Social Class 英國的社會階級

28 Apr

You might know that in the past there were very different social classes in the UK. Maybe if you’ve read a Jane Austen book or other novels, you noticed that the class system was quite strong in old England. But what’s it like today? Are there different classes? How does it impact our lives? In this article, I’ll help you understand all of these questions.

你可能知道在過去，英國有非常不同的社會階級。如果你讀過珍•奧斯丁的書籍或其他小說，你會發現舊英國有著相當強烈的階級制度。但如今是什麼樣的呢？我們還有階級之分嗎？這對我們的生活有著什麼樣的影響？在這篇文章中，我會幫助大家探討這些問題。

Before we start, you should know that there are mixed opinions about this topic in the UK, and it’s sometimes seen as an uncomfortable topic to talk about. This might be because prejudices are so deep-rooted that people prefer to ignore them, or because people prefer not to be categorised so simply. At any rate, I simply advise you to tread this topic with caution.

在我們開始之前，你需要了解的是，在英國，人們對這個課題的看法不一。有時它會被認為是一個令人不舒服的話題。這可能是因為偏見的根深蒂固，人們寧願忽視它們，或者因為人們不喜歡被如此簡單地進行分類。無論如何，我建議大家謹慎看待這個課題。

Traditionally, there have been three classes - the upper class, the middle class and the working class. Like many countries in Europe, Britain used to function through a purely inherited system, where one’s children would inherit things like occupation, social status and political influence. Historically, the King or Queen was at the top of that social hierarchy. However, since the industrial revolution, that system experienced big change, and things other than birth (such as education) started having more influence on people’s identities. These days, when people think of social class, they usually think of someone’s wealth, occupation and education. Up until the 1960s, there were still three these quite distinctive social classes: the upper class, the middle class and the working class, as I said. Let’s talk about each of them.

傳統上，我們有三種社會階級：上層階級、中產階級和工人階級。像許多歐洲國家一樣，英國過去的運作方式是純粹的繼承制。在這種制度下，子女會繼承職業、社會地位和政治影響力等等。歷史上，國王或女王處於社會階級的頂端。然而自從工業革命以來，這個體系經歷了巨大的變化。除了出生之外，教育等其他因素開始對一個人的身份有更大的影響。如今，當人們談到社會階級時，他們通常會想到某人的財富、職業和教育。直到20世紀60年代，我們仍然有三個截然不同的社會階級。就像我剛才所說的，上層階級、中產階級和工人階級。現在，讓我們來談談這些不同的階級。

The upper class was the smallest class, and could also be called the elite. The elite usually inherited land and status, in much the same way as it happened throughout history. They might also inherit titles such as Baron or Earle. They tended to have what we call ‘high-brow’ interests, such as going to the theatre, playing polo and listening to classical music.

上層階級是人數最少的階級，它也可以被稱為精英階級。精英階級通常繼承土地和身份地位，就像歷史上發生的一樣。他們也可能繼承男爵或伯爵之類的頭銜。這些人往往有著我們所謂的“高雅”的興趣，例如喜歡去劇院、打馬球，以及聽古典音樂等。

The middle class was made up of wealthy people who had usually earned their status through their jobs - well-paid occupations such as doctors and lawyers. While the upper class might have more ‘leisure’ time, the middle class was still very much a ‘working class’ in the sense that they still worked very hard, however they also enjoyed a life of relative luxury financially.

中產階級是由富人組成的，通常他們會透過工作贏得地位，例如醫師和律師等高薪的職業。上層階級可能有更多“閒暇”的時間，而中產階級在很大程度上仍然是“工人階級”，因為他們仍然非常努力工作。不過，他們在經濟上也享受著相對奢侈的生活。

The working class, while being the largest class, was also the poorest. They would usually not own their own home, have little education, and work in occupations such as cleaners and carpenters.

工人階級雖然是人數最多的階層，但也是最貧窮的一群。他們通常沒有自己的房子，也沒受過什麼教育，一般從事清潔工和木匠等職業。

That’s a simplified explanation of the three old classes in the UK. What makes this system distinctive to other countries’ systems is the fact that birth and ‘cultural capital’ could have an influence over one’s status, rather than just the money that one had. In the US, for example, status would be pretty much equal to your wealth, but the UK, being such an old country, has had deeply rooted ideas about class that go beyond just money.

這些是對英國三大舊式階級概略得介紹。與其他國家階級制度不同的是，除了一個人所擁有的財富以外，出生和“文化資本”也可能會影響該人的社會地位。例如在美國，地位相當於你的財富，但在英國，作為一個歷史悠久的國家，我們對階級有著根深蒂固的觀念，它不僅僅局限於錢財而已。

Today, even though being grouped into classes is more common in the UK than in most other countries, the UK is now very different than it used to be, and class distinctions are much more complex. In most people’s minds, there is still the stereotype of upper class, such as the public school boy who lives in privilege, and working class, such as the working class mum who works hard as a sales assistant, but especially since the development of technology, these stereotypes are becoming less and less relevant.

如今，儘管在英國，階級劃分比大多數其他國家更為常見，但現在的英國與過去有很大的不同，階級劃分也複雜得多。在大多數人的心目中，上層階級的刻板印象仍然存在，例如生活在特權中的公學男孩。還有工人階級，例如從事店員的工作，努力工作以養家糊口的工人階級媽媽。然而，特別是隨著科技的發展，這些刻板印象變得越來越與人們的生活無關了。

However, this isn’t to say that social class doesn’t exist at all anymore. According to a 2013 study, there are now in fact 7 different kinds of social class in the UK. This tells just how complex the idea of class has now become.

不過，這並不是說社會階級已經不存在。根據一項在2013年的研究，如今在英國實際上有七種不同的社會階級。這說明了階級的概念現在已經變得非常的複雜。

Here is some information that came from that study:

以下是一些來自研究的資訊：

The Elite - 6%

Average age 57

24% privately educated

97% own their own home

精英階級 – 6%

平均年齡57歲

24%的人接受過私立教育

97%的人擁有自己的房子

Established Middle Class - 25%

Average age 46

Often live outside urban areas

世家中產階級 – 25%

平均年齡46歲

通常住在市區以外

Technical Middle Class - 6%

Average age 52

They prefer emerging culture, such as social media, to highbrow culture such as listening to classical music.

They mostly come from middle class backgrounds.

技術型中產階級 – 6%

平均年齡52歲

比起聽古典音樂等高雅文化，他們更喜歡社交媒體等新興文化。

他們大多來自中產階級家庭。

New Affluent Workers - 15%

Average age 44

Likely to come from a working class background

新型富有工作者 – 15%

平均年齡44歲

很可能來自勞動階級的背景

Traditional Working Class - 14%

Average age 66

Jobs in this group include lorry drivers, cleaners and electricians

傳統型勞動階級 – 14%

平均年齡66歲

這個群體中的工作包括卡車司機、清潔工和電工

Emergent Service Workers - 19%

Average age 34

Usually live in inexpensive urban areas

新興服務業工作者 – 19%

平均年齡34歲

通常住在物價便宜的城市地區

The Precariat - 15%

Average age 50

More than 80% rent their home

Tend not to have a broad range of cultural interests

不穩定型無產者 – 15%

平均年齡50歲

超過80%的人租房住

傾向於沒有廣泛的文化興趣

In this report, cultural capital was included, which means what types of hobbies someone is interested in, like going to the theatre or playing video games, and they also looked at people’s social lives and connections, and whether they owned their own home or not.

在這份報告中，文化資本被包括在內。它是指某人對什麼類型的愛好感興趣，例如去劇院或者玩電玩。此外，他們還考察了人們的社交生活和人脈，以及他們是否擁有自己的房子。

There are several interesting things we can see here. First, we can see that the elite still exists, but in very small numbers. While it’s possible to move up and down between other classes, it’s still very difficult to get into the elite, because it’s about connections and status acquired through birth. It’s interesting to note that the CEO of a company with lots of money, a good work-life balance, and lots of friends and hobbies, someone like Jeff Bezos, would still only be considered number 2 in the UK, and not upper class.

這裡我們可以看到幾件有趣的事情。首先，我們可以看到精英或上層階級仍然存在，但是人數很少。雖然人們的階級可能會有所改變，但要進入精英階級仍然非常困難，因為這是透過出生而獲得的關係和地位，所以基本上你需要出生在上流社會。有趣的一點是，像是一位很富有，在大公司裡擔任執行長，他的工作和生活都很平衡，有很多朋友和興趣，例如像傑夫•貝佐斯這樣的人，在英國仍然只能排在第二層，而非上層階級。

Next, we can see that the middle class has been split into two, and this finding has been supported by other studies. According to the Financial Times in 2014, some people from middle class backgrounds have been able to take advantage of a globalised world and become high-flying city workers, such as bankers and lawyers, but others are struggling to hold onto a lifestyle that they feel entitled to from their own upbringings. This is particularly true when it comes to property. Areas once affordable to people on modest incomes are now only affordable to the rich, because money from city high-flyers has pushed up the price of property and continues to do so. Someone in the Technical Middle Class typically has a certain level of wealth, but limited social connections and hobbies. An example of someone in this category could be an entrepreneur who has limited time for anything except work.

接下來，我們可以看到中產階級被分成了兩個部分，而這個發現也得到了其他研究的支持。根據英國《金融時報》在2014年的報導，一些來自中產階級背景的人能夠利用全球化的世界，讓自己成為成功的城市工作者，例如銀行家和律師。但另一些人則正在辛苦地維持著他們認為自己從小就有權享受的生活方式。在房地產方面尤其如此，曾經是中等收入者可以負擔得起的地區，現在只有富人才能買得起，因為來自城市富人的錢推高了房價，並且還在持續推高中。技術型中產階級的人通常擁有一定程度的財富，但社交聯繫和興趣嗜好有限。企業家就是這類人的一個例子，除了工作，他們的時間都很有限。

Then, there is a new class called New Affluent Workers, who mostly come from traditional working class families. They’ve been able to move into more wealthy classes through their education and occupation. We then have the Traditional Working Class, which has become smaller, and Emergent Service Workers, who typically have a wide range of social connections and hobbies. They tend to be younger and live in big cities.

接下來，有一個新的階層叫做“新型富有工作者”。他們大多來自傳統的工人階級家庭。他們能夠透過自己的教育和職業進入更富裕的階級。然後我們有“傳統型勞動階級”，他們的人數變得越來越少了。另外還有“新興服務業工作者”，他們通常擁有廣泛的社會聯繫和愛好。他們往往更年輕，而且住在大城市。

Lastly, there is a new underclass called the Precariat. Poverty has become a real issue in the UK, and it can be a hard cycle to break out of. For example, taking out short-term loans can lead to high interest repayments and increasing debts. Not being able to afford a car can mean it’s harder to shop cheaply or travel to education or employment. Lots of social problems arise out of poverty here.

然後，出現了一個新的下層階級，叫做“不穩定型無產者”。在英國，貧困已經成為一個現實的問題，而且它可能是一個難以擺脫的循環。例如，申請短期貸款會導致高利率的還款和越來越多的債務。買不起汽車意味著更難買到便宜的東西，也更難去上學或工作。在英國，許多社會問題源於貧困。

What wasn’t covered by the study was appearance and voice. Appearance and voice are definitely still part of class stereotypes. We can take a simple example - if I was to see a scruffy-looking man in a supermarket; if he opened his mouth and spoke with a posh accent, my perception of his class might change completely. This is one of the real controversies that still exists today in the UK, that class prejudices might still exist subconsciously.

這項研究沒有涵蓋的方面是外貌和說話。外貌和說話絕對還是階級刻板印象的一部分。我們可以舉一個簡單的例子：我在超市裡看到一個看起來很邋遢的人，如果他一開口說話帶有上流社會的口音，我對他的階級的看法可能會完全改變。這是今天在英國仍然存在的真實爭議之一。在我們的潛意識中，階級偏見可能仍然存在。

And it’s a vicious cycle - according to a BBC documentary, around ⅓ of the population could be considered working class, yet only 10% of that group make it into elite occupations, and even if they do, they earn around 16% less than their colleagues from more privileged backgrounds. Why is this? Why do middle class people get the best jobs? Well, there could be many reasons, but first of all, we have to look at the hiring process for top jobs. Often, people go through grad schemes, which is short for graduate scheme. A graduate scheme is a programme offered by top firms to university graduates, as they prepare them for top careers. But firms look at more than just your degree, and more than the uni you went to. Hiring managers often say they’re looking for ‘polished’ candidates. Polished. What does this word mean? It’s an ambiguous word, but it can include accent, mannerisms, behaviour and dress. These things happen to denote middle or upper class and status. Hiring managers are likely to think “I like this guy. We have things in common”, and hire people based on these judgements. As a result, if there are no people who look and sound like you in top jobs, it can be more difficult to get in. That’s why people from working class backgrounds often have to try harder to get into good jobs. Not only that, but prejudice is often unchallenged. Even these days when talking about diversity and inclusion, class is the last barrier mentioned, possibly because it’s harder to see or define, or maybe because it’s still the most deeply rooted superstition in Britain today - “if you sound posh, you must be clever”. This is a challenge that British society continues to grapple with.

而且它也是一個惡性循環——根據英國BBC廣播公司的一部紀錄片，大約三分之一的人口可以被歸類為工人階級。然而，這個群體中只有10%的人進入精英職業圈，而即使他們做到了，他們的收入也比來自更優越背景的同事少16%左右。這是為什麼呢？為什麼中產階級的人能得到最好的工作？原因可能有很多，但首先我們必須看看高層職位的招聘流程。通常，人們會參加 grad scheme（畢業生計畫）。這是“graduate scheme”的簡稱。畢業生計畫是頂級公司向大學畢業生提供的計畫，為他們進入頂級職業生涯做準備。但這些公司看重的不只是你的學位或你上的大學。招聘經理經常說他們在尋找“polished”的人才。“Polished”這個單字是什麼意思呢？這是一個模糊的詞，但它可以包括口音、舉止、行為和穿著。這些東西恰好代表著中產階級或上層階級，以及地位。招聘經理可能會認為，我喜歡這個人，我們有共同之處，並根據這些判斷來僱用員工。因此，如果高層職位上沒有外貌和說話與你相似的人，你會比較難進入這家公司。這就是為什麼工人階級出身的人通常要更加努力才能找到好工作。不僅如此，偏見往往是不受質疑的。即使在今天，當我們談論著多樣性和包容性的時候，階級是最後一個被提及的障礙。可能是因為它不容易被發現或定義，或者是因為它仍然是當今英國最根深蒂固的迷信——“如果你聽起來很posh，那你一定很聰明”。這是英國社會一直在努力應對的一個挑戰。

Remember, people don’t usually like to be categorised by their class, so please be sensitive about this topic when you meet people, and try to reduce the prejudice problem we might have here by not making snap judgements yourself.

請記住，人們通常不喜歡被按階級歸類。所以當你和別人交談時，請對這方面的話題保持警慎的態度，並儘量減少我們這裡的偏見問題，不要太快得做出評斷。

A question you might have is: how should you speak? What accent should you learn as a non-native speaker? It can be confusing to know which variety of English to learn when there is all this complicated stuff about class. At the end of the day, it really just depends on which accent you like the sound of, and there is no right or wrong.

你可能會問，我應該要怎麼說話？作為一個非母語者，我應該學什麼樣的口音？在面對階級方面有這麼多複雜的東西時，要了解自己應該學哪種口音，這會讓人很困惑。說到底，這取決於你喜歡哪種口音，沒有對錯之分。

There are some YouTube links below, where you can see examples of upper class and working class accents. Working class accents are a little more difficult to categorise, because they’re different in different parts of the country. The working class accent in London is usually called a ‘cockney’ accent.

我在下面附上一些YouTube連結，讓大家看一看上層階級和工人階級口音的例子。工人階級的口音比較難歸類，因為在這個國家的不同地區，口音都是不同的。倫敦工人階級的口音通常被稱為“cockney”口音。

My normal accent is somewhere in the middle, in between upper class and working class, more of a middle class accent. I’m lucky enough to have not experienced prejudice because of class.

Funnily enough, people who speak with a working class accent might not like the sound of an upper class accent, and vice versa. It’s all a matter of perspective.

我自己的口音處於中間位置，在上層階級和工人階級之間，更像是中產階級的口音。我很幸運，沒有經歷過因為階級而產生的偏見。有趣的是，說話帶有工人階級口音的人，可能不會喜歡上層階級的口音，反之亦然。這完全是個人觀點的問題。

If you liked this article, and if you want to hear some specific features to help you distinguish different class accents, I highly recommend clicking here to access my English course. It’s perfect for intermediate learners and will teach you all about British language and culture.

如果你喜歡這篇文章，並想聽一些具體的特徵來幫助你區分不同階級的口音，那我非常建議你點擊這裡報名參加我的英文課程。這個課程非常適合有進階英文程度的同學，它會讓你有機會學習所有有關英式英語和英國文化的知識。

A famous comedy clip from 1960s showing the three accents:

20世紀60年代的一段著名喜劇片段，它展示了三種口音：

https://youtu.be/C4HflC2L7M4

Upper class accent:

上層階級口音：

https://youtu.be/EHgrDDwXkTA

Working class accent:

工人階級口音：

https://youtu.be/7_FtnOTLkSs

Ref: The Great British Class Survey (2013), The BBC, The Financial Times