[2][3][4][5][6] The findings are also described in a book, Social Class in the 21st Century, by Mike Savage, Niall Cunningham, Fiona Devine, Sam Friedman, Daniel Laurison, Lisa Mckenzie, Andrew Miles, Helene Snee and Paul Wakeling.
The results released were based on a survey of 325,000 adults, 160,000 residents of Britain most of whom lived in England and described themselves as "white."
Class as a multi-dimensional construct was defined and measured according to the amount and kind of economic, cultural, and social capital reported.
[5] This theoretical framework was developed by Pierre Bourdieu who first published his theory of social distinction in 1979.
To determine cultural capital, questions were asked about leisure activities and interests; taste in music; how media was consumed; and taste in food in a manner similar to that used in the Cultural Capital and Social Exclusion survey.
Two cultural scores were developed, one for "high brow" culture, preference for interests such as classical music, historic architecture, museums, art galleries, jazz, theatre and French restaurants; and the other for "emergent culture," appreciation and participation in such activities as video games, social networking, sports, hanging out with friends, working out at the gym, and rap or rock concerts.
[8] Economic capital was determined by asking about household income, amount and type of savings, and ownership of property.
Questions were included about composition of households, amount and type of education, social mobility, and political attitude.
[9] The survey was offered to visitors to the BBC Lab UK website between January 2011 and July 2011; however, the 160,000 responses received after close examination it was made obvious that the web survey suffered from a strong selection bias with respondents being predominantly drawn from the well-educated social groups.
To address this problem, the BBC therefore agreed to conduct a separate, nationally representative face-to-face survey using identical questions.
They engage in a wide variety of occupations but many are professionals in public service or hold managerial jobs.
Occupations represented include medical radiographers, aircraft pilots, natural and social science professionals and physical scientists, senior professionals in education establishments, and business, research, and administrative positions.
[18] New affluent workers, about 15 percent of British society, show moderately good economic capital, relatively poor status of social contacts, though highly varied, and moderate highbrow but good emerging cultural capital.
Occupations include electricians and electrical fitters; postal workers; retail cashiers and checkout operatives; plumbers and heating and ventilation engineers; sales and retail assistants; housing officers; kitchen and catering assistants; quality assurance technicians.
[19] The traditional working class, about 14 percent of British society, shows relatively poor economic capital, but some housing assets, few social contacts, and low highbrow and emerging cultural capital.
[20] The emergent service sector, about 19 percent of British society, shows relatively poor economic capital, but reasonable household income, moderate social contacts, high emerging (but low highbrow) cultural capital.
Many live in inexpensive urban neighborhoods including the centre of London and in university towns such as Aberystwyth or York.
[21] The precariat, about 15 percent of British society, shows poor economic capital, and the lowest scores on every other criterion.
[22] The precariat is the poorest class with an average household income of £8,000, negligible savings, who usually rent.