A Working class Mumsnet proposed!

[madhattershouse]

Frank Field has proposed some ideas for removing poverty by means other than just financial. One proposal is the setting up of a mumsnet type site for the working classes. Isn't mumsnet meant for all or am I missing something? Are the working classes really needing this or is it a gimmick? article [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/03/frank-field-welfare-sacred-cows
here]]

It's silly of the Guardian to have phrased it like that, IMO - I think it says more about the obsessions of Patrick Wintour et. al.

Still, Field didn't make it very clear what he was driving at - is he talking about issues of computer/internet access? (which isn't looking good right now) or is he suspicious of "middle-class" attitudes on Mumsnet? (but then the report comes out against CIO - I kid you not, it's on p. 41.)

And am loving equality of opportunity- my disabled kids don;t have equality of opportunity, how could they? how can a child who can barely talk have that? Or one who can't talk to strangers?

So many myths about who claimants are in the world: I greew up with an alcoholic Dad (now dry- so proud of him) and a (not surprisingly) depresseive mother on a rough estte. my sisters and I all went to college, one is a vet dentist, one runs a nursery and I managed a charity before disability. There was no poverty of ambition even with a rough start and my aprents believed in education. But until there is some infrastructure to support the inevitables of life, sickness, job loss, disability- then there will be need. You can dig your way out as we are doing (self employed company, I go into it in April and profits up this year) but that has to take time. It's inevitable.

Slaming around the assumption that everyone on benefits is the same is beyond bizarre. Wat about a pensioner whose pension collapsed? dad is one- worked all his life (and I mean all, from the age of five) but the pension went under. In what way is he not deserving?

Frank Field MP is a very complex character Tory Cameron picked field to write a report because he thought the tories would like the conclusions....beware of Mr Field and mr Cameron

Santas - "use the library" was indeed my first thought, but tempered (as I hope my post made clear) by the sudden realisation that there may not actually be a library in your area any more as they are closing loads of them down...

I've just joined Mum's Net today and I can't see how it can be judged as "middle-class" its open to any mums or mums-to-be. :)

Does being "Forrin" mean you cannot spell "abstain"(Sic, read "abstein") either??

Don't be so naive. You can see who it's aimed at via threads like these. The working class don't tend to talk about things like this unless their dole money has been cut and they are having a rant about a Govt they know nothing about.

You can also see from the advertising who it's aimed at.

Boden for a council estate? Let's be honest with ourselves.

I don't swing one way or another about who uses this forum. I just don't think people should be fooling themselves as to who it's aimed at (and those fooling themselves are the working class).

aye mn is predominately middle class,look at the ads - boden (never heard of em before mn) i am half expecting horse and hound to turn up

and endless chuntering about split infinitives and demands for good grammar

of course some folks will rock up and bibble babble about gosh how really working class they are.and they dont even have a milk jug or nuffink

LifeForRent, I can see the adverts are aimed at middle class. I would however like to point out your post was a bit innacurate. some working class people tend to rant about a Govt they know nothing about.
some middle class and upper class people tend to rant about a Govt (or other things)they know nothing about
some people seem to think that working class people tend to be rather ignorant and only care about their dole money. Plenty of working class people do not get dole money as they are working btw. And plenty of dole claimants are out of work through no fault of their own. And some middle class people claim dole money as they have lost their job through no fault of their own.

I have noticed a lot of middle class seeming posters on here, some working class seeming, and some you either can't really tell, or usually, even if you can tell, it doesn't matter to the discussion (and we, whoever we are, can see how the other half lives.)

Oh shit is this an 'initiative' then? I thought it was a guilty pleasure
how much do the 'working classes' need to know about bum sex, anyway

If you have to work for a living - are you working class?

Was brought up by a socialist and a conservative - it was interesting in our house!

Problem is that most people I know where definitely working class when younger but due to betterment, uni education etc we now have all the trappings of being middle class - own own home, cars etc etc.

But like everyone, cash is short on the ground. See this article in Daily Mail
www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1335550/Merry-Christmas-Along-millions-middle-class-families-I-afford-says-CHARLOTTE-METCALF.html

Although if I earned £500 a week I would consider myself well off!

"poverty doesnt exist in the UK"

In areas where I've worked with disadvantaged people the life expectancy is 54. If that doesn't proove the existance of absolute poverty in the UK I dont know what does.

santas- are you me??!! Have I been posting in my sleep and not noticed?
You are exactly right.

Some people just aren't prepared to help themselves unfortunately. I personally don't understand the mentality of not wanting to better yourself and your life for the sake of your children...but there we go.

Life for rent I don't agree with your comments, it sounds like you are saying that because someone is working class they must be thick and not care about politics, I find that very patronising.

Segregation by class is not always a good thing. It's very helpful for people to be able to hear the views of people whose views differ from theirs.

The obsession with "Class" in this country really irritates me.

However!! I am working class - I have never claimed unemployment or any other benefit - oh hang on - I get child benefit for now!! - and we used to get the bare basic Child Tax Credit of £40 a month but that has stopped - but we have the "Trappings" of the middle class. Own our home (well partly, the bank own a good 30% of it). Have foreign holidays. Children have music, dance lessons and are heavily involved in orienteering!! I was Chair of NCT for a while (local branch not whole of UK) and we visit museums, theatre and read the Guardian. And yet I have a tale to tell ..... A few years ago I was at a children's party and the little ones were all sat around eating their carrot sticks and raisins and one mother commented "Can't you tell they are all from good middle class homes - look how well behaved they are" - I had a large intake of breath, counted to 10 but then I couldn't hold back any longer. I said "Well amazingly, my children are from a working class home and yet they know how to behave at a table". She responded by saying what a good job I had done on my children and on myself - as she never would have labelled me as working class!!!! From that day on I have stood my ground as a working class mother who grew up on a council estate and has studied, worked and aspired to achieve self-awareness and to provide education and opportunities for my children. Being working class is a state of mind - for me - I define working class as being willing and able to help others, and appreciate their difficulties - not to look down on them and to patronise them - which I have to say - is often the Middle Class way. Sorry for the rant but it had to be said. K.

PROLENET....has a ring to it

Love your post katiewins22

There was a thread recently which made me cry about an utterly broken and in despair little boy being bullied at school and teachers blaming boy for bullying, teacher even doing things to make him feel worse,and not doing anything about it.

One otherwise helpful poster said something like presumably this was on a sink estate and teachers were ill equiped to deal with unruly sink estate children.

Turns out it is a well to do middle class area.

Not saying middle class children worse behaved than working class children. Just saying people make assumptions like woman did at party in katiewins post, about working class people and middle class.

some people make assumptions, I should have said

I thought the working classes sold prams on the for sale bit of mumsnet and kept themselves to themselves

THanks a1b2 - nice to be appreciated.

Reading my rant again today I realised I sound like I am labelling the middle class as being unfeeling and patronising, but really my intention was to say We are all human beings, we all have strengths and we all face challenges, why in 2010 do we still have to be labelled by Class?

I hate the assumptions that all those who live in council houses spend their daytimes watching TV whilst drinking cider and claiming benefits, because they don't.

Equally it must be frustrating for those who consider themselves Middle class to constantly be told how "Well off" they are and how they are clearly not struggling as little Gideon can have music lessons - when in reality many families are struggling to pay for the extras.

In my rambling way I am trying to say Why can't we all appreciate our differences and be kinder to one another and to those like the woman who was astonished that my working class children could behave well, what I really want to say is - take a look around you - spend some time with people from different backgrounds -and you will see that you really are not that different at all Ok - 2nd rant over I am off to my usual holiday boards!!
K.

That'#s why it's good not to have segregated sites segregated by class (or even sex). For me to call a site mumsnet means "working class". People say mummy. We all do. So in a sense it screams out this is not a middle class site. It's for people who use words like mum... so it's all relative.

At one level the CLASS thing is just people
who feel comfortable with each other.

For example, I saw a geezer on TV paying £130 for a rather ordinary meal in a posh pub.

I would not feel comfortable with him. (unless he was paying)

But of course, there is more to CLASS than that. It is about people ganging up to gain preference...etc etc