To ask what makes you working class? (Lighthearted)

[MissAlabamaWhitman]

So, the whole 'what makes you middle class' has been done to death hasn't it?

We're all pretty au fair with avocados, elephants sodding breath, the ubiquity of joules et cetera.
And lovely as it is to have such knowledge of the middle classes, none of it applies to me.

I'm working class and I'll explIn to you that which denotes this in just a minute.

Incidentally I heard that there's a few of us about so perhaps we can make our own list of our very own class signifiers.

Who's in?

I shall go first.....

Love of charity shops, this week I picked up a leather Hobbs bag for 3.99 and a couple of Abercrombie & Fitch tops for DD1 1.49 each!

Love of Iceland/Heron foods/Home bargains/B&M. Yes I know I could get everything I need in Sainsbury's but I actually prefer scrabbling around for bargains and topping up at Lidl.

Chardonnay. I love it, tastes fab. I can't be arsed to pretend that I prefer a Beaujolais or Cab Sav. I don't.

One bathroom/toilet in a five bed house.

Regional accent which I take pleasure in.

Children who play football and wear replica kits whilst doing so

Girls who wear pinkI draw the line at bloody Jojo bows though

Getting drunk at barbecues and performing impromptu Karaoke.

Allowing my children to 'play out' in the cul de sac from age seven.

Cleaning my own house.

Holidays at Center Parcs rather than overseas.

Owning a Huskita

Letting my children watch TV and eat crisps in full view of other parents.

Having a 'pop man'

Listening to LBC rather than R4

Not really giving a fuck about trans, one way or the other.

I'm sure there's lots more besides which I'll try to remember.
How about you?
What makes you sit back at the end of a hard day and think 'yep I'm a fully paid up member of the old working classes?'

Well considering how many people on MN never answer their doors if someone knocks I'd say there might be some truth I that.

Presumably all of those things are negative behaviours marleyandpea?

And presumably you don't consider yourself to be WC?

And no Extra that's not the point at all.
The point was supposed to be a discussion amongst WC people of their commonalities, negative, positive and neutral.
not an excuse for WC and MC to become comparators and for the WC to be found decidedly lacking by MC people who trot out the same old stereotypes which may have had some valid basis circa twenty five years ago.

I think this thread has sadly proven that lots of us are sufficiently insecure to still require somebody to look down upon.

It's sad that it had to descend in to this really, isn't it?

You know what,Marley. I'm WC and neither do I.

I can't believe you started a thread to discuss social class and thought it would go any other way. There's loads of a slagging off mc on your thread but you're giving that a pass so clearly stereotypes don't actually bother you.

OP most of the critical posts on here have been aimed at middle class people.

Apart from the claim anorexia is a disease of the working class (interestingly, it's more likely higher up the scale of affluency.)

Having to work for a living. Not being embarrassed to discuss money or how to economise. Using public transport outside the conurbations. Baked beans. Builders tea. Scared enough of debt to be glad kids didn't do University. Folk memories of WWII as deprivation.

From memory, posters here think MC women:

Wear drab colours
Only shop in Joules and White Stuff
Don't have a strong work ethic
Lack a sense of humour
Brag about their house price
Aren't loyal friends and turn away those in need

There may be more. Why is it only allowed to go one way?

Why do you find that hard to believe Morris?

No, I think you will find that there are more negative stereotypes of WC on this thread than of MC, although I'm not sufficiently disingenuous to deny my own bias, are you?

It bothers me that it has descended to this point, of course it does.
As I stated previously I have dear friends from both social classes whom none of the oft lauded stereotypes apply to.

Yes baileys that has been sufficiently discussed and put to bed, thank you.

I thought that was the point a couple are negative, but no means all! There's a lot of negative posts about MC stereotypes on this thread though to be fair.

I call it tea though.

Oh, has it indeed?

The problem is, OP, asking people for stereotypes then getting narky when some of those stereotypes are not positive, is foolish at best.

I think class is important. I think we are foolish to ignore it. (I think if you're WC, I'm a monkey's uncle as it happens) but I do think you've been trying to make a point here; I'm unsure what though.

I also don't think CP is a working class activity - the only people I know that go are very middle class

Both working class and middle class are often further sub divided. Those statements do describe one group within the middle class, but obviously not all.

Which negative stereotypes of wc people? I see many more of mc people.

There's a massive difference between MC in the towns and MC in the country too.

You know Morris

Interestingly the insults levelled at the MC on this thread haven't called their parenting in to question.

The ones atttributed to the WC very much have.
They allude to lack of concern for their children's health and diet, less concern for educational attainment, engaging in harmful behaviour around their children and less opportunities afforded to children because of insufficient prioritisation on the parent's part.

This may be influenced by my bias but I'd rather have my fashion credentials called in to question than be called a shit mum.

And you did ask, specifically, for wc markers.

Why on earth did you start the thread then?

baileys

Where did I ask for stereotypes? and would you like a banana for your nephew?

Surely it's all based on experience though? No one is making things up for the bants

You're asking people for WC markers which naturally is going to elicit stereotypes.

I think you are being goady now, to be honest, and I never say that.

I think if you're WC, I'm a monkey's uncle as it happens) but I do think you've been trying to make a point here; I'm unsure what though.

Indeed.

Yes.

I asked for commonalities Morris

Things which we as WC people recognise as shared behaviours.

Not stereotypes which the MC have decided to imbue us with.

I didn't ask for MC people to comment really and I'm unsure why they did

Nobody has called anyone a shit mum. But if you can find any evidence that states the parenting observation doesn't hold true at population level (ie, not your own family and friends but across the whole population) I'll eat my hat.

Oh you never say that?

Ok so how should I respond which will give such a statement the reverence it surely deserves?

I mean you're obviously the self appointed arbiter of social stratification.
I can't be WC can I? Oh no sorry, that's right I've been to Center Parcs 😱