The class imagery of 'traditional proletarians'

Lockwood's classification of manual working-class imagery, based on the social milieux of particular occupations, has been said to reflect major changes in the industries which 'sustain ' these milieux. To test both the appropriateness of the 'traditional proletarians' category and the possible effects of major restructuring within an industry, a survey was conducted amongst a population of dock workers, about one-third of whom had experience only of the 'modernized' industry. A classification of imagery is derived, based on progressively less well-defined criteria, and compared with cross sample variations reflecting differential experience. No significant differences are found in the distribution of image types. The derived tw7pology, and a revised 'most sympathetic ' interpretation, both fail to reflect the pattern proposed in the literature. It is concluded that these results, taken with existing directly comparable research, argue that the basic components of social imagery are largely independent of industry specific factors and have remained constant for a considerable time.