To think working class shows?

[MrsBonnie]

I work in a lovely school where they’ve all had very different upbringings to me. Very much working class here. Sometimes I think it shows with little things I’ve noticed.

Having sugar in tea, using a tumble drier, not having a cleaner, using the wrong glasses for different drinks (I.E using the same one for everything!)… what else am I missing that excludes me from the club 😂 sometimes I will mention something like the above and get “oh I never use a tumble drier” … then I just think oops have I said something weird there?

Sometimes I think they’re judging me with things I say and do but I hope not! I grew up being homeless at a certain point, council houses, single teen (but amazing) mum, a very specific type of circle. I feel like Mum did everything she could to get us out of that way of life, but I can’t help but feel I don’t belong sometimes. Or that I stick out like a sore thumb. Am I being daft? Imposter syndrome a little bit!

From stock I mean 3/4 generations of good education

i had excellent education but parents didn’t so I don’t think I have had those experiences growing up that I define as middle class

my kids have and will go to uni so further down line will become more middle class but certainly not now

I wonder why so many of you are so keen to 'categorise' yourselves in this archaic 'class' system ??

Let me get this straight...

You think that they think that you are common.

I'd stop caring about it if I were you. If any of them are looking down on you, then that makes them a not very nice person, and who cares what they think?

Aristocracy/royals = upper class

Posh school = upper middle. Think polticians, big company CEOs, media types.

Middle is civil servants, teachers, doctors, lawyers, research scientists. White collar brainy jobs. People who do these jobs and come from WC parents are MC with a WC background.

Lower middle is other white collar office jobs.

Working class is skilled and unskilled blue collar manual workers.

Underclass is people with generations of unemployed or no-one working in the house.

Just a guide, obviously some people don't obviously fit into one or the other.

I wonder why so many of you are so keen to 'categorise' yourselves in this archaic 'class' system Confused??

It's not "keen to" but acknowledging that class exists and being aware of it. I tend to find that people who think it doesn't exist any more have been solidly middle or upper middle for generations and have never been found to be "common" in some situations and "posh" in others.

What I find completely ridiculous are all the posters who are determined that they are "working class" but still , would I be putting it too strongly if I say bragging about their houses/ jobs/ degrees.

Money does not buy class.

@MavisChunch29 you forgot "Moneyed Class" those who have made or inherited so much money, they don't care or forget that not everyone is as well off as them!

HI MrsBonnie. I think the confusion has come from the wording of the first paragraph, "Very much working class here". I took that to be referring to the school you work in but following your updates it seems to mean your own family background. If a student gave in a piece of writing that was so unclear as to point of view wouldn't you ask them to rewrite it?

In my experience being working class can show in certain ways - mainly through labelling yourself working class because of bizarre and arbitrary things that have no socio-economic reasons such as using a tumble dryer and adding sugar to tea… middle class people also have tumble dryers and use sugar, but by not thinking anything of these things they are automatically middle class I guess. Stop obsessing over normal things that I’m afraid don’t make you any different or special compared to most people and you’ll fit right in OP.

It's not "keen to" but acknowledging that class exists and being aware of it.

Does it though?

Aren't threads like this just reinforcing an archaic concept?

Most other European countries (I come from one) do not have this an obsession with 'classifying' people like this?!

That's a different definition of "class" .

Money does not buy class.

What does? Education?

@tomorrowalready I suppose so! But I was writing conversationally… a bit of a steam or consciousness rather than an academic essay. And I think I’ve clarified a few times since (I don’t think there’s an edit button).

Can I ask because I don't know the rulz, what would be the MC version of a crumpet? And by crumpet do we mean the circular things with the little holes?

Stream *

@teathyme it’s the portion size as opposed to the crumpet itself 😂 thou shalt not eat more than 1 crumpet. Thou shalt not eat a pot noodle either.

Thanks for that @MrsBonnie . If the MC are full after 1 crumpet then I declare I am firmly underclass <inserts 6 pancakes into the toaster>

I think (and I really should be working) that it's 4 crumpets for lunch that's the problem.

Crumpets are not lunch food, lunch is a sandwich, a salad, soup or sushi almost exclusively, followed by a piece of fruit or a yogurt anything else is an abomination.

Crumpets are for teatime ( in the MC southern sense) not lunchtime fodder.

I hope you realise I am slightly tongue in cheek.

Fair enough MrsBonnie, I must admit I reread your OP because I was confused. I do realise not everyone has the time to reread or preview their postings. And I do see where you are coming from as a sensitive person. There are probably a lot of things you have to pretend not to notice. And some people of any background can be pernickety and/or obsessional. So it's not you , it's them. What kind of manners is it to comment on what someone else is eating for lunch? I ask rhetorically. I probably come from a similar background to you excluding the homelessness so keep on with being yourself. Noticing is good, commenting not always necessary or desirable

I don't belong to any class, I refuse to be pigeonholed!!

You think it's working class to have sugar in your tea or to use a tumble dryer? . Insane!

Yes exactly this.

@ShutYerYapAndGetOnWithIt no, that’s the point… I didn’t think anything about anything until other peoples comments and looks made me wonder 😂