

has gradually faded away and the present-day high-ranked British group is quite different

from what it has been over the centuries.

In terms of housing, the saying "home" is too little to describe how the modern upper

class lives. Landowning has been the preserve of the aristocracy historically. The properties

owned by the British from this social class are not characterized by modern design, but above

all by age and character. The reason why old estates are important to wealthy English people

is primarily because of their link to their origins. Often, such properties are passed down from
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generation to generation, and their decor is not changed, but kept in order to preserve the

character and soul of the property.

When it comes to education, high-ranking British people also have their own rules and

habits. In the first years of life, upper-class children are usually raised by babysitters, and then

their education is provided at home by private teachers. It happens that they are sent to public

schools, which meet the upper middle class requirements, but it is not known that these

children are sent to state schools. The most common is to send them to prestigious

institutions, because education is of great value to the upper class. High-ranking parents

choose the best for their children, therefore they focus on the highest standard when choosing

a school. That is why they often choose, e.g., the University of Cambridge or the University

of Oxford – when it comes to higher schools.

Education obviously has an impact on the profession. Social relations, access to work

and universities often depend on class origins. So what kind of jobs do higher-class members

of British society do? Posh people not get their hands dirty with hard physical work. In the

past, upper class people did not work. They did not need to, because, as it is indicated above,

they inherited their money. Nowadays, they might do jobs like being the head of charity, or

they might work in banking in the city. Interestingly, many actors are from upper class

background. In general, they tend to do jobs with really high status, social power and bringing

big income.

Linguistically, the high-ranking British also differ from representatives of other

classes, despite the fact that many people who are from posh background adapt their language

down when they are around the “normal” people. So, it is hard to catch how exactly posh

people speak now. In the past, precisely in 1955, Nancy Mitford wrote an article about “U”

and “non-U” language. The first one means upper class language and the second means not

upper class language. According to Nancy Mitford, posh people language is more direct. They
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have got nothing to prove and are not trying to be refined or fashionable, cause it is not

something they care about. She also marks that they used many of the same words as the

working class people.

In terms of entertainment, the upper British class also shows its distinctness.

Considering sport, an important part of the life of every British person, it can be seen that they

are interested in completely different disciplines than the largest working class of people.

While "ordinary" people watch football, the most popular sport in England, posh people play

cricket or golf. Moreover, the British even have their national golf competition held each year

on various golf fields. However, cricket, which was invented in that country, is most closely

associated with England. It is the national English game. This sport is treated as more than

just a sport discipline – it is somehow a way of living, a slow and peaceful atmosphere. The

wealthy British people also like haunting and horse racing. These are the kinds of

entertainment that average people cannot afford, and some of them certainly find them

unworthy of their time and attention.

The upper class of Britain can be seen as snobs by the lower classes. Nevertheless,

when delving into their lifestyle and habits, it is impossible not to notice their attachment to

their beliefs, cultivating certain traditions and life in a different, which does not mean worse,

way. The partial end of Britain's class division has not resulted in the disappearance of upper-

class individualism and they are striving to continue their way of life.

Bibliography:

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Social_class_in_the_United_Kingdom#Upper_class

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