UK is currently facing a social and economic crisis in which social class-based inequalities continue to deepen, with psychological consequences and precursors that are not widely understood. Evidence for the asymmetric impact of the Covid 19-pandemic and related crises, an ongoing Equality Act (2010) Review, and a policy context focused on ‘levelling up’ opportunities converge to demonstrate the need to take stock of the evidence base concerning the psychology of social class-based inequalities. This report provides a first of its kind rapid review and synthesis of research in psychology on social class-based inequalities with an orientation toward the UK policy context. It reviews primary and secondary research published within the discipline of psychology (within the UK or a related context), examining the impact of class-based prejudice and discrimination, and/ or the psychological processes that contribute to social class-based and wider socioeconomic inequalities. A central aim is to synthesise the disparate evidence base around three core UK policy areas common to the research (Education, Health and Work), and to consider the implications for the inclusion of social class as a protected characteristic into the Equality Act (2010). Social class – defined as a social category into which we are socialised that affords differing amounts of economic, social, and cultural resources – is conceptualised and measured as being composed of both objective and subjective components. In the context of education, health and work, findings illustrate that psychological dimensions of prejudice and discrimination contribute to class-based inequalities which, in turn, can further influence classism, the experience of which has a significant and detrimental psychological impact on working class and low socioeconomic status people. Social class identity and psychological responses to socioeconomic conditions start to take shape in early childhood and continue throughout the lifespan, affecting how an individual experiences their daily life, their relationships, how they perceive themselves and how they are treated by others, including educational institutions, public services, and professional organisations. Class-based stereotypes circulate throughout society and influence the perceived competence and status of people from different class backgrounds, in addition to the predominant norms and values which become embedded in education, wellbeing, and workplace contexts. Class-based inequality in the domains of education, health, and work thus partly reflect psychological processes that arise from structural socioeconomic success/adversity, feelings of belonging (or not) in different settings, and the privileging/disfavouring of particular ways of communicating and behaving that are associated with our social class. Tackling social class-based inequalities and class-based prejudice and discminination entails recognising the complex processes involved in the protection and incorporation of behavioural expectations and norms and recognising the importance of the wider socio-political context to which psychological wellbeing and day to day practices respond. A vital first step to tackle social class-based inequalities is the inclusion of social class as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act (2010). Directly changing the wider socio-political context by outlawing discrimination based on social class or socioeconomic status would create an immediate and clear legal mandate for initiatives to reduce class-based discrimination and a standardised, widely implemented method of data collection on publicly reported social class-based outcomes. This mandate has the potential to see a medium to long term reduction in exclusion and discrimination in practices routed through; law change driven societal norm shifts around what is right and wrong, increased individual and shared literacy around class-based prejudice and discrimination, and a shift in social class-based role stereotypes. Finally, a reduction in prejudice and discrimination could not only see an improvement in education, heath and work related outcomes for working class people, but also a longer term reduction in the psychological damage this causes and the detrimental impact of this damage on our society.
ORCID: 
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)