Well that shows how educated he is...
I don't think this is a class issue. As much as it pains me to say it, the Weberian theory of life-chances probably has more to offer as an explanation in this situation.
When I was a teacher, I despaired at the teenagers who would choose to get pregnant. For two reasons: (a) they cut short their own independence and opportunities to get more from life and (b) they have less life experience to call on as a parent.
I would say that my partner and I (both in our 30s, working class but university educated) probably have quite a lot to offer as parents. Our class has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Once you've told your kids the name of the whippet and shown them how to carry a sack of coal what else does a "lower class" person have to say to their kids? Nothing.
They should be grateful for this man's pity.
On a related theme, the most unpleasant tv show at present has to be 'Honey, We're Killing the Kids'
In this, a middle class woman flounces in, predicts (with dubious science) about how this working class woman's kids will look when they are 40 (generally near death) and reduces the mother to tears and public opprobrium.
TV presenter then instructs mother how she needs to get up a lot earlier, produce lots of fresh fuit and veg based e.g. some fancy fruit cocktail for breakfast, spend more time with her children, not shout at them, take them to lots of outdoor activities, read them Proust, etc.
Whilst I would criticise the Mars bars diet that some of these children seem to live on, the TV presenter is wholly ignorant or not interested in facts such as the number of hours the (often lone) mother may work, her access to transport, availability of local parks and cost of leisure facilities, availability of fresh fruit and vegetables and other matters such as the insidious successes of the food manufacturers in flogging their junk to kids.
But, Dave, posh people DO have more to teach their kids. There's the 'not being an arsehole like Dad' lesson for a start...
There is also street smartness.
Paulie
All dads have to teach that, don't they? I mean, I know I do ...
Commenting by HaloScan
