Guest costessey Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 vive la difference! what may seem a better class of person in the north will always be looked down upon inthe south - stereotypically- mainly due to your 'working' class accents. The other view of 'class' i guess is measured in £££ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubby Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Originally posted by Cyclone What does it mean to you? I wear a suit to work, I don't swear often, I consider myself intelligent and articulate, well informed and politically active. (I'll add for the moment, slightly inebriated). I happened to go into burger king earlier because I was early for my swim and needed some food. I felt like I belonged to a differnet class of people from the clientelle and staff. I don't normally feel like this, and before I get jumped on, some of my friends have jobs rather than careers, and no more education than GCSE level. But even they are intelligent, just not educated. They are still articulate, although maybe not to the same level as myself. The are certainly aware of current events, and possibly have some advantages on me in terms of social interaction (I don't like football, that's always awkward). Things that make me notice a person as different can be many and varied. Dress, shell suits, track suits (unless in a gym), personal hygiene (actually that's a big one). A vacant expression and inability to respond sensibly to any question, random swearing (another big one), and also things that are really just an indication of income (a prejudice, damn my leathery hide), for example getting a cab from the supermarket... I've forgotten where i'm going with this. Shoot me down as you will, or just comment. I see in some ways where you coming from. When I wiorked at the Crucible (as a stage manager) I used to go to the bar after work in my work clothes which were stage blacks. Used to get strange looks from the suits (as I called them) who saw the theatre as something the the middle to upper classes. Incidently I don't dress up to go to the theatre never have, don't see any reason why I should. You don't dress up to see someone act at the movies. I have gone in jeans and a tshirt to the west end. Why do I need to be going to the gym to wear a tracksuit? I've never worn a trackie to the gym gone in normal street/work than change and I wear shorts as they give more freedom of movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titian Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 If you feel the need to classify people this seems a much better way. So where do you all say you would fit and why? Can you justify your choice of grouping? Or more indicative is what your friends would say you were. social value group self actualisers = focused on people and relationships, individualistic and creative, enthusiastically exploring change, 'in a framework of non-prescriptive consideration for others'. innovators = self-confident risk-takers, seeking new and different things, setting their own targets to achieve. esteem seekers = acquisitive and materialistic, aspiring to what they see are symbols of success, including things and experiences. strivers = attaching importance to image and status, as a means of enabling acceptance by their peer group, at the same time holding onto traditional values. contented conformers = wanting to be 'normal', so follow the herd, accepting of their circumstances, they are contented and comfortable in the security of their own making. traditionalists = averse to risk, guided by traditional behaviours and values, quiet and reserved, hanging back and blending in with the crowd. disconnected = detached and resentful, embittered and apathetic, tending to live in the 'ever-present now'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted July 24, 2004 Author Share Posted July 24, 2004 without subjecting every person I meet in the street to a quick bit psycho analysis I can't classify people like that. I can immediately judge their appearance, smell or lack of it, accent, conversational ability, intelligence, manners, style of dress, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titian Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Originally posted by Cyclone without subjecting every person I meet in the street to a quick bit psycho analysis I can't classify people like that. I can immediately judge their appearance, smell or lack of it, accent, conversational ability, intelligence, manners, style of dress, etc... You could JUDGE their appearance, smell, style of clothes immediately that is true. The rest I'm not so sure you could. Also by doing that you could be totally wrong about the person. It seems a little shallow in my opinion. As an example: to you armarni clothes and aftershave may be top class. To me it makes no difference to someones social value. Shouldn't we all be trying not to JUDGE anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t020 Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 The whole "class doesn't matter anymore" argument doesn't wash with me. If this were true, I wouldn't see/hear the words "working class" and "middle class" on TV, radio and in newspapers several times a day. The issue wouldn't come up so often on here either. The lefties among us long for a generic world where everyone is equal, nobody judges and no generalisations are made. The realists among us can see that this is never going to happen for several different reasons, not least the nature of the human being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 Originally posted by Cyclone Cocktail/Dinner parties - does that have nothing to do with class? Will someone who swears all the time and mugs old ladies for their pocket change go home, change into evening wear and host a quiet gathering? Do people still "change into evening wear"? As for swearing, I've made a living out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snook Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 I make a living out of swearing too. In fact i manage to sell the working class image to mostly middle class people who will pay large amounts of money to sit and watch 'real' people, all because it's art. Class really doesn't matter now, class will not stop people doing anything they want to in todays society. I'll have to dust off the smoking jacket and plan my next cocktail party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 Originally posted by Cyclone What does it mean to you? I was brought up being told to leave school as soon as possible and "Be proud to be Working Class" What crap - only fools remain uneducated, low paid slaves. Education and Qualifications are the keys to a better quality of life for you and your children. Get it whilst you can. If those well paid "idiots" can be bosses - so can you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonsoup Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 Originally posted by Snook Maybe, but i don't think the working class care that much. The working class also seem to mix with the upper class better than the middle class, in my humble experience... so i'm not sure that theory works. A large portion of the middle class just seem to look down on the working class as if they are scum... maybe that's it, and the upper class seem to see the middle class as rather snobbish wannabes.... Again, i think people should just be judged on a personal basis, and not because of their class or any other superficial reasoning. Its true about the upper middle classes getting on better with the working classes. On one occasion working at a large country house a woman answered the door in jeans and t shirt, sat down with us and had a chat over a cup of coffee and a fag. Only when she mentioned that she had scraped the side of the f...... Bentley on the gatepost did we realise that she was Lady so and so, of so and so Hall, top bird. In my opinion the biggest snobs are so called upwardly mobile types, think Whirlow,Fulwood etc. Dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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