zen_tom

Unfortunately it isn't that simple. For example, I used to work with a guy who was evidently 'better' socially placed that I or any of my colleagues. He had been born in area x, his parents belonged to y and z social circles and he'd been a student at the most prestigious schools, colleges and universities in the country. His accent was unbelievable and everything about him spoke of someone used to moving in lofty circles. Anyway, after about a week, he was fired. I asked my boss why, and she answered "Because he was too posh." Apparently his deportment had annoyed so many of my more modestly classed colleagues due to his "Plummy accent" etc and that he'd been fired for being a toff. If you think this is reasonable (they did) Imagine firing someone because they are too black, or too disabled, or too blonde. It's criminal, but continues to happen. My colleagues were so rooted into the idea of the class system that they looked down on someone not of their own class. It doesn't matter whether you are higher or lower on the scale, birds of a feather stick together, and will attack anything they percieve as belonging to a different group. The question of how those groups are defined is a mixture of personal and group dynamics, but is arbitrary. Some things provide more obvious clues (i.e. race and gender) and are more easily understood by people.