to think all this talk of "chavs" and

[anonymosity]

"council estates" comes from a small number of narrow-minded, petty, class-conscious aspirants and smug people and is merely a reflection of Mumsnetters and not a true reflection of UK society? Or is it completely wide-spread amongst the UK ?

I don't think it reflects "Mumsnetters", it just reflects certain individuals. But yes, you'll find some people everywhere who think in these terms.

Tis the other way round...there's less on here I find.

No, most people call others 'chav' tbh, even if they themselves are of the type that others would label chav...

no only MC people IME talk about it or at least talk about it with venom in their voices. Was rather shocked when I went to uni. Was on a trip and stopped in a town on a Friday night for some dinner. Changed my attitudes quite a bit. Just normally each class doesn't see much of the other so it doesn't get commented on much, unless in an academic manner such as talking about politics or a news article.

YABU... social stereotyping may not be a great character trait but for every person using 'chav' as an insult there are plenty using sterotypes like 'middle class' and 'toff' for exactly the same reason. Snobbery and smugness goes both ways, you'll find.

I live on a chavvy council estate, they do exsist you know (or am I missing the point here).

I don't see what's wrong with calling them exactly what they are

I find its wannabe MC who are so scathing about them.

Living on a council estate is not synonomous (sp) with being a chav. To me a chav is like some sort of underclass who doesn't deserve to be called working class! Working class is something, imo to be proud of, it implies hardworking families in everyday jobs. A chav doesn't work and is probably proud of the fact.

Katie Price is a chav brightlight so your argument is flawed I'm afraid

errr, and your point is?

It's not representative of MNers, I always challenge people who use the word 'chav' on here as do plenty of others.

Is this a response to the middle class thread?

'Chavs' is used far too much IMO to describe people who come from council estates etc, by people who dont know what chavs are.

There are a lot of chavs out there though and on the whole they are nasty bastards to anyone not in their group. Better to save your faux-liberalism for a more worthy cause!

BTW - MN is better known for its reverse snobbery than it is for its attacks on the benefits class. Thats why there is always so much squeeling when a 'benefits bashing' thread appears, yet very little when some oik calls for removal of the royal family.

some girls on a London council estate explain to John Prescott what chavs are

Faux-liberalism is precisely what afflicts quite a few on here. It is utter nonsense to bandy about the idea that there are no 'types', no classes, just an anodyne society where everyone is either a victim or so far up their own arses they can see what they had for breakfast.

My niece is a chav but works, she dresses like a typical Essex girl, wears lots of chains and drives a chavs car.

A chav does not have to be someone who doesn't work or lives in a council estate.

It is how they dress, how they live, what they drive etc., that makes someone a chav.

ccpccp - if living in state housing is a definition of a chav, then that makes the royal family the biggest bunch of chavs in the country! After all the have several council houses don't they! AND they don't even pay their own rent, or do they pay it out of their royalty benefit?

Chavs started out as a teen fashion group, the whole burberry cap brigade, mostly from Chatham in kent. I think it came from the word chavvy, which means child or baby - it was much the same as being a goth or emo, punk, mod, rocker. But because most of them were beer swilling work dodging shit bags, it became synonamous with being a bit of a layabout with dodgy fashion sense.

I'm not 100% sure what a chav is? There seem to be different versions. Is Cherie Blair a chav?

friedtoacrisp - totally agree.

i would never use the word chav, i live in scotland so they are neds

My DH is called Kevin & in some places chavs are called 'Kevs', he finds it hilarious

What is a chav's car? Is it one of these green hybrid cars?

Until recently I didn?t know that ?chav? had class connotations. I thought that it was someone who was fairly vacuous and wore excessive amounts of jewellery and make up and branded clothes that often looked very cheap (like sports clothes that aren?t meant for doing sports). Most of the teenagers I have heard referring to ?chavs? have been talking about wealth off children who wear a lot of Jack Wills clothes and similar.

I always thought it was synonomous with New Labour MPs

*well off