Podcast Summary: Why do so many people mistakenly think they are working class? | Extra iQ

Podcast: LSE: Public Lectures and Events
Host: Sue Windybank (LSE IQ Team)
Guest: Professor Sam Friedman (Sociologist of Class and Inequality, LSE)
Release Date: February 6, 2024

Overview

This "Extra iQ" episode features a focused discussion with Professor Sam Friedman on British class identity and why a notable portion of objectively middle-class people in the UK self-identify as working class. The conversation, drawn from extended interview material, delves into the social, historical, and psychological reasons behind this misperception and its implications for social mobility, privilege, and everyday life.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Conundrum of Class Self-Identification (00:00–03:34)

• Misalignment Between Objective and Subjective Class:
  Many people in the UK who are objectively middle class still identify as working class.
  • Quote:
    "One in four of those from solidly middle class backgrounds in solidly middle class jobs here see themselves as working class." (Sam Friedman, 01:20)
• International Comparison:
  Globally, most people self-identify as middle class, but the UK is unusual for its persistent popularity of working class identity, even among the middle class.
• Family History as a Lens:
  People often draw on extended family histories—reaching two or three generations back—where working class struggle was more common, to construct an identity narrative.
  • Quote:
    "People... reach back further into these extended family histories. And...two or three generations...you tend to get to a history of kind of working class struggle." (Sam Friedman, 02:00)
• Meritocratic Storytelling:
  These narratives serve as a kind of “humble origins” story, bolstering a sense of meritocratic legitimacy.
• Potential Harm:
  There’s a risk that these stories obscure real, lived advantages and perpetuate ignorance of one’s own privilege.
  • Quote:
    "That kind of searching for a kind of meritocratic story obscures and blinds people from reflecting on the fairly plain advantages that they've actually experienced in their own lifetime..." (Sam Friedman, 02:45)
  • The research is titled “Deflecting Privilege”—the act of identifying as working class can prevent recognition of true socioeconomic position.

2. Impact on Genuinely Working Class People (03:34–04:55)

• Real Barriers in Elite Spaces:
  The misidentification can mean middle-class people don’t reflect on their own privilege and the barriers facing those from genuinely working class backgrounds.
• Perpetuating Inequality:
  Not acknowledging one's own advantages can help perpetuate the very barriers experienced by those from working class backgrounds, especially in elite workplaces.
• Social Friction:
  There’s often “irritation or frustration” among genuinely working class people toward those who claim working class identity without experiencing the associated disadvantages.
  • Quote:
    "You might get people who claim a sort of working class identity, but actually aren't really conscious of the fact that their fairly advantaged upbringing is meaning that... they're able to... walk into an elite law firm and just understand those codes..." (Sam Friedman, 04:23)

3. The Relational Nature of Class in the UK (04:55–06:19)

• Class as Relational and Gradient:
  Class identity is complex and relational; even middle-class people can feel “out of place” in very elite contexts due to gradations within class.
  • Quote:
    "Class is relational... there's sort of these gradations and it's often something that's very hard to put your finger on in terms of a kind of a cultural feel..." (Sam Friedman, 05:27)
• Code-Switching Within Classes:
  Even lower or solidly middle-class individuals often have to adapt or “code-switch” in elite settings.

4. The Universality of Feeling "Out of Place" (06:19–09:13)

• Relativity of 'Elite':
  Nearly no one sees themselves as “elite” since there’s always someone more privileged to compare oneself to.
• Desire for “Ordinariness”:
  Even the affluent are keen to present as “ordinary” to avoid perceptions of snobbery or moral superiority—adding further complexity.
• Invisible Privilege:
  Those with privileged backgrounds often don't notice the subtle, seamless fit they experience in certain prestigious environments, which may not be accessible or welcoming to others.
  • Quote:
    "We are very much aware of that feeling of being a fish out of water, but we perhaps don't notice the routine ways that we are fish in water." (Sam Friedman, 08:08)
• Class as a Social Space:
  Class is not rigidly segmented into three boxes but exists on a continuum, with countless points of belonging and not belonging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "One in four of those from solidly middle class backgrounds in solidly middle class jobs here see themselves as working class."
  — Sam Friedman, 01:20

• "There's also a danger that sometimes... searching for a kind of meritocratic story obscures and blinds people from reflecting on the fairly plain advantages that they've actually experienced in their own lifetime..."
  — Sam Friedman, 02:45

• "You might get people who claim a sort of working class identity, but actually aren't really conscious of the fact that their fairly advantaged upbringing is meaning that... they're able to... walk into an elite law firm and just understand those codes..."
  — Sam Friedman, 04:23

• "We are very much aware of that feeling of being a fish out of water, but we perhaps don't notice the routine ways that we are fish in water."
  — Sam Friedman, 08:08

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 — Introduction, context for the interview
• 00:48–03:34 — Discussion on misidentification and the "deflecting privilege" concept
• 03:34–04:55 — Impact on genuinely working class people; perpetuating barriers
• 04:55–06:19 — Gradations within class and code-switching
• 06:19–09:13 — The universality of feeling “out of place”, invisible privilege, and class as a continuum

Conclusion

This episode provides a nuanced look at class identity in Britain, especially why so many middle-class individuals identify as working class. Professor Friedman highlights the historical and familial narratives that shape self-perception, the risks of misrecognizing one's own privilege, and the intricate, relational nature of class in the modern UK. It’s a compelling exploration of how class shapes our understanding of self and society, often in ways we might not fully realize.