Russian Woman Journal

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Point of view

Friday 11 January 2008

DOUG R. (England)

British Snobbery  

British Society.

In this article I explore the subtleties and layers of modern British society.

 Others cannot understand the importance we place on establishing a person’s class and therefore their social position.

It does not matter to the rest of the world. It does to us.

 One big advantage foreigners have; they do not fit our system. This is a problem for us because we cannot position them socially.

It is in the nature of British people to give the benefit of the doubt. Until, that is, they do something unacceptable.

 This superiority attitude has been attacked as merely snobbish. Snobbery can be either financial or intellectual. 

An intellectual snob has nothing to be snobbish about.

Financial snobbery seems more important for those who have become rich as opposed to those born rich. Some are particularly sensitive about their origins and overcompensate with anxiety to impress.

 The ‘self-made’ rich may have started from nothing or poverty. They are proud of their achievement which they demonstrate by ostentatious displays of wealth.

Why not?‘If you got it, flaunt it.’

These efforts to impress are understandable and natural.

 Britain is one of the few countries where such achievements are possible and encouraged.

But there is more to class than being rich. On its own, money does not guarantee social standing.

 Here are two extreme examples.

A wealthy man’s ancestor had been knighted. This gave the family a title and made this man a Lord by inherence. I overheard him described as ‘only a grocer.’   Since the family fortune was built on 100 years of successful trading in groceries this remark was accurate. Although accurate it was also cruel, intended as a ‘put down.’ It might be thought to reflect badly on the speaker.

From time to time, politicians of the day make such appointments to our House of Lords as a reward for their personal lifetime achievements. Some are virtually a personal reward by the prime minister and are for lifetime only. These are not inherited. 

 This family was not such an example. Theirs was made on the strength of having developed a substantial food distribution company, employing thousands of people, to the benefit of our society. The quoted ‘put down’ remark may have intended to imply that this was a purchased title. It was wrong. It shows how subtle such matters are. 

 Another example was the attitude of Princess Diana’s family towards the Royal family. Diana’s ancestors were one of the ruling families instrumental in appointing a Hanoverian German as our King George 1st in 1714.   They regard themselves somewhat above the ‘newly arrived’ Royals.

 Social position is not only a matter of money. You cannot rise by having money or wealth. Other qualities are required.

 By comparison American society venerates wealth above all. Most personal and behaviour faults will be ignored if you are rich enough.

 A strength of British society has always been to permit newcomers to ‘rise from the ranks.’ It is almost a joke how rich young foreign men and/or their daughters are sought after by children of old British families. This provides funds from the New World to finance the old.

Pragmatic is one description. Survival is another.

 So what are these layers of society? How are they defined? How can someone know which layer a particular person belongs to? How can you tell which class a particular person belongs to? 

 Our basics are the same as everywhere else.  How they are paid is an important clue.

 At the bottom of any pile is the unskilled. This usually means a labourer or someone doing other menial work. Such is the universal ‘lower working class.’  These are normally paid weekly or by the hour.

 Next up the scale is a skilled tradesman. A plumber or bricklayer, or any work that uses acquired skill and knowledge but requires manual input, is regarded here as a ‘upper working class’ drifting into ‘lower  middle class.’ This would include someone who controls a group of such people, such as foreman. These people are normally paid monthly.

 Lower middle class is the next step up. Factory manager, shopkeeper, salesman, or others who do not do manual work themselves but are ‘line management‘ and closely involved with those who do. These are paid monthly and often enjoy some sort of profit share or bonus, based on their department’s performance.

 Middle class includes architects, accountants, medical doctors and dentists, teachers, university professors, military officers, solicitors and some levels of lawyers. Such people will have undergone higher education combined with some years of practical experience in their chosen profession. 

Payment will be on a regular basis but without a bonus benefit. Often these professionals are self employed. They may be appointed for one specific purpose relating to their qualification. Payment by a fee follows satisfactory completion of their work.

 Some are not allowed by their profession to deal directly with customers but must transact via a third party, outside person or organization.

For example, lawyers are appointed by a solicitor. They are not financially involved directly with the paying customer. The solicitor is responsible to the lawyer for payment if the customer defaults.

 The next layer is ‘upper middle class.’ This covers successful members of the middle class who have attained promotion and recognition of their progress by their peers- contemporaries in their profession or organisation. 

 The layer above everyone is our ‘upper class.’  Most modern family origins seem to be based on the Norman invasion of 1066. The entire land was conquered and ruled by the original supporters of the invading Normans. Many of these families still own that land and still exert influence where it matters.

 Differences from the new middle classes is where the difficulties of discerning ‘who is what ‘becomes a serious matter, for those who care.  

These have evolved over hundreds of years and reflect gradual changes in our society.

 Nothing is written down. We do not have a written constitution for very good reasons.

Actual wealth is not a reliable guide. There are many poor members of the British upper class. Displays of wealth are very suspect, as explained above.

 So how are these differences recognized?

There is no one reliable indication. If it was easy everyone could do it and probably try to copy it.

A subtle combination of speech, general behaviour, and attitude towards others is involved. How do they treat people such as waiters or chauffeurs or someone performing a service for them?  Is it with respect or intimidating dominance?

 Members of this class do not need to impress. They don’t try.

They tend not to shout whatever the provocation. Personal restraint is important. They have been conditioned by schooling which encourages self control. They are educated to be the future rulers. If you can’t control yourself why should you expect to control others?

 Other outwards signs include speech.  This is not about correct grammar or construction but the choice of words.

 Classic indicators are   what?   or   pardon?   Either is technically correct and means the same thing.  Which one you use establishes your class.

A piece of furniture may be called ‘settee’ or ‘sofa’. They both mean something to sit on -ie a seat. But which one is used by which class?

Other wordtraps include ‘lounge’ or ‘drawing room’,   ‘napkin’ or ‘serviette’.

As a guide, a word with French origins is usually the wrong one.

 Sentence construction is another indicator. Absolute precision is often an indicator of a foreign origin or education. Some slang is abhorred by the educated. Some expressions are technically incorrect but useful indicators.

 For example ‘ it aint’ is a shortened version of ‘it isnt’. ‘Aint’ is incorrect. It may even be disparaged.  Those doing so betray themselves. This is called an ‘own goal’ and is received with glee, by those who care.

 The English have always got on well with Chinese. They share many attitudes. Both understand the importance of trade and profit. Both share and appreciate oblique speech.

An Englishman will look at your garden and comment ‘your lawn is growing well or looks healthy’ or some such compliment. What he means is ‘the grass is too long and needs mowing.’

 Like the Chinese we don’t say what we mean. You need to look behind the words.

Someone trying to establish your social position may ask  ‘Where are you going this weekend?  What they are trying to establish is  ‘do you have a second home in the country?’ meaning are you rich enough to have one?

 Another important marker is our schooling system.  We have two completely separate streams; private or public also called ‘State.’ As if to confuse foreigners we call our private education schools ‘public schools.’

State education is free, private is very expensive.

In private education children stay at the school overnight and therefore away from parental influence. Some boarding schools offer day attendance education, which reduces costs for parents. Which is better is a matter of debate and opinion. The education is the same but subtle differences of behaviour in a boarder which the day pupil does not absorb or even notice.

 There are subtle methods of establishing someone’s religion.

The Scottish city of Glasgow has two soccer teams. Glasgow also has two important religious groupings; Catholic and Protestant, fiercely antagonistic towards each other.

If you care about religion you don’t ask which one your correspondent follows, you ask which football team they support.

So how does this apply to someone contemplating a move from east to west?

In my next article I look at the sort of men who consider becoming involved with a woman form the east. 

DOUG R. (England)

 

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