Social Structure in Britain

A unique cradle-to-grave atlas from the University of Sheffield shows Britain is becoming increasingly segregated across all ages by class, education, occupation, home ownership, health status, disability and family type. Interestingly kids living with a stepparent are much more common in rural areas than in towns and cities.

This study divided the population into seven life stages and compares over 1,000 neighborhoods, in terms of people and identities rather than geography.

Kids under 5 are isolated based on their social class

The first stage of life is under five. Children living in social housing are often in overcrowded houses whereas those with parents who own their own home tend to have extra rooms. Also these kids in the highest social class live in neighborhoods where they can only mix among themselves or the next social class.

Children 5 to 15 are more likely to live with a stepparent in rural areas

Kids 5 to 15, the second stage of life are far more likely to be living with a step-parent in rural areas (1 in 5) than in towns and cities (1 in 20). The children also benefit from their parents wealth with the average child in the wealthiest 10% of neighborhoods inheriting 40 times the wealth of the child in the poorest 10%.

Kids 16 to 24 living in wealthy areas are more likely to be enrolled in education or employed

Study results for the third stage of life (16 to 24) show that young adults in the wealthiest areas are about 20 times more likely to be enrolled in education, training programs or employed than those in the poorest. The chances of enrolling in a top class university varies by location. Some areas having up to 50 times more young adults enrolling than in other areas. In a few large areas no child was enrolled in an elite university.

People are segregated based on whether they have children or not

People also seemed segregated based on how likely they were to have children. For people 25 to 39, up to two thirds in some neighbourhoods have children, while in others, as few as one in seven do. This age class also is segregated by social class.

Those who were separated, divorced or remarried tended to live towards the coast

Up to three times as many people (40-59) are separated, divorced or remarried as in others and there is a greater concentration of this group towards the coasts. In areas by the coast almost half of people were once married. Although many people will have first taken out a 25-year mortgage in their 20s, in only half a percent of all neighborhoods do a majority actually own their property outright.

Men 60-74 are more likely to drive

Looking at those 60 to 74, there were clear differences between living in a poor or wealthy areas.  Far more men than women can drive. Many men live in households with access to two or more cars, but far fewer women do. In a third of neighbourhoods the health of most is only fair, and in a handful of neighbourhoods it is considered normal to be in poor health.

More women than men have been widowed and not remarried

In final stage of life (75 until death) there are more widows than widowers because men die earlier than women. 20%-44% of men and 45%-74% of women have been widowed and not remarried. In every part of Britain over the last 24 years, at least one person has lived to be 100, but in some neighborhoods very many more reach their centenary.

Social segregation is still rampant in our society

This atlas clearly shows that what is considered normal varies depending on where you live. In these modern times, we clearly are still segregated socially and where you live can change what is considered normal and what opportunities you may get. There are many more insights into Britain’s social structure in this valuable look at life in modern times.