This is dedicated to all those whom strive and thrive; take pleasure in seeing others succeed and would love to have a better society. You can see the divide and conquer approach and you feel you want to change it.
My parents never lived on a council estate. I was born in Shropshire. I realise this is hard for most people to take in, but, I came from a fairly middle income family. My dad was a jeweller and my mother was an administrator.
Not that it condones being posh or snooty. I just didn’t see my parents behave in a certain manner. I would not know how to survive on a council estate; the friends I have had in the past did and their stories make my toes curl. The people I know from my past are still trying to detach themselves from stigma – in whatever way shape or form.
I do not follow a crowd, apart from the followers of music. When my parent’s had divorced, I had a choice to live in countries. I chose Blighty and My dad made every effort for me to pass my +11, so, I would attend private school. Thank goodness it wasn’t boarding school!
I do not really think I like to watch certain programming on television, because, I do not wish to be given someone else’s version of events; documentaries or reality TV. I like facts. Give me facts and I enjoy critically analysing the heck out of the situation. I feel sorry for the people whom are too afraid to leave Blighty even to see sunny Spain. In the past, programmes like: Ibiza uncovered, and Neighbours from hell Spanish style, to name a few; began scaring the population of the UK into this “we refuse to leave!” Mode. Trust me, my friends parents were always sat next to one another on the couch for 35 year’s, watching the same programmes like “Coronation Street”, or, “Eastenders”- fearing planes. Never really having much apart from the home in Wales. It is life for several; chastising anything new and calling it “foreign”….
I was raised by my father; hold on…. it is not his fault he just made life about sports: swimming, badminton, tennis, gymnastics, ice – skating, playing pool and actually participating in a lot of sports. My dad was always active he participated in squash, kyakying and golf. I remember stealing golf balls from the leisure centre and giving them to my dad. It was a strange relationship of him thinking I was a boy, but, a great one. I climbed trees, rode my bike everywhere; better still, riding my first horse when I was 13: I loved it. My dad was always getting me to participate in everything.
“It’s the taking part that counts!”
What a marvellous spirit he had. I have had broken bones and a will of stone; you cannot match the spirit for anything. My mom probably disliked the fact that my dad spoiled me with my favourite activities. I don’t care – I know I had fun. I even competitively swam. This is how amazing my life had become. I had no idea why people found me odd.
I was always told when I was a teenager that I am not like other’s. According to them, I had a strange life with my dad – it was sports and lots of travelling. We were never sticking to the latest fashion trends.
I did own a kappa jacket and became bored after 3 wears. I felt I could not fit in. I burned it, had a little moment where I felt I wanted my leather jacket back and my converse trainer’s. I had no idea of how trying so hard, would actually make me feel like I was living a lie for myself. I would try to but I was always into indie music and metal. It is hard, to not be something you are not accustomed to. I know of a girl who died just because she was murdered by a group of mindless chav’s because she was a goth Sophie Lancaster Rest In Peace.
I take great pleasure not to be associated with these people, so, burning my Kappa jacket in 1997 had made me reflect in 2007 when she was attacked. I must be proud of who I am and not be subjected to abuse.
I was the girl who wore a Blur or Oasis t- shirts, or, converse trainer’s, or, hiking boots. I would always lust after vintage clothing: loved my bell bottoms. I wore the same jumper for a year and my dad took me to Paris on a trip and I refused to wear another jumper. It had holes in it and I ran away from him; went back to the hotel on my own at 13. Fiercely independent and head strong. This is why some people are finding it hard to believe, I have made my fair share of mistakes.
Now, before you begin to tar me with the same brush as chav’s. I started working at 16, I began to work for a shoe shop; fast food restaurant; in family businesses; was a bookmaker; in a bank; various jobs in healthcare. I have never really stopped and I do not intend to. My father taught me to just go for it. I haven’t stopped. I fell short because I felt utterly crushed by defeat of this categorisation; I will describe later on in the post
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I have no idea what category I fit in. I am the Explorer, perhaps? You could say I lived a “Mad Fat Diary life”? No, not quite. My friend is more the wonderful Ray, who is the life and soul of the party. I am after a few drinks and I am awfully keen on being entertaining. I travelled whenever I could. It expanded me more than I could have anticipated. I suppose they could call me a dreamer – however, I was living in the bubble of their modal reality.
Of course, people wanted to bully me for being so broad minded and did not like my behaviour at times – I became a passive aggressive person. I suppose all of the weird and wonderful people in Blighty share a spiritual connection to Sophie Lancaster, I do agree this kind of ignorance is dangerous; the pressure of having to co – exist in this pattern of relentless achievement makes you passive agrressive because you just do not wish to rock the boat or to be discriminated against for your own beliefs or even musical preferences. In pensive mood I would distract my mind with escape routes. I just did not want to conform to the categorisation.
The bullying was intense at times: injection of racism, plus, the class divide whilst studying in private school. We are talking about the 90’s, so, you would expect things to improve 10 or 15 years on. I would try not to cry about it – I must admit; I wear glasses and I may be the female version of Harry Potter. My nemesis has been defeated and my only concern is whether or not he has affected this nasty discord on the Muggles lands.
Now hopefully, I have you wondering if bullying is associated with classification; if we think about normality in society – anything which is odd: can be punished. The existence of such grading and classification means discrimination is more predominant – giving the rise to excuses of hatred, or, even the thoughts generated towards hate.
The problem with a society categorising class and ethnicity is your life is based on some man’s old categorised checklist – I am nothing but a soulless number or reference, or, I am nothing but my ethnicity, or, my class. My own identity has been blended with the norms of some culture I do not even relate to.
There are stereotypes and norms all the time in Blighty; classification of individuals even based on their own daily way of thinking and their values. If you do not understand how objectively look at people; the best way to start is by looking at how discrimination plays, a very unhealthy balance on your daily life.
Discrimination is a form of prejudice and classification of individuals – you are imposing your thoughts of how:
– Someone should behave
– What they should wear
– Where they should live;
– How they should dress
– How they should talk for their ethnicity;
even down to how they should even eat.
Time has been wasted on this classification for over a century: Sociological break through ‘s have been made and cultural divides have split the country. The University of Surrey have also backed up my statement as their sociology department have written Official Social Classifications In the UK (1995):
“The practice of officially classifying the British population according to occupation and industry began in 1851. The occupational element was gradually increased from 1881, and in 1887 the idea was first mooted by the Assistant Registrar General that, for mortality analyses, the population might be divided into broad groups based on social standing. “
I thought I may, add some historical content into this piece because arguments and forming an opinion is based on facts; I already confessed my preferences. It could be argued this is about intelligence; theories collected from data have argued it is based on intelligence. However when you are unable to get a job because you cannot read or write – surely education affects your work life?
Of course – social deprivation or degradation is based on being able to maintain yourself on a finacial level, if, you cannot then surely it is based on you? Incorrect, this should make the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention because, research has shown some politicians participate in making matters worse; to not enable people to see the benefit of welfare and social security. Even create manual jobs instead of replacing jobs with machines would be more beneficial for these people.
I do not wish to talk to a machine; the picture event displays how frustrating it is for people to interact with these machines. It’s someone’s job to interact with me and smile. No one smiles at one another in Blighty any more. Where are the happy people.
The biggest fear is that people who need the money genuinely are not being assisted. So, the government creates a benefit fraud investigation unit and the people who were dependent are now demoralised. As I read a few chapters of Chavs: The Demoralising of the working class by Owen Jones (2012) , he defines the chav status using the dictionary – ‘a young working class person wearing sports clothing.’ The behavioural traits of Chavs is then revealed by Owen (2012) as racist, violent, materialistic and easily led by the media; have difficulty with their speech, many of them are illerate. Due to their lack of education they are unaware of history they have taken the right – winged approach and heighten their hatred towards immigration. Owen (2O12) also mentions the crime and deviance and the vulnerability of children. The middle class newspapers demonise chavs and Owen (2012) proves this. He even goes so far to discuss the McCanns’ situation and poor Maddie going missing.
I remember leaving a comment on facebook for a friend:
The trouble is they had the money to afford their own Au – Pair on the holiday. It is either blatant neglect, or, child trafficking. As we all know they were funded by the right wing government and it has sensationalised the forefront distracting people from the real issues of what is happening. There are certain parents who wouldn’t dream of leaving their child on their own for 5 mins. In fact, no parent dreams of having their child abandoned unless they are sadistic, unscrupulous characters. Money makes the world go round but never let’s anyone do the right thing. Why was this family backed?
Of course, discussing the class structure in the McCanns – her husband is a doctor and the Daily Mail backed the story. The Daily Mail are your typical right winged; fascist newspaper which feeds upon the scrutiny of the poor and even incites religious hatred, or, racial hatred. The dangerous funding of such newspapers have people wondering whether, or, not life is worth it in Blighty. Trying to vote out the right winged government is proving a task.
The UK divided in class structure and the very rich, have no intentions of making the living conditions of individuals improve. As you can tell from the remark I made about the McCanns – the values and the intentions of individuals is not to benefit the whole of society, or, even the lives of children. According, to the Guardian over 40% of the UK are in poverty (2015) . I really do not wish to be categorised, but, I feel the pinch. Reducing people’s incomes has knock on effects and is sometimes devestating consequences. Think of the 3.5 million children in poverty as they juggle around with people’s welfare. It is what could be classified as in humane. This is coming from a country which supposidly follows: United Nations Convention Law’s, Children’s Act (1989): 1. non – discrimination, 2. Best Interests of the child, 3. The Right to life: survival and development, 4. The right to be heard. So really, to have that many in poverty seems deceptive. To support the McCanns just seems really fragile for the protection of children. Embarking on paedophilia and the other sexual offences committed in Blighty…. let us not address this situation – all of it feels as though the rich behave in certain particular way regarding issues with the intent to harm.
Of course, some of the lower class of people will turn to crime, but, if they are heavily influenced by media programming and constant ridiculous pretencious bashing – I refused to watch television. I would rather listen to music thank you. I speak quite a few languages – I sit watching and teaching myself languages and I am trying to complete a language course so I can leave. I really want to teach, but, really I wanted to finish my degree. Let’s be realistic; do you think they make it fair for individuals to succeed?
Our capacity to want more to life has already been explained in one of my previous posts ” Why are we never Satisfied? (2015)
Maybe I am a little snobbish towards these people whom I do not wish to be categorised with?
I have tried to get along with them but my head just cannot do it. I just feel so blank. I felt so unrecognisable to my own values. I realise the country I am moving to will laugh at my grammatical mistakes in their language but we will work together. There are people who do not even want to participate in the work structure of society; selling drugs for a living and even selling their children for the sexual gratification of other’s: Owen (2012) exposes child trafficking and the over sexualised media whom fuel the paedophilia in certain sections of society.
The air of optimism to work hard and engage in some kind of a beneficial way to help individuals have better prospects in life is essential to the functional patterns of life – I feel this is enough justification for me not to sit back and let this happen to myself. Why should I have to feel like I am going to be categorised with a certain section of people whom have not even been able to establish growth in their own communities?
I do not really think anyone who comes to the UK and lives outside London continues in the blind Blighty mode. It cuts like a knife seeing these people argue over nothing and having a bad attitude:
“No, no…. I like it where you are…. I will not be categorised or told I have to behave in a manner I really think is Demoralising! What about other people in the grand scheme lf things?” I said to someone from another country.
If you live in another country and you have absolutely strong foundations of love for a child – these next few parts to this post will actually be quite disturbing for you. I can only apologise because a divide and conquer approach, has seriously dangerous consequences on the lives of families and children.
Here is a prime example of why I feel this influence of categorisation is not helping society improve: I was walking around a huge shop the other day and I hear a lady shout at her child;
“Don’t make me shout at you!” My thoughts, all of a sudden couldn’t be held back – it was as though I had a bright idea. I spoke out allowed: “Well don’t shout then!”
Even though I was all the way in the corner of the shop and she perhaps could not hear me.
These aren’t the kind of people you want to even consider having parental advice discussions with, unless, you are trained to do so. They treat situations with a severity of violence. This is all they know. They will scorn or frown upon anyone who is trying to improve their situation, or, society on a whole. So, you have to approach these people with a smile on your face and do not get involved, unless, you witness actual abuse. I know people have become very wary of making reports to social services about individuals; they have received death threats after being concerned for a child!
There was a case back inTimeline of the Baby P case (2006 – 2009) RIP Baby P. Where certain people had tried to warn social services about the bruising of a 2 year old boy. These bruises were on his face and his scalp; the wounds were so deep he may have suffered from internal bleeding; imagine the pain he felt as his body was being crushed; he had several broken ribs; he was constantly abused, physically to the point where he actually died.
Baby P’s mother is on the left, her boyfriend and his uncle all abused the little boy.
Despite all the claims the system had already categorised the life of Baby P which meant he was not rescued on time. Due to this stereotyping, children are more vulnerable than ever. The value of their care is abusive and actually leads to death. This is because they grow up in environments where parents are unable to even cope or manage.
Constantly, money was being pumped into social services to assist with the safeguarding of children but now there are cuts; even more of these children are in situations which are a danger to their lives. Poverty is not a joke! Education is not a joke!
Keeping values and a sense of wellbeing, even if it seems as though it’s complete snobbery – I feel we all set our own standards of how we want to be treated. I feel sorry for those who are trying to strive for a better life; only for it to be robbed due to discrimination. Especially a child living in those conditions needing assistance; or, even an older adult whom is being mistreated by family memebers. It is as though the child was expected to die.
If we do not like the living conditions, we do not just sit there and not vote. We should think on a whole. A majority of these people refuse to participate in the right kind of lifestyle that would conceive any kind of equality, or balance to their lives. They are not educated enough to think in that frame of context. They are just in a state because they have been pushed down so far, they are unable to think about anything positive for change. They have never truly been empowered. They are seriously manipulated by the media, to the extent they cannot think for themselves.
Refering back to the woman in the shop: she lacks the core skills to not threaten a child with extreme silly remarks. It doesn’t hurt my brain – it makes me fear my own logic; I lack the understanding of why she would even want to harm her child in the first place!!!!! Their ears are sensitive.
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Of course, it means I am empathetic towards her child and not her: she is the adult and should know better. Her child is little – defenceless; can answer back but in fear.
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Hence my logical reasoning and my failure to comprehend why people cannot stop themselves from being aggressive, strikes a cord. It is as though society has ingrained them into not being effective enough to educate themselves of a different way of behaving.
Systematic abuse, isn’t going to be productive for a child. They are influenced by their parents. They do not know any other person, or, type of care at a certain age. Of course, they will grow up being verbally abusive. This is just it!!!
The behaviour is a plague: gentle people would find ways of combating child behaviour with other alternatives. They find a way to be loving towards a child and discipline in a form which doesn’t raise voices. I should know, I watched my friend cuddle her child, so, she would prevent her from misbehaving. As I stated – these really aren’t the type of people who would take kindly to you correcting them. The violence just keeps occuring because these people are in a huge bubble of deprivation.
You would like me to be all fluffy and light! So, without further adieu – here are the television programmes which affect the people of Blighty:
The Jeremy Kyle Show – this is a talk show and is very much like the Jerry Springer show. Most of the people whom have been on the Jeremy Kyle Show do not know how to behave – they are washing their dirty linen in public; letting the whole world discriminate against them because they have exposed themselves. Their relationships are violent and are completely dysfunctional in themselves. A hint of societal breakdowns in Blighty.
The x factor – I thought I may inform others of the way that popular music is staged. There is nothing orginal or dynamic about it. These people just sing on a stage like they are doing kareoke. Yes, they have great vocal cords. But your own material makes you an artist.
Sky news – Rupert Murdoch loves to incite religious hatred and fear into the population of Blighty…. even the Yankees find Fox News a hard pill to swallow. The discriminating questions are not only perceived as bad journalism from Sky News but is is seen as dumb witted television. As the ridiculous far right are funded and given the spotlight to continue their vicious attacks on a very diverse population. It isn’t news it’s a charade and a fuel tank for prejudice behaviour.
Benefit street – This is a programme which sensationalised benefits and made other individuals who are in need of the welfare system for their own circumstances during an economic depression and downturn; feel completely like they are being Stereotyped beyond recognition. It also gave the rise for it to be okay to chastise people who were claiming benefits.
Geordie Shore – debauchery on the highest level. These folks have made other people’s lives look like they can afford to drink and be wild and reckless. It isn’t financially possible if you live in Newcastle without a student loan. I have absolutely no idea what they are saying, but, it is really showing that the working class of Britain are lowest – without any values or anything. They go around waxing bottoms whilst drunk. Not really something which I would dare even dream of doing.
The only way is Essex – the colloquial accents are there. I have no idea what the heck they are saying. This is the first time I have watched more than 10 seconds to show you a clip of how they behave. I have no idea what they said – I just think they may laugh at me for not knowing what they said.
Goggle box – I chose the Nigel Farthard edition of the Google box. I mean, not everyone in the UK is stupid enough to agree with the sensationalism of these shows and when you watch the clip – a lovely gentleman says: “Why give him a platform?”Even the Queen Bee says: “He is a joker.” Of course, there is stereotyping of a particular race of people. They may wave their hands about and shout “We are representing!” But at no level do you represent all the ethnic minorities in the UK. This is it – Google box is the voyeuristic viewer watching the opinions of people who are watching clips of television. I refrain from exposing anymore because previously in my posts I described nakedness being a craze. Oh how I am going to miss this part – the streaking and nude beaches; Blighters are just voyeuristic people – blinking at life.
I just discovered why I have a problem: instead of watching people watch TV… why do I just not live? How weird and wonderful is that?
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Weird and Wonderful 