Class

This Saturday I went to my friend's lovely wedding, and had a blast.

There, I met a man who was once stationed in Cambridgeshire. He gave me many insights into England, and he also reiterated something that I have read in my expat books - that England is very class oriented. That your social class determines your friends, your lifestyle, you work opportunities, etc.

So, if this is true, I am wondering whet do we as Americans fit? Are just outside the system and are free to ignore it (as I read in one expat book)? Does it affect us? What about university students?

I am quite curious about this. It does seem different to American sensibilities, I suppose. It is very important to me to make friends when I move, and I hardly care about class, race, what have you when it comes to forming friendships. I am just wondering if there is some dynamic I should know about.

Thank you all, as always.  I'm just hoping I'm posting in the right place...

I would advise anyone to ignore it, American or not. 

I wouldn't worry about it.  Ever.   

i never even noticed it.

I doubt this has anything to do with class, but when I was visiting labs in April, I brought along boxes of cookies to give to the departments as a thank you for taking time out of their day to show me about. DH told me not to give them as I might be seen as a "cheesy american". I told him I AM a cheesy american and took the cookies anyway. They were a huge hit and very much appreciated. I am hoping that just being a good human being will be good enough for anyone who might want to judge me.

I don't think you'll notice it - 'class' just isn't the issue it supposedly once was. Don't worry about it.

Yes, there's still privilige and prejudice aplenty in the UK, but show me a country where there isn't!

my brit bf likes to remind me that he's from a working class background and no matter how well he does he will always consider himself working class. He's quite proud of it and would never want to be considered "posh". He has said that I am a "wannabe posh" and i think I'm just good at spending money 

I think there's a class system everywhere - it is here in America too, maybe not outlined as well, but it's there.

Thank you all!

I really do not want to limit myself in any way while and university or in England so this advise...

I would advise anyone to ignore it, American or not.

...will be well heeded.

I was very curious, because this gentleman and the book made it seem like an overwhelming undercurrent.

Funnily enough, I asked this question on a youth board, and I seem to have started a flame war!   

I think if you're around anyone who actually cares about somebody's class, you should consider not hanging around with them, because it's a snobby attitude. People in the UK do define themselves slightly more by class, and I think there's less mobility between classes, like working class people tend to always stay working class and don't set goals any higher than that, whereas in the US even "working class" people know they have the option to go to college. I personally don't consider myself in any class because I wasn't born into the UK "class system", but it doesn't matter to me in the slightest who's in what "class" because that's not important to me.

Haven't really given it a thought myself.

People in the UK do define themselves slightly more by class, and I think there's less mobility between classes, like working class people tend to always stay working class and don't set goals any higher than that, whereas in the US even "working class" people know they have the option to go to college.

My English husband is working class. His family sent him to work in a print shop, doing manual labour.  He later to sent himself to university, and now has degrees in art, history and English literature.

Similar to what Pittpanther has said, I think there are issues of class in America as well -- no matter how traditionally American it is to deny that there are any.  An interesting link today from the beeb on class:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4077626.stm

Also if you're interested, Kate Fox's book Watching the English has an interesting chapter on class-speak & attempting to detect someone's social class by their use of specific words.  I think there are several other 'class study' topics in the book too.  One thing that enlightened me a bit was I had the idea that the traditional English class system was about money/income levels & that sort of thing -- but the book explains that it's not that simple -- it can be more about a legacy sort of thing (think like the royal family), there's 'old money' and there's 'new money'...for instance, you could have what was an 'old money' family that has perhaps lost most or all of its fortunes--yet still retains an 'upper class' status...whereas a 'new money' family might never be considered upper class.  Similarly, I think you see that reflected in the pride many people over here feel for their 'working class' roots although they have transcended it economically through better jobs, education, etc.  Ignore it or not -- there is a 'class system' history & tradition over here -- which I have found interesting to learn about within that context.

As far as how Americans fit into any current or former class system here -- I don't think we do really & to be honest, most of us probably don't care.  The English class system does seem a bit of a throwback to earlier times, and perhaps it's on the way out -- yet the whole chav thing (as discussed in the beeb article) seems to be alive & well so who really knows?

The English class system does seem a bit of a throwback to earlier times, and perhaps it's on the way out -- yet the whole chav thing (as discussed in the beeb article) seems to be alive & well so who really knows?

I think that's maybe why I sort of like it -- I like things that are a throwback to earlier times (within reason, of course!). And when I think of class, I'm not thinking of money or even snobbery -- merely proper manners and breeding and all that goes with that. The anti-chav, really. There are people living in my village who are titled, but unless you knew that about them, you'd never think they were different from anyone else. They are just obviously well-brought-up and well-mannered people! Not that the other people here aren't polite (we're not chav-central). But my point is that ... actually I think I've lost my point ... um .... 

But my point is that ... actually I think I've lost my point ... um .... 

    Oh!  How déclassé!!  You chav-a-licious babe, you!

  Oh!  How déclassé!!  You chav-a-licious babe, you!

They seriously need to add a smiley wearing Burberry!