Oh Dear, Failure Already. Title: SOCIAL STATUS

Perhaps, a touchy subject, but one which is continuously an issue in everyday life. Perceptions are varied, depending obviously on background and personal opinion, as well as upbringing. If there were a "head dude" who was literally, top of the world in every way possible, personality, society rank, wealth, appearance etc etc, then there could have been a definite "grid" so to speak, then I suppose society could have a definite outline. But as it stands, we rely on the "nature or nurture" theory.

With two equally logical explanations, its hard to weigh up pro's and con's on this subject. I like to think that you are what you situation makes you. I mean, if you are with nice people, you will be a nice person, and nice people get given nice oppotunities and end up with a nice salary and a nice little house and a nice partner and have a nice life then die nicely. NATURE. The way you've been brought up. Or, you could say, you're born into that oppotunity. If your mother is stereotypically Liverpudlian, 14, and leaves you in a bin, "your start will be your finish" so to speak. NURTURE, harsh world.

In reality, I'm pretty sure it's a mix of both. You could be born into the Royal Family I suppose and end up to be the mother of the baby left in a dustbin, and then again, you could be born in a dustbin and go on to marry a King. However, my personal views, having seen both sides and however opinionated, are as follows:

Go back to say, 19th century England. It is unacceptable to have a child out of wedlock. It is almost unacceptable to BE out of wedlock by say, twenty five. From a wealthy background and a respectable family, life is handed to you on a plate, and whether you like your situation, you stick with it, because thats the way it is. Social status: monarch, church, nobels, wealthy families, comfortable families, poor, gypsies. In short :L. Three definite classes, UPPER, MIDDLE, LOWER. Obvious. And thats the way it should be. No interbreeding, no confusion.

In actual fact, early 20th century, there was a proposed "abolishment" of the lower class. Officials went into three towns, rounded up those on low pay, or unmarried etc etc, then separated men from women, and put them in what were named "mental institutes" at the time. Any child under the age of two and a half was sent immediately to a middle class family, the rest put to work. The idea I suppose was that it was possible to eventually "wipe out" the lower class. Of course, the idea was abandoned only ten years later.

21st century and none of the above applies. And in my opinion. We need rank to keep control, but you cant get away with saying any of that, "equality" my arse.

Life is about oppotunity. And those handed oppotunity are those who are privilidged. And over the years, the underprivilidged have learned not to expect oppotunity. Attitudes change, and eventually, there is no resolution. We just live in a confused society: the lower class shouting at the upper and middle, forgetting we pay theyre wages and keep the country in shape.

Intesting fact. The county with the highest abortion rate is Shropshire. What does this say for Whitchurch I wonder....