Is the class system dead?

University is supposed to be a classless society, but the picture is more complicated than that

By Usmaan Amin and Nam Ng (Illustrator)

‘I look up to him because he is upper-class; but I look down on him because he is lower-class.  I am middle-class.’ The ‘class system’ sketch from the Frost Report skilfully parodied the perception of class in the 1960s, and begs the question: what is the state of the class system in Britain today, both at University and nationwide?

University is supposed to be a vast mixing pot of ideas, driven forward by youthful minds; vibrant,  eager and excited, although crucially, not yet tarnished by the somewhat cruel reality that is life. In such a fluid milieu, one would hope that existing social constructs, chiefly the longstanding class system that has been present in Britain, would be confronted. The question of class seems to be something that never quite goes away. In fairly regular cycles, it is claimed that the class system is dead, only for it to rear its troublesome head again a few years later. It seems the question has become a poignant one yet again, both at Leeds and in the wider national context. It is against a backdrop of oncoming elections for the Student Executive at Leeds University, and more widely in the lead up to the General Election. However, it would appear that class is not dead, and University isn’t as challenging of the social construct as might be assumed.

      Certainly,  there are attempts to challenge the class system at Leeds University.  The role of Equality and Diversity Officer, present on the Student Executive would seem to be a case in point. The campaign for the role has seen slogans such as ‘Question Your Label’, but essentially our class labels are all very similar at University, much as we would like to declare that they aren’t. The fundamental problem is that University is primarily a middle-class pursuit, and the entire education system is geared to ensure that it remains that way. The elite Russell Group of research-based Universities, Leeds included, has a disproportionate number of students from middle class backgrounds. Graduates from these Universities tend to move into the most highly regarded careers. There are a raft of reasons for this construct, and it is impossible to elaborate on all of them. However, on basic level, students with such backgrounds have parents who can afford to spend more money on their children’s education, and often being well educated themselves, are able to help more with schoolwork. As a consequence, they are more easily able to transition into University. It is unfair, but it is the sobering reality.  Of course, there are those who come from working-class backgrounds at Leeds and thus have the opportunity for those same careers and opportunities.  However, in coming to Leeds they, by definition, begin the transition to a member of the middle class. As such, University serves to reinforce the longstanding social construct, far from breaking it down.

      The question of class has also been renewed on a national level, in large part due to the imminent General Election. Last December, Gordon Brown quipped that Tory policies had been dreamed up ‘on the playing fields of Eton’. It was perhaps an unnecessary jibe, but it did draw attention to the fact that the majority of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet are Old Etonians. They are, more often than not, part of a small elite class of individuals, exposed to experiences most will never have. David Cameron has gone to great lengths to try and argue that is not your past that matters; it is your plans for the future. But your past does matter; it colours your views and perception of the world. It is not that David Cameron is a dreadful person, or indeed someone who is unable to understand the needs of the British people, in a time of unprecedented economic crisis. He should not be loathed for his class background;  it is not his fault for it, but it is that very same class background that propelled him into such a position. It is the combination of his elite education and subsequent access to contacts that got him the job,  not simply hard work. David Cameron is the epitome of the class system.  Perhaps Gordon Brown’s comment indicates that he will follow in the footsteps of Tony Blair and renew the fight for a ‘classless society’.  However, as it stands, much as it is painful to admit, the flame of the class system burns as brightly as ever.