European Thought and Society

Social Classes in European Society

Although it could be argued that Europeans in middle and working classes now share many of the same social , economic and political goals , I do not agree that this has resulted in a diffusion of the classes . Authors such as Giddens have argued that these once prevalent social class discriminations are waning . While I believe that the landscape of social structures in UK and the rest of Europe may indeed be changing , I believe that social and working classes remain distinct , although there may be some blurring

of the precise b between the two . This essay will present the evidence which is available to support this theory , and discuss the reasoning behind this argument

Life Goals

It is unarguable that those traditionally labeled as working class and those labeled as middle class have come to share many of the same goals in recent decades . In some areas of the country in particular , political actions from the 1970s onwards united the classes in defence of jobs and communities in the face of the changes occurring in the different areas of industry . It was not only the working classes affected by these changes , but also many in associated professions and managerial roles that constituted the middle classes in a particular area . In particular many of the governmental decisions made during the last few decades have resulted in convergence of opinion towards political parties , although this is a change which Doepke and Zilibotti claim has been developing since...