starter activity

What is the serious political point behind this joke? Is there any truth in it?

What affects the What affects the way people vote way people vote

today?today?Key determinants of class in the UKKey determinants of class in the UK

Assess the importance of class in voting Assess the importance of class in voting behaviour.behaviour.

Factors influencing voters in UK todayFactors influencing voters in UK todayRole of age and ethnicity Role of age and ethnicity

Your taskYour task

Imagine you have been asked to Imagine you have been asked to conduct a survey to find out the conduct a survey to find out the class background of students at class background of students at WGSB. Write down the sorts of WGSB. Write down the sorts of questions you would ask to establish questions you would ask to establish a person’s class. a person’s class.

GradeGrade Social Social ClassClass

Chief Income Earners Chief Income Earners occupationoccupation

AA Upper Middle-Upper Middle-ClassClass

Higher managerial, administrative or Higher managerial, administrative or professional.professional.

BB Middle-ClassMiddle-Class Intermediate managerial, Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional.administrative or professional.

C1C1 Lower Middle-Lower Middle-ClassClass

Supervisory or Clerical and junior Supervisory or Clerical and junior managerial, administrative or managerial, administrative or professional.professional.

C2C2 Skilled Skilled Working-ClassWorking-Class

Skilled manual workers.Skilled manual workers.

DD Working-ClassWorking-Class Semi and unskilled manual workers.Semi and unskilled manual workers.

EE Those at the Those at the lowest levels of lowest levels of subsistence.subsistence.

Casual or lowest grade workers, Casual or lowest grade workers, pensions and others who depend on the pensions and others who depend on the welfare state for their income.welfare state for their income.

Your taskYour task

Read Watts page 20-22.Read Watts page 20-22. Write a paragraph to suggest Write a paragraph to suggest

reasons why upper- and middle-class reasons why upper- and middle-class voters have traditionally favoured voters have traditionally favoured the Conservative Party.the Conservative Party.

Write a paragraph to explain why Write a paragraph to explain why people in social groups D/E tend to people in social groups D/E tend to vote Labour.vote Labour.

Your taskYour task 1.Write a list of qualities that make a political leader 1.Write a list of qualities that make a political leader

“good on television”.“good on television”. 2.Rank these factors in order of their importance as 2.Rank these factors in order of their importance as

qualities for a party leader:qualities for a party leader: All round capabilityAll round capability Calm in crisisCalm in crisis Down-to-earthDown-to-earth Effective communicatorEffective communicator Good grasp of political issuesGood grasp of political issues Honest and trustworthyHonest and trustworthy Intellectual abilityIntellectual ability PersonalityPersonality Sound judgementSound judgement TelegenicTelegenic

3.Can you identify a politician you have seen on television and admire very much? What qualities do you admire about him or her?

Consider the 3 leaders during the 2010 general election, how many of the listed qualities do they possess.

Your taskYour task Conduct a case study of 2005 general Conduct a case study of 2005 general

election and assess the impact of class on election and assess the impact of class on the campaign and the results.the campaign and the results.

Think about the groups who make up the Think about the groups who make up the C2s. How important are they in C2s. How important are they in determining the outcome of elections?determining the outcome of elections?

How have they been voting in recent How have they been voting in recent years?years?

Your taskYour task

Assess the impact of other factors, Assess the impact of other factors, e.g. media coverage or issues using e.g. media coverage or issues using Watts, p.22-25 and create a spider Watts, p.22-25 and create a spider diagram recording their impact.diagram recording their impact.

Your taskYour task Read Watts pages 33 & 34.Read Watts pages 33 & 34. Look examples of party Look examples of party

policies, and consider which policies, and consider which age groups are targeted most. age groups are targeted most.

Study the table on page 34. Study the table on page 34. Suggest reasons for the strong Suggest reasons for the strong performance of the Liberal performance of the Liberal Democrats, as recorded in the Democrats, as recorded in the table.table.

To what extent did the To what extent did the Conservative Party benefit Conservative Party benefit from Labour’s difficulties in the from Labour’s difficulties in the seats in which there was a seats in which there was a substantial Muslim population? substantial Muslim population? Explain your answer.Explain your answer.

HomeworkHomework

Skills work – review some of the key Skills work – review some of the key words covered so far in the course in words covered so far in the course in preparation for a test next lesson. preparation for a test next lesson.

Test based Q&A type questions, Test based Q&A type questions, where students define and explain a where students define and explain a keyword in contextkeyword in context

DiscussionDiscussion

How could more members of ethnic How could more members of ethnic minority families be encouraged minority families be encouraged to vote?to vote?

Why might female voters still prefer Why might female voters still prefer Labour?Labour?