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The Last Bastion of British Bigotry is Alive and Well
Why discrimination is still drawn along class lines
Race and gender are hot topics these days but I’d suggest one of the biggest divisions in the UK is still drawn along class lines.
This doesn’t mean discrimination or discussions around rights and identity aren’t happening elsewhere, but snobbery is so built into the fabric of British society it’s basically ignored. Yet there is no escaping it. It is part of our nation’s genes.
Unlike our cultural sibling America, Britain is a constitutional monarchy, and whilst political power no longer trickles down from the top of a feudal pyramid, influence and reverence certainly still flows down from its peak like an old God pouring wine down a mountainside.
Snobbery — discrimination based on class and class practices — is so ubiquitous we Brits can’t even spot it. But we live it every day.
Things branded as “classy” are always those closest associated to royal or aristocratic standards; ornate architecture, country piles, sprawling gardens with fancy topiary, sparkly jewels, flamboyant foods served diligently but subserviently, fine wines, articulate speech, titles, decorum, and coats of arms are all run through a snobbery filter.
