Can I ask about inter-class relationships?

[edinbed]

I am from a deprived, working class background although I "got out" and went to univesity(undergrad and MFA). My last long term relationship was with someone from a similer back ground to me who had also went to uni, had a professional job.

New boyfriend is very middle class, family university educated for generations. He's lovely but our relationship started early this year then progressed under lockdown. Sometimes I feel self conscious about my accent (strong glaswegian) and some cultural stuff. He doesn't seem to mind but I've not really met many of his friends or anything yet due to the national and local lockdowns or his parents who live quite far away although I have met them and his sister on zoom.

I am self employed in a creative field and he is a professional.

Does anyone else have any experiance of inter-class relationships?

My ex had literally never wondered where the next meal was coming from. Never huddled round a candle because there's no gas or electricity. Always had a car from age 17. And had little empathy for people who are struggling as a result. Moaned about the food bank requesting tins and instant type foods for the harvest festival when he was used to big displays of fresh produce and flowers that are then sold off for church funds or given to nursing homes for nice middle class people. Couldn't understand why people didn't go out foraging in a particular area when it would involve a ten mile walk on an empty belly, forgetting that not everyone has transport. It was not what broke us up but it annoyed me at times.

I'm not seeing the relevance of this to a discussion of social class, unless 'well-informed' is code for 'middle-class'?

I think in the context of 'only the well-informed should have voted' it is very clear that that is code for university educated middle class (just as it was previously code for 'white' or 'male'). Its' also code for remainer - because surely no-one who was educated and 'well-informed' would vote leave.

Utterly arrogant.

Very well put neversayalways.

My dh is working class whilst I am from a lower middle class background. For us the main difference is value placed on education.

Everyone in my family for 3 generations has had some kind of tertiary education. Grandparents generation it was teacher training college (or the RAF for my gramps who got great training!), university for my parents/aunts/uncles and for my generation. Both sides of family who were from very different parts of the country - my parents met at uni. Family all supported us so we could go and have already made provisions for my kids if they want to go.

For dh, no books in the house, no support with home work and no encouragement to stay in at school. His family worked really hard as electricians, painter/decorators etc and the expected career was a manual one (or as a secretary for the women). So no need for school beyond 16 but college/apprenticeship. No joy in knowledge for its own sake.

DH was very bright and managed a year in 6th form but then got a job as an office junior in an accounts team which his dad was a bit disappointed with but luckily his brother picked up the family electrician mantel.

Not much difference financially between families though.