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UK Upper class is a long running system of creating a dividing line between a group of people who prioritise personal power over societal progression. Its more
by notrlyme 5y ago
UK Upper class is a long running system of creating a dividing line between a group of people who prioritise personal power over societal progression.
Its more flexible and evolving that any simple definition gives it credit. Looking at language games is a classic for me.
FOr want of a better description there is a posh way of talking that is derived from the upper classes of the UK, it eveolves and changes but a few things remain constant: its not any better or more accurate than any other dialect in teh UK. it looks down and ridicules every other dialect. it has derogitory terms for everyone all over the world apart from rich people who keep a house in south east england.
THis is so outragously successful that i think every english speaking person on earth has an inbult tendancy to buy into this at som elevel to some extent - no matter how damaging it is to you personally.
It involves a long running story of ensuring that everything that has every been said in that accent is "correct". the BBC is never wrong.. the government always knows what its doing etc.. the UK has long running history of doing terrible things (like every state does to some extent) but the UK never takes reponsibility.. there is a vage thing of looking back over say 150 years and saying that was wrong what they did, but what is never done is following the direct connections through to the poswer structures today. e.g. afaik oxford today has income every year of interest on investments / money that it got from people essentially abusing the colonies. sure they say, those people were bad, but they dont accept that their position of power now directly correlates to that.
When you look at the advantages given to someone who went to eton then oxford and compare them to someoen with no degree or from a crappy uni then if they are appearing in the same league at work teh oxford person shoul dbe seen as a clown - you had every advantage in the book and you are still just average? instead the assumption is that this person is some kind of leader to be listened to. their history is somehow taken as an advantage, when its clearly not.
SImilarly effecting organsiational change with just a few of these upper class clowns around becomes a nightmare.. they are functionally incompitent but are sure because of how they speak and where they were ediucated that their instincts must be somehow correct. nott o mention that they have so many connections they can either side step to another similar role or can make your life hell for exposibng their corruption or incompitence.
Personally anyone who i meet in a serious job ith an upper class accent has a lot to prove to me before i trust them even slightly, and to date i have only met a few worth listening to. and these have some obvious differences, e.g. they made some life choices significantly deviating from the classic good boy/girl story early in life.
Ive done no formal study but based on anecdata i would say that an idiot who went to a good uni with an upper class accent (or capacable of being perceived as that like Mogg) can expect significantly better salary. can make ludicrous selfish demands and it will be seen as them "working the system" and "being smart" rather than just being a selfhish shit bag. and can generally expect more promotion and higher profile oppourtunities.
None of this is the individuals fault and the solutions are complex.. but this is imho what its like.