Snakes & Ladders…

There is much talk presently about Social Mobility and the encouragement thereof. Both sides of the political spectrum speak of it as their most sacred idea – that as many people as possible should be enabled to climb the social ladder for their own good as well as the good of the country. Anything that stands in the way of such things should be removed or reduced to let people’s natural ambition flourish. Underneath it all though is something else. Something rather less noble than simply improving people’s lives.

Social Mobility implies a hierarchy of social levels. It’s not simply an idea of moving from one group to another – separate but equal – but of moving up the social scale or social ladder. It’s what used to be called ‘moving up in the world’. Of course moving ‘up’ implies that higher is naturally better. Seen in Class terms the Working Class (a term you hardly hear these days) is at the bottom, the Middle Class is – the clue is in the term – in the middle and then we have the Upper Class at the top. Now the aim seems for as many people as possible to enter the Middle Class. After all it’s almost impossible to move into the Upper Class unless you marry into it. Likewise those unfortunate enough to be born into the Working Class by an accident of birth are expected to recognise their inferior position and do everything in their power to change their fate by moving up into the Middle – usually through a University education. That is the defining paradigm it seems.

Of course the notion of Social Mobility originated in the Middle Class itself. Naturally those who proposed the idea assumed (without questioning their assumption) that everyone should want to be just like them. They knew that advancement into the Upper Classes was virtually impossible so, they assumed, the Middle Class was where it was ‘at’. Those able enough in the Working Class would inevitably join them and those left in the Lower Orders essentially deserved to be there because of either lack of talent or lack of effort. Those lucky enough to be born into the Middle Class essentially had it made. Although it was at least theoretically possible to fall into the Working Class through bad luck or bad judgement those who fell could simply climb back out suitably energised (AKA frightened) to do better in future. Eventually the Working Class would become a rump of the talentless and feckless who could be marginalised and ignored by the smug Middle. The tiny Upper Class, of course, had already arrived at this opinion.

This idea of Social Mobility is put forward as a more Liberal and Enlightened alternative to the older idea that people are born into and should happily remain ‘in their place’ accepting their fate (often ordained by God). This is why Revolution was looked upon with such horror in the past. Not only was it endangering the Upper Classes and overturning the social order it was going against Gods Plan. It can hardly get worse than that. A successful revolution was clearly the work of Evil Forces which would be, inevitably, overturned by God eventually when people had suffered enough and learnt their lesson. The socially mobile always carry the taint of being previously a member of a lower order. Their speech, clothes and manners highlight where they came from all too recently – hence the effort to ‘speak properly’ and know your etiquette. Etiquette is that wonderful invention for keeping people in their place most especially when they ‘get above their station’: what do you mean you don’t know what spoon to use!?! Social Mobility naturally and inevitably taints a whole Class with being inferior or for missing some vital ingredient for success. Those born into the Working Class may be unfortunate but those who choose to stay there? You have to ask yourself ‘What’s their problem? Or at least that’s what we’re supposed to think.

Now it must be said that I have absolutely no issue with people improving their lot in life. People have every right to be in a better position next year than this one. Likewise it is absolutely to be expected that our children should have better lives than we do. That, I think, is an unarguable given. What gets me though is the idea that by doing so you must inevitably move from one group to anther – inferior to superior – and take on the mind-set and ideological paradigm of the new group (and denigrate where you came from) as part of that move. It is not enough to be designated as Middle Class you must believe you are Middle Class, act like it and internalise the belief system that binds them together. To really be Middle Class you need to reject your Working Class roots and embrace the new reality. Given time your children and especially your children’s children will no longer look back with embarrassment at their origins. They’ll be Middle Class body and soul.

As we approach the middle of the 21st Century the idea of Class – even if hardly talked about in those terms – is still alive and well in this country. It may (slowly) vanish eventually as the traditional Working Class occupations vanish but there will always be those who need to look down on others and there are apparently enough who need to look up to others too. Maybe the Class system is just an historical institutionalisation of humanities natural need for a pecking order writ large? If so it’ll be here forever. Meanwhile I’ll be doing my very best to ignore it where I can and subvert it when I can’t. If nothing else it passes the time….