Link to podcast to follow
You can see what ‘class’ you are by taking the following ‘test’:
‘Dearie me’, I thought whilst listening to BBC’s daily podcast this morning, ‘it would seem that we have, once again, been put in a small carton box that initially seems way too high to climb out of…’.
You might say that the cold weather and freezing gale have turned my brain into mash and, to be honest, I wouldn’t blame you for that.
Nevertheless, I am not, in any shape or form, trying to be original or philosophical; rather I am merely expressing my disagreement with the recent report by the Great British Class Survey.
Here, have a look:
Even though I can appreciate the play on words (Great Britain, thus Great British, haha, lol, rofl, etc.), I’d like to note that there is absolutely nothing ‘great’ about the said survey.
What it basically did was re- structure the social class system of the UK, thereby putting new and shiny labels on people.
There are, effectively seven new social classes. I shall adopt the definitions used by ‘www.express.co.uk’ as I find those quite ludicrous and easy to make fun of.
I shall helpfully provide you with a commentary underneath each and every one of them.
THE ELITE
Most privileged group with savings of more than £140,000 and top university education. Their income is £89,000 and their home is worth an average of £325,000. They enjoy the theatre, art galleries, museums and jazz.
Most privileged group with savings of more than £140,000 and top university education. Their income is £89,000 and their home is worth an average of £325,000. They enjoy the theatre, art galleries, museums and jazz.
COMMENTARY:
How does going to the theatre and listening to jazz class you as being ‘elite’…? Also, what does the ‘most privileged’ group mean? Is the report referring to people who have inherited their wealth and, if so, is that more ‘elitist’ than accumulating a fortune on your own?
ESTABLISHED MIDDLE CLASS
Second wealthiest and largest group, with household income of £47,000 a year, a house worth £177,000 and savings of £26,000. A quarter of the population fall within its ranks and it might be seen as the comfortably-off bulwark of British society.
COMMENTARY:
Again, what on Earth is meant by ‘comfortably-off’? Does it refer to one’s financial or social status? Also, how can you define someone’s social status without saying what music he likes…? Finally, have those people been to university at all one wonders?
TECHNICAL MIDDLE CLASS
Prosperous but with little interest in social or cultural events. It makes up only six per cent of the population but is prosperous – earning around £38,000, with excellent household savings of £66,000 and houses worth an average of £163,000.
TECHNICAL MIDDLE CLASS
Prosperous but with little interest in social or cultural events. It makes up only six per cent of the population but is prosperous – earning around £38,000, with excellent household savings of £66,000 and houses worth an average of £163,000.
COMMENTARY:
So, lots of money but no life? Surely, the above refers to ever- growing population of online gamers who bathe in money on a daily basis.
I wish the above definition made some sense to me; honestly, I do…
NEW AFFLUENT WORKERS
Young group on moderate incomes, owning homes worth £129,000 with small savings. They prefer playing and watching sport, computer games and social networking to traditional pastimes. Few have been to university but most work in private sector.
NEW AFFLUENT WORKERS
Young group on moderate incomes, owning homes worth £129,000 with small savings. They prefer playing and watching sport, computer games and social networking to traditional pastimes. Few have been to university but most work in private sector.
COMMENARY:
I personally thought that watching sport and social networking has long been a TRADITIONAL pastime in the UK. I mean, we’re not in the 16th century, right? Also, YOUNG groups; whatever do young groups consider a traditional pastime, I wonder…knitting, most probably.
What else can you do without a university degree, right…?
TRADITIONAL WORKING CLASS
Oldest group, with house values of £127,000 but with incomes of only £13,000. There are few graduates and traditional working class jobs like lorry drivers, cleaners and electricians are over-represented as are menial white-collar jobs like secretaries.
COMMENTARY:
Right then; the times has finally come when we put university graduates and lorry drivers on the same social level.
Just reading the above makes me want to weep for today’s youth and buy myself a lorry.
EMERGENT SERVICE WORKERS
New, young urban group with modest household income of £21,000, likely to rent and only having modest savings. They work usually in the service sector, for example, bar work, chefs, customer service occupations and call centre workers.
COMMENTARY:
Ah, yes, judging by BBC’s test, that’s the group that I belong to.
As you might have already notice, I usually work as a barman, chef and a call centre worker; alternate weeks, of course.
Leaving that aside, I am quite new, young and urban, yo.
THE PRECARIAT
The poorest class, with a household income of only £8,000, negligible savings, and likely to rent. Most deprived on all measures including social and cultural. They represent 15 per cent of the population and tend to be located in old industrial areas.
THE PRECARIAT
The poorest class, with a household income of only £8,000, negligible savings, and likely to rent. Most deprived on all measures including social and cultural. They represent 15 per cent of the population and tend to be located in old industrial areas.
COMMENTARY:
The Precarious Proletariat. Incredibly offensive, utterly unacceptable. I don’t even want to comment on the above. Why would I comment on a social class that doesn’t listen to jazz music and has no savings…?
In the light of the above, I should like to mention that I am truly not a big fan of putting labels on people, putting them into boxes and then, somehow, expecting them to climb out on their own.
If you want to help someone up, you don’t look down on him.
The sooner we get that, the sooner we can rid ourselves of this precariously proletarian mentality that modern society has helped us develop.
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