Published on 12, July, 2020
I know a few and it's really annoys me for some reason no idea why it greats on me either being from a middle class back ground myself but unedcuated so have to do a working class job when I do get back into one. Think id discribe myself as mudle class. I say be proud of your class and hertige why hide it out of fear or embrasment no matter what class you are and those who denigh there even is a class system are usually the ones who hate people for there class.
I think that the formal class system is being steadily eroded in the UK, but at the same time wealth inequality is increasing. This leaves many people unsure of their position in society. Things are in flux. In many countries, France and Germany for example, intellectualism is respected and intellectuals are seen to sit largely outside the class system. I think of myself primarily as an intellectual, but this garners no respect in the UK and is not considered a defining social characteristic. I have been described in print as a "Marxist patrician", so I might as well identify as that.
The anti intellectual thing seems to be common in all English speaking countries. At uni to be called 'intellectual' was an insult. It seemed to mean pretentious or uptight.
I also dislike the way 'intellectual' or 'middle-class' is used to shut people up. I got that recently at the wrong kind of party, with 'racial privilege' thrown into the mix too. If anyone wants to set up an anti vaxxer thread, as that was the nature of the said party, I won't be joining in. I did ask them if they cared to seek the opinion of nurses and doctors dealing with covid on the front line before they came back at me again. No one did.
My day job is freelance teacher. Middle class, working class, schmerking class, it's all the same. I provide a service, pretty much like a governess, however scrubbed and well educated is a servant.
To be called intellectual at university was an insult? How ridiculous! What were they thinking!