To think it was a tactful way of saying ‘working class?’

[BoothsDelivery]

I went to a school in the middle of 2 deprived council estates.

In one of our classes, we were taught a bit about trade unions. Teacher asked us if we had a parent who was in a trade union. When we all looked blank as if he’d just asked had we been to the moon - he asked in a louder voice :

Well, come on, this is a part of the city where people have working jobs. Is anyone’s parent in a trade union?

looking back, do you think he used the phrase ‘working jobs’ because it sounds more tactful than saying “this is a working class area?”

What are the jobs where no working is involved please? I’d like to apply 😁

And it was normal enough to have students from different socioeconomic backgrounds in a 90s state school, if, like me, you grew up in an area without grammar schools and very few independents.

I’m talking about the teachers misplaced snobbery not yours.

but the fact that you are still thinking about and so wrapped up in the idea of class makes me think you are paranoid about being working class.

the school you worked in might’ve been affluent but it’s incredibly unlikely a state school was full of middle class kids

Socio economic background is about wealth attainment and isn’t the same as the British class system.

Ah ok - I definitely see what you mean in both your first and last paragraphs

And to be fair what you say in your last paragraph is 100% accurate

I'm dying to know

You might be right

I just want objective opinions on a situation

Objective doesn't exist I'm afraid OP. Only multiple, often competing individual perspectives. Truth claims are power games.

It's also a really really odd thing to be still thinking about over 3 decades on. How old was the class? What was the area? Posters might be able to offer getter analysis with a little more detail on the context.

Are you being truly honest with yourself and us here? It seems you have an answer in mind and you're hoping for it to be legitimised here, what is that answer? Why have you thought about this for 30+ years

I voted YABU because the comment you’re questioning was said in 1992 - the world was a different place back then!

Pupils were 16
It’s a provincial city in the UK

I must admit - it does irk me when people say - why are you still thinking about it 30 years later! There’s no time limit on discussions about situations

For instance. I love discussing ‘Abigail’s Party’ - it’s a drama with so many layers to it - we could start a discussion today about it and still be discussing it next Xmas time.

People would never say - why are you still discussing a 45 year old drama would they ?

I guess it depends where your from. Working jobs/manual jobs common expression referring to more physical labour.
My trio certainly knew who in town worked for the mill or the plant and who was “staff”.Strikes and contract negotiations were tense who was on strike pay and who were still on wages.
3 industry town; mill, smelter and export dock.

Granted. But this thread is like trying to discuss Abigails party with people who haven't seen it. None of us were there! There are too many crucial details missing. What was he wearing? What was the class? What were his general attitude and demeanor? What sort of demographics made up the class? It's just daft.

Fair enough, that’s correct.

However, let’s be honest - if it was a TV drama we’d all seen, demographics would be implied anyway through demeanour /accent anyway and not 100% ‘certain!’

I tink you are right and could stem back to the idea of a job being a days work like dockers.

"People who are working jobs" and "people who have working jobs"

See also "jobbing actor"

The language is nuanced and subtle but clever enough to be ambiguous and intentional, to leave the audienc to interpret.

the 3 employers paid very well, the town was at one times the wealthiist in the region. Lots of working pride. Lots of history.

Yep - agree !

I’ve worked in non unionised environments and overseen many disiplinaries as a disciplinary manager. In all these work places a number of people had unions (usually TUPE’d from union environments) and their union simply acted as a “friend” would in formal meetings. It’s a lot of money over a career if you never find yourself in these instances

So is car insurance or contents insurance for the house. I hope never to use them, but very glad of it when I need it.

A lot can depend on the union rep. As my union wasn't recognised in my workplace, my rep was a professional and really good at it.

My cousin is a BA captain and in a trade union. Lots of my colleagues (he) are in a union

Charming vignettes of modern British life.

I don’t blame anyone on this thread who hasn’t heard of trade unions.

Back in 1989 I distinctly remember there was a Radio One jingle that went

“Jimmy Knapp - when will the trains be back??!”
to the tune of the 60s song Jimmy Mack. I thought it was witty at the time

you’d NEVER get this sort of thing now - trade union activity seemed to be much more higher profile then

Err … don’t think that could have happened sorry. They would be breaking the terms of their license to use a jingle like that. OH works in radio and they have to be so careful. It’s not the place of a Public Service Broadcaster to make political statements. On a comedy show maybe?

Many many years ago in lower sixth form our A level sociology teacher informed us she was thrilled to be teaching in an East End school having studied all the books on the deprived East End. We didn’t know we were deprived. Learn something new every day