A Level Sociology OCR Practice Exam

What perspective does Giddens take regarding professionals and managers?

1. They have been proletarianised

2. They belong to an intermediate class

3. They still belong to the middle class

4. They are entirely distinct from each other

The correct answer is: They still belong to the middle class

Giddens argues that professionals and managers still belong to the middle class due to their roles, status, and functions within the workforce. His perspective highlights that these groups maintain a certain degree of autonomy and have significant control over their work, which distinguishes them from working-class positions. Professionals, such as doctors or lawyers, often possess higher education and specialized skills, while managers typically have authority over work processes and personnel. This autonomy and control over one’s work, as well as higher income levels, align with traditional characteristics of the middle class. Giddens suggests that despite changes in the nature of work and the economy, the distinctions that have traditionally defined middle-class status still apply to these groups. In contrast, the notion of proletarianisation implies a loss of autonomy and working conditions becoming more like those of the working class, which does not accurately apply to professionals and managers in Giddens' view. The idea of an intermediate class does not fully encapsulate their unique status, and suggesting they are entirely distinct from each other overlooks the similarities in their social positioning and roles within the labor market.