Working-class students at the University of Edinburgh know all too well that class bias thrives in elitist societies, whether that be on university campuses, convoluted LinkedIn thought-dumps, or graduate employers’ inboxes.
Microaggressions are prevalent across campus, seen through members of staff telling students that they can tell which essays were written by privately educated students, and the look of horror from peers when you tell them you have never been skiing.
But class bias for working-class students is not limited to cultural experiences. Financially, balancing part-time work puts students at a disadvantage in their academics and their social life, whilst post-grad life sees a class trap of student loan repayments, with working-class students taking out higher loans, and struggling to get into the professional world.
A recent survey from Class Ceilings found that more than 50 per cent of British creatives have experienced harassment or bias because of their socioeconomic background. Focusing on class bias in creative industries, they highlighted the lack of opportunities for working-class individuals, with many requiring unpaid work or nepotism.
This phenomenon is not unique to the creative industry, with the same themes being prevalent across professional industries — only 7 per cent of the UK attend private school, yet make up 50 per cent of columnists, 62 per cent of senior judges, 53 per cent of diplomats, and 52 per cent of the House of Lords.
Recognition of all forms of discrimination are fundamental to equality in society, but it becomes particularly alarming when over half of the population could be facing it. Despite 56 per cent of the UK public self-identifying as working-class, the Equality Act 2010 is yet to see class as a protected characteristic, alongside age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
In a time where conservatism is rising and social mobility is being criticised, the need for class bias to be made illegal is increasingly crucial. The argument made against the protection of class as a characteristic due to the difficulty of producing a definition is incredibly flawed — it is undeniable that the UK has a deep-rooted class bias issue, fuelled by a history of elitism, and to progress past this, some difficult conversations must be had.
The ignorance of policymakers, and evidently society, in recognising the inherent effects of class bias in British society exacerbates the issue. How can one be expected to progress past the “poverty line” or the label of “working-class” if they are not given the same chance of success as others?
It cannot be forgotten that social mobility requires equal opportunity and level playing fields to begin with, not simply employing a certain percentage of working-class people to fit an EDI quota. Class bias in the UK is systemic, and must be tackled from the root cause, rather than avoiding it to benefit the minority.
“UK Parliament” by *rboed* is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Related
Why isn’t Class Bias Illegal in the UK?
Working-class students at the University of Edinburgh know all too well that class bias thrives in elitist societies, whether that be on university campuses, convoluted LinkedIn thought-dumps, or graduate employers’ inboxes.
Microaggressions are prevalent across campus, seen through members of staff telling students that they can tell which essays were written by privately educated students, and the look of horror from peers when you tell them you have never been skiing.
But class bias for working-class students is not limited to cultural experiences. Financially, balancing part-time work puts students at a disadvantage in their academics and their social life, whilst post-grad life sees a class trap of student loan repayments, with working-class students taking out higher loans, and struggling to get into the professional world.
A recent survey from Class Ceilings found that more than 50 per cent of British creatives have experienced harassment or bias because of their socioeconomic background. Focusing on class bias in creative industries, they highlighted the lack of opportunities for working-class individuals, with many requiring unpaid work or nepotism.
This phenomenon is not unique to the creative industry, with the same themes being prevalent across professional industries — only 7 per cent of the UK attend private school, yet make up 50 per cent of columnists, 62 per cent of senior judges, 53 per cent of diplomats, and 52 per cent of the House of Lords.
Recognition of all forms of discrimination are fundamental to equality in society, but it becomes particularly alarming when over half of the population could be facing it. Despite 56 per cent of the UK public self-identifying as working-class, the Equality Act 2010 is yet to see class as a protected characteristic, alongside age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
In a time where conservatism is rising and social mobility is being criticised, the need for class bias to be made illegal is increasingly crucial. The argument made against the protection of class as a characteristic due to the difficulty of producing a definition is incredibly flawed — it is undeniable that the UK has a deep-rooted class bias issue, fuelled by a history of elitism, and to progress past this, some difficult conversations must be had.
The ignorance of policymakers, and evidently society, in recognising the inherent effects of class bias in British society exacerbates the issue. How can one be expected to progress past the “poverty line” or the label of “working-class” if they are not given the same chance of success as others?
It cannot be forgotten that social mobility requires equal opportunity and level playing fields to begin with, not simply employing a certain percentage of working-class people to fit an EDI quota. Class bias in the UK is systemic, and must be tackled from the root cause, rather than avoiding it to benefit the minority.
“UK Parliament” by *rboed* is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Share this:
Like this:
Related