Chavs: The Demonization of the Working ClassIn modern Britain, the working class has become an object of fear and ridicule. From Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard to the demonization of Jade Goody, media and politicians alike dismiss as feckless, criminalized and ignorant a vast, underprivileged swathe of society whose members have become stereotyped by one, hate-filled word: chavs. In this acclaimed investigation, Owen Jones explores how the working class has gone from “salt of the earth” to “scum of the earth.” Exposing the ignorance and prejudice at the heart of the chav caricature, he portrays a far more complex reality. The chav stereotype, he argues, is used by governments as a convenient figleaf to avoid genuine engagement with social and economic problems and to justify widening inequality. Based on a wealth of original research, Chavs is a damning indictment of the media and political establishment and an illuminating, disturbing portrait of inequality and class hatred in modern Britain. This updated edition includes a new chapter exploring the causes and consequences of the UK riots in the summer of 2011. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 13 | |
2 Class Warriors | 39 |
3 Politicians vs Chavs | 73 |
4 A Class in the Stocks | 109 |
5 Were all middle class now | 139 |
6 A Rigged Society | 169 |
Common terms and phrases
2010 general election areas argued aspiration background British caricature cent chav chav-hate claimed class politics Conservative council estates council housing crime culture Dagenham Daily Mail David Cameron demonization Dewsbury Moor drug economic ethnic minority factory families feckless former Guardian Hazel Blears huge Iain Duncan Smith immigration impact incapacity benefit income inequality Jade Goody James Purnell Johann Hari Jon Cruddas journalists Karen Matthews kids Labour Party lack leader less living London look low-paid manufacturing middle middle-class million miners minister parents policies politicians poor poverty privileged problems Purnell racist reality right-wing says service sector Shannon Matthews Simon Heffer social housing society sort teenage Thatcher there's things Tony Blair Tory trade unions underclass unemployed unemployment Vicky Pollard vote voters wages wealthy welfare well-paid white working class white working-class working-class working-class Britain working-class communities young