A few notes on the term "class"

[Naturyl]

This is a bit of a pet peeve, but it also raises some interesting issues surrounding the way we unconsciously accept right-wing framing in our language, in my opinion.

I don't think that progressives should ever use the term "class." It is, unsurprisingly enough, an inherently classist term. Whether consciously intended to do so or not, it reinforces the idea that people of higher social standing are superior people in general. That isn't an idea progressives ought to be lending support to if they can help it.

Some may see this as hair-splitting, but many philosophers and psychologists have suggested that the language we use influences our lives more than realize. The term "class," when used to elevate or denigrate others (ie "low-class"), in fact strengthens and affirms the age-old bigotry which says that higher social and/or economic standing equates to overall superiority.

This kind of analysis isn't for everyone, which is why I posted it in the poverty forum. Still, if I can convince at least a few people to reconsider their use of this ugly term, perhaps the post will have been worth making.

The next time we urge someone to "show some class" or the like, we might do well to stop and think about who we may be inadvertently belittling.