The Gilbert model was developed by Dennis Gilbert as a means of a more effective way of classifying people in a given

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

into social classes.

Influences

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

believed that social class is determined by ownership (or non-ownership) of the "means of economic production" - ownership of raw materials, farm land, coal mines, factories, etc. His theory contains the idea of a struggle between two social classes - the Bourgeoisie (the capital owners) and the Proletariat (the non-owner workers). Like Marx, Max Weber agreed that social class is determined mostly based on unequal distribution of economic power and hence the unequal distribution of opportunity. He also saw that honour, status and social prestige were key factors in determining what social class people belong to. "Life-styles" such as where a person lives and the schools they attend are very important in determining social class. "Life-chances" also determined social class. If a person becomes a respectable member of society it will raise their social class. Party affiliations can also influence social class.

Basis

Even though Marx's and Weber's research were both taken into consideration when trying to create an effective means of social stratification, they were not weighted the same. Although the Gilbert model is based on the assumption that

class structure A social class is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle and lower classes. Membership in a social class can for example be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, inco ...

develops out of the economic system like the Marxist theory, it still has much more in common with Weber's more modern theory that dealt with

socialism Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...

. The aspect that Marxism takes into consideration when referring to the economy is "what a specific person owns determines their class" - a

capitalistic Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private pr ...

viewpoint. If a man owns a factory, he is going to be in a higher social class than someone who works in the factory. In Marxist theory, the

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

is not emphasized or described, but it is clearly present in the Gilbert model. The Gilbert model focuses on occupation and, more generally on the source of income (occupation for most, but also assets, and government transfers for people at the top or bottom) and when referring to how the economic system places people in classes. The occupation of a person is directly related to a person's educational preparation because better education provides for a better occupation which in turn raises their class level.

Six social classes

The six

social classes A social class is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle and lower classes. Membership in a social class can for example be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, inco ...

that provide the basis for the Gilbert model are determined based on the assumption of how

develops out of the economic system.

Capitalist class

''(Typical income: $1.5 million, mostly from assets)'' Even though the capitalist class is a very small class of super-rich capitalists at the top of the hierarchy, its impact on the economy and society is far beyond their numbers. These people contribute their money to political parties and are often owners of newspapers or television stations. They have investments that affect millions of people in the

labour force The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic reg ...

. They tend to only associate with other people from their own class, rarely interacting with people from an inferior class. Even their children are usually segregated attending only the most elite preparatory schools and universities.

Upper middle class

''(typical income $200,000; for Working rich $500,000)'' The

upper middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...

is the group in society most shaped by formal

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

. A college degree is usually required and graduate studies are becoming increasingly required. Most people in this class are technicians, professionals, managers, officials, and highly successful small business owners. At the top of this class is the growing segment of working rich, affluent professionals and business owners. Children in high school strive to prepare themselves for upper-middle-class jobs because these types of jobs are symbols of success. Upper-middle-class people are able to purchase status symbols such as spacious homes. They are convinced that they deserve what they have achieved and are mostly satisfied that they have achieved a proper share of the American dream.

Lower middle class

''(Typical income $85,000)'' To attain a middle-class job it takes at least a high school diploma. However, many in the middle class have received some form of additional post-secondary training. The most educated will become semi-professionals, or have low-level managerial jobs. Sales and craft people are also included in this social class. It is estimated that really about a third of the population is middle class.

Working class

''(Typical income $40,000)'' The core of this

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colo ...

is made up of semi-skilled machine operators. Clerks and salespeople whose tasks are habitual and mechanized and require practically no skill beyond literacy. Brief on-the-job training can also be considered to be a part of this class. It is estimated that this class includes roughly a third of the population.

Working-poor class

''(Typical Income: $25,000)'' The

working poor The working poor are working people whose incomes fall below a given poverty line due to low-income jobs and low familial household income. These are people who spend at least 27 weeks in a year working or looking for employment, but remain und ...

class includes unskilled labourers, people in service jobs, and lower-paid factory workers. Income depends on the number of workers in the family and the number of weeks that they work. Many have not finished high school. Unable to save money and when retired the working poor depend heavily on their

social security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

pensions to live.

Underclass

''(Typical Income $15,000)'' These people are under-employed. They suffer from low education, low

employability Employability refers to the attributes of a person that make that person able to gain and maintain employment. Overview Employability is related to work and the ability to be employed, such as: *The ability to gain initial employment; hence the ...

, and/or low income. Some can not work because of their age or disability. Hard times might be magnified because they belong to a

minority group The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

who suffers discrimination in the workforce. Although the

social hierarchy Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political). As ...

is most obvious at the extremes, differences between classes begin to become blurred when moving away from one of the extremes and towards the centre to where the middle and working classes are. It is difficult to get a precise classification.