A Voice for the Voiceless

Needless to say, we live in a society riddled with self-serving opportunists who outcast certain groups for their political gain and to the detriment of the working class. The shark-infested waters that politics has become seeks out the weak and devours their hope. Following on from the 2016 referendum which witnessed the public inexplicably lied to and hoodwinked into believing that a better Britain was an independent Britain, the low SES group have seemingly had their heart ripped out of them, particularly the 18-34 manual/unemployed which saw a lowly 35% voter turnout in the 2017 General Election (Ipsos Mori 2017). As democratic institutions lose responsiveness and legitimacy to the aforementioned socioeconomic group due to their lack of engagement, higher socioeconomic groups profit as their vote, in many ways, becomes a national consensus. The question that needs addressing is how do we give a voice to the voiceless?

Fig.1. Significant decline among lower social class groups in GE 2017 from 2016 referendum (Ipsos Mori 2017)

Easy.

I get that we are prisoners of our reality and being 21 years old, some might consider the ship to have sailed in terms of encouraging political engagement for my age and socioeconomic demographic, however, the next generation of low SES can reap the rewards of engaging in politics through education and having the voice I never had. Having previously lived an estate and attended a low socioeconomic status school, the access to learning and exploring the political landscape was minimal at best; often PSCHE/ political classes were filler and an environment to complete homework of other classes.

This must change.

Is it too much to ask for schools to empower their students of low SES? Through the participatory process and giving students positions with a modicum of political value such as school councils as well as citizenship classes with specific learning outcomes, it encourages them to become politically engaged and consequently have a voice. Research by Professor Bryony Hoskins found that in over 6000 students, there were no significant differences in their access to citizenship classes by socioeconomic background, however their voluntary participation saw alarming differences as those from poor social backgrounds are found unwilling to volunteer in political activities (George 2018). Again, we must empower those who feel powerless, and this starts from the bottom up. Tackling this issue in schools will have a baring on higher education whereby the number of students who attend Russell Groups continue to dwindle as only 5 % of English teenagers who took A-levels or equivalent qualifications in 2012-13 and were eligible for free school meals were admitted to Russell Group universities the following year, which incidentally has increased to only 3% of students going to Russell Group (Havergal 2015). This slide in admittance into top unis becomes reflective of the political sphere, an evermore exclusive to those of a high SES and further fuel diplomatic democracy; whereby politicians turn out to be the most educated from the best universities and those who vote are the most educated and wealthy. Consequently, you have a large demographic that feels isolated and left out of politics.

Oh the irony of Theresa May. Having declared to fight the ‘burning injustices’ in British society and to prioritise the working class who were ‘just about managing’ a year prior to the 2017 General Election (George 2018), enter the mismanagement of Grenfell. In the face (or across the street) of Grenfell, lay the upper social class whereby in some parts of the borough, average income can ‘drop ten times as you cross the street’ (Guardian 2017). If any good came from this tragic circumstance is the finger being directed at the Tory government. A web of  social inequalities continues to unravel which ultimately leading the 18-34 low SES voicing their opinions on social media, showing images of the tragic event two years removed and reminding politicians that they have a voice and will continue to preach the social injustice they experience.

They use the people when they want to rise, as we treat a spirited horse when we want to mount him; – for a time we pat the animal upon the neck, and speak him softly; but once in the saddle, then come the whip and spur. – Christian Nestell Bovee – New York Writer

 

Fig.3. YouGov (2017) poll on what Brits think of the social classes. Working class have the nicest people.

For what the data tells us, it is pretty laughable what is exacted in society. Although the working class contribute most to society they are also overwhelmingly treated the worst by government. One might think “well why don’t they do something about it?” Reality is, once you have been politically repressed for a sustained period,  disillusion is inevitable. A quick dive into recent history shows this as 18-34 low SES group saw an encouraging voter turnout of 57% during the 2016 Referendum (6% increase from the 2015 GE) ultimately suffer a 4% fall for the 2017 (Ipsos Mori 2017).

They use the people when they want to rise, as we treat a spirited horse when we want to mount him – for a time we pat the animal upon the neck, and speak him softly; but once in the saddle, then come the whip and spur. – Christian Nestell Bovee.

In the face of Bovee’s damning statement, the mistreatment of the government will not resign our fate. In fact, the voiceless will become the ‘voiceful‘.

 

 

Bibliography

George, M (2018) Call for debates to be compulsory for all secondary pupils. Available at: https://www.tes.com/news/call-debates-be-compulsory-all-secondary-pupils

Grenfell Speaks (2018) On the ground at Grenfell. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3S_5ttJAOwHavergal, C (2015) Russell Group access: poorest fall further behind. Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/russell-group-access-poorest-fall-further-behind (Accessed 05/03/2019)

Ipsos Mori (2017) How Britain Voted in the 2017 Election. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/how-britain-voted-2017-election

The Guardian (2017) Grenfell Tower MP highlights huge social divisions in London. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/nov/13/grenfell-tower-mp-highlights-huge-social-divisions-in-london (Accessed 05/03/2019)

Notable Quotes (2006) Christian Nestell Bovee Quotes VI. Available at: http://notable-quotes.com/b/bovee_christian_nestell_vi.html

YouGov (2017) What do Brits think of social classes? Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2017/09/26/what-do-brits-think-social-classes

2,922 thoughts on “A Voice for the Voiceless”

  7. Fitspresso supplement Afteｒ attempting many fat burning supplements with little sᥙccess, I finally discovered FitSprｅsso, and it has made a significɑnt distіnction. The
    miҳ of environment-friendly tea essence ɑnd Garcinia ϹamƄogia has һｅlped mе
    shed stubƄorn extrra pounds and keep a heɑⅼthy and bɑlancedd
    weight. I value thaat it’s made from all-natural ingredients, whiϲh
    alіgns with my commitment to a healthier lifestyle.

    FitSρresso has not just aided me ѕlim down but likewise boosted myy
    total health. I feel more energiѕed, focused, and all set to tackkle the ԁay.I hіghly advise ϜitSppresso to any individuɑl seeking a dependable and
    reliable weight management option.

    Reply

  10. Good day! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from an established blog.
    Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but
    I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any tips or suggestions?
    With thanks

    Feel free to surf to my blog post pepek kering

    Reply

  12. My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of
    your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content to suit
    your needs? I wouldn’t mind publishing a
    post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write about here.
    Again, awesome blog!

    my page … نصب جک برقی پارکینگ

    Reply

  13. The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone
    and tested to see if it can survive a 30 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube
    sensation. My apple ipad is now broken and she
    has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had
    to share it with someone!

    Here is my webpage: کانال عمده فروشی تم تولد

    Reply

  15. An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a colleague who was conducting a little research on this.

    And he actually ordered me lunch simply because I found it for him…
    lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
    But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this subject here on your web page.

    My web blog; خرید عمده بادکنک بوبو بالن

    Reply

  18. Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found
    that it’s truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels.
    I will be grateful if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your
    writing. Cheers!

    Feel free to surf to my web blog: بلفاروپلاستی پلک بالا

    Reply

  30. Your mode of telling all in this article is genuinely good, every one be capable of simply understand it, Thanks a
    lot.

    Also visit my homepage; VBGYTRFGHNY

    Reply

  37. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to
    this website before but after checking through some of
    the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!

    my web blog: auto glass facts

    Reply

  38. سالن A6، غرفه 774: دیدار در نمایشگاه صنعت کفش ایران
    یادتون نره که توی نمایشگاه صنعت کفش ایران،
    سالن A6، غرفه‌ی 774 منتظرتون هستیم.
    اونجا می‌تونید از نزدیک با کفش‌های طبی دکتر
    ماخ آشنا بشید، اون‌ها رو امتحان کنید و از
    مشاوره‌ی رایگان کارشناس‌های ما بهره‌مند بشید.
    توی نمایشگاه صنعت کفش ایران منتظرتون هستیم تا با هم گپ بزنیم و بیشتر با هم آشنا بشیم.
    یادتون نره، سالن A6، غرفه‌ی 774!

    تاریخ برگذاری نمایشگاه 18 لغایت 21 دی ماه می باشد
    . واقع در نمایشگاه آفتاب ابتدا جاده قم روبروی مرقد
    امام خمینی ره .

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *