Table 1
The representation of social classes in Swedish television 2015 (per cent)
| Working class | 9 |
| Middle class | 76 |
| Social elite | 15 |
| Sum | 100 |
[i] Comment: For information about how class is operationalised, see above. N=7,225
Table 2
The significance of the different social classes in Swedish television programmes 2015 (per cent)
| Working class | Middle class | Social elite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Significance in the programme | 55 | 66 | 67 |
| Limited or no significance for the programme | 45 | 34 | 33 |
| Sum | 100 | 100 | 100 |
[i] Comment: A person is of significance in the programme if that person is the main character of the narrative, or if the person directly or indirectly is recurring throughout the programme. The correlation between class and significance is statistically significant (p<0.001). N varies between 670 (“Working class”) and 5,454 (“Middle class”).
Table 3
The mode of appearance of different social classes in Swedish television programmes 2015 (per cent)
| Working class | Middle class | Social elite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears both audially and visually | 32 | 37 | 53 |
| Appears only visually | 68 | 63 | 47 |
| Sum | 100 | 100 | 100 |
[i] Comment: A person was coded as appearing both audially and visually if that person was speaking in the analytical unit (i.e. the freeze-frame). The correlation between class and mode of appearance is statistically significant (p<0.001). N varies between 621 (“Working class”) and 4,405 (“Middle class”).
Table 4
Social relations and social class in drama and film on Swedish television 2015 (per cent)
| Working class | Middle class | Social elite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has no social relations of significance to the narrative | 89 | 83 | 78 |
| Has social relations of some or great importance to the narrative | 11 | 17 | 22 |
| Sum | 100 | 100 | 100 |
[i] Comment: A social relation is defined as a relation of personal significance to a person. Formal relations, for example between an employer and an employee, are not included (unless a formal relation also involves a personal relation). N varies between 947 (“Social elite”) and 5,475 (“Middle class”).
Table 5
The appearance of the different social classes on the five television channels with largest reach in Sweden 2015 (per cent)
| SVT1 | SVT2 | TV3 | TV4 | Channel 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working class | 7 | 7 | 18 | 12 | 11 |
| Middle class | 80 | 62 | 55 | 84 | 74 |
| Social elite | 13 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 15 |
| Sum | 100 | 101 | 101 | 100 | 100 |
[i] Comment: Appearance includes speaking and/or appearing in picture, but also being spoken about. SVT1 and SVT2 are public service channels, while TV4 is a commercial channel with some public service obligations. TV3 and Channel 5 are both commercial channels. N varies between 1,232 (TV4) and 1,733 (Channel 5). The correlation between class and channel is statistically significant (p<0.001).
Table 6
Social classes in different genres on Swedish television in 2015 (per cent)
| News and factual programming | Drama and film | Entertainment | Reality TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working class | 4 | 14 | 6 | 12 |
| Middle class | 69 | 73 | 85 | 84 |
| Social elite | 27 | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| Sum | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
[i] Comment: The correlation between class and genre is statistically significant (p<0.001). N varies between 853 (“News and factual programming”) and 1,527 (“Drama and film”).