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Chavs, on UK Working Class

Categories: Western Europe, Spain, United Kingdom, Citizen Media, Governance, Labor, Politics

Dani @El_Taquillero writes [1] [es] on Sólo por molestar about the book Chavs. The Demonization of the Working Class [2], by Owen Jones [3].

Chav is a term used to name a sub class within working class. […] Would someone be proud of feeling part of the working class if from the media, the consecutive administrations, etc. they are constantly bombarding you with the impoliteness of this sub class? Chavs are lazy, rude, alcoholic, violent. That's how the hatred between classes starts, the demonization. In the past, working class was “the salt of the earth”, now they have become “the scum of the earth”. Working class is place to run from, you can't be proud of being part of it. “Now we are all middle class”. Does this ring a bell? The process started with Thatcher since the 80s and consecutive adninistrations, conservative and laborist as well, have a clear similarity with Spain, from the “exemplary Transition” to the disaster we face. Owen Jones focuses on England, but what has happened in Spain can be clearly explained just by changing names and some dates. The deindustrialization, the following unemployment, mines closings, defeat of unions, most basic labor rights go down the drain, cuts in education, health services…

The post reviewed here was part of the fourth #LunesDeBlogsGV [4] [Monday of blogs on GV] on May 26, 2014.