Lockdown is where middle-class people hide and working-class people bring them stuff

[havanacabana]

I’ve seen this quote on twitter a few times and realised there is actually a lot of truth to it. IRL most of the people I know who are truly able to ‘hide away’ are the middle-class, privileged ones who are currently on furlough or working from home. People I know on minimum wage are the ones having to go out and mix at work in supermarkets, takeaways, warehouses etc. to keep everything going.

Funny, that’s exactly how social class is determined by the ONS.

Social class pre-dates the ONS by a long time.

[quote TheReluctantPhoenix]@OhDear2200,

I am racking my brains as to why an accountant or solicitor (other than maybe criminal) would have to go to work?[/quote]
Yep wrack your brains away but they are. Shock.

Not all but some do have to.

Wrack/rack 😫 this is why I should not be responsible for my children’s education

It being true that the middle classes are more likely to able to wfh does not, in any way, excuse the deliberately emotive and goady language used in the phrase.

It's worded to cause defensiveness or resentment and does not help anyone.

Social class pre-dates the ONS by a long time

So what, you’re saying they’ve got it entirely wrong?

Wow. I'm middle class for sure (if we have to go down the class route). I've worked in school the entire time as an SEN teacher. So much so the stress has currently done me in and I'm in hospital with a flare of my chronic illnesses.
I'm sure many of my doctor friends who are also all been working will appreciate this generalisation.

@RosesAndLemonade,

So, with so many wealthy women and so many poor men, are you unappreciative of analysis of the gender pay gap?

No-one on this thread is saying it’s true across the board, in all cases. Clearly hospital staff in particular are en exception.

But as a rough overview of what’s going on, it stacks up, as supported by the data.

But to refer to it as 'hiding' is unnecessarily divisive and judgmental. It would not be better for those people who have no option but to go out to work to having everyone currently wfh commuting to their offices.

tbh, where I live, it's the retired who get to hide away most & who rely most on delivery persons. That's class-independent.

I think it tells you more about the usefulness of the jobs to a functioning society than middle/working class. The fact that there is also a patial class divide is a reflection of a sad society that undervalues many key roles.

I do wonder how attractive lockdown would have been to many of the current advocates if deliveries and food/goods production had been limited to only the really basic essentials so that many of the people in these industries could ‘stay home and be ‘kept safe’ too.

Ah yes, working from home is great across the board for everyone, as covid is the only thing that exists. I will let my colleague who has been sectioned know that the several attempts on his life were because he was enjoying being completely socially isolated for a prolonged period of time.

Yep, on tube right now on way in to work and it’s half full and I can’t see anyone in suits or nice office wear. Pre Covid I could see loads.it will be the same on the journey home too

@TheKeatingFive

Social class pre-dates the ONS by a long time

So what, you’re saying they’ve got it entirely wrong?

What I'm saying is that the ONS has no reliable method for determining an individual's social class.

The ONS can ask what jobs people do. It can then either ask the same people which class they identify themselves with, or it can make its own decision about which class a job belongs to. Neither method is reliable.

The first method assumes that class is self-determined - if you think you are working class, you are, if you think you are middle class, then you are. But many people will identify themselves with a particular class on principle, rather than reality.

The second method also makes unrealistic assumptions. Suppose you work as a cleaner (i.e. low paid job) to get some cash in while you are looking for a job in the more highly paid field of your choice. You don't suddenly change classes when you get the job of your choice.

Supposing you're, say, a solicitor and you decide to take semi-retirement at the age of 50 and go to work part-time in your local garden centre or cafe or somewhere - you don't suddenly drop a class.

I think there's truth in that. Of course there's multitudes of ways people can point out how it's no because "x is middle class and delivers things," or "doctors are working" (though doctors aren't fetching and carrying things for others, so don't fit in to the situation).

Though I think the meme is referring to an attitude associated with class. A person's actual class in Britain has become quite nebulous now. No longer do people fit neatly into what it used to be.

In the first lock down the attitude was very noticeable on MN. There were some people on here crazed about not having to go out. Quite angered that people were. You were supposed to stay at home, never go out and get essenitals everything delivered.from supermarkets and nonessential from Amazon.

The attitude really showed in people who also described how it was essential to decontamination everything that came from outside.

Not one consideration about the fact you needed a (filthy contaminated) person delivering it, to leave their home and go to work.

In attitude it is the expectation that someone else takes the risky or dirty job so you don't have to.

Of course that's a sweeping statement and there will be exceptions but if anyone's brave enough to do a proper review of the stats when this is over, we know it will be the poor who've been hit hardest, both in terms of deaths and economically.

I think it tells you more about the usefulness of the jobs to a functioning society

Many of those wfh are raising plenty of money for the exchequer in tax receipts, so you might want to factor that in to your functioning society. This stuff needs paid for.

I’m literally disgusted someone thinks WFH is “hiding” and not only that, has written it down on a public forum for everyone to see.

I agree with you @badpuma, it is the use of 'hiding away' in this context that is divisive and unhelpful.

Generally speaking, wealthier people tend to be more comfortable than poorer people. They also tend to have more choices and defenses against hardship.

This is not a revelation and it is not specific to covid lockdown. It's been this way for as long as there have been the haves and the have nots.

I'm not sure what kind of point people are trying to prove here.

@TheReluctantPhoenix

I find it unbelievable that people are arguing with this thesis. The facts are out there and quite clear.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19relateddeathsbyoccupationenglandandwales/deathsregisteredbetween9marchand28december2020

This whole epidemic has demonstrated the shocking lack of understanding of mathematics and statistics among the general population (even those well educated in other fields).

These statistics are very telling.

I dont think this means middle classess are hiding and i dont see that it helps anyone if they come out of 'hiding' as it just increases cases in the community and the poorer people will be even harder hit.

I do think people could have a bit of awareness of how things are kept running and be respectful-m though - there is a lot of contempt towards people in lower paid jobs.

But we had deliveries before the pandemic and people were doing these jobs it’s not a new thing to protect the middle classes. I don’t think it would help delivery drivers much if we all stopped ordering online because of our principles as they would no longer have their jobs

Milliepple- yes I agree it’s better for everyone if those that can work from home do, but a bit more understanding would be nice instead of people going off on one cus there pizza or Amazon delivery are late