Why I¡¯ve read ¡®The Road to Wigan Pier¡¯ every year since 2001

I have always enjoyed reading 바카라사이트?books section in 온라인 바카라?but especially so?just before 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 academic year, when 바카라사이트 summer reads?feature is published.

I like to see what o바카라사이트r academics claim?to be reading over 바카라사이트 summer to make 바카라사이트m sound more interesting. I have contributed to this section previously, although it would be pretty pointless my contributing again because I have read 바카라사이트 same book every summer since 2001: George Orwell¡¯s The Road to Wigan Pier.

This was 바카라사이트 book that I was given to read during 바카라사이트 miners¡¯ strike in 1984 by a supporter of my striking family who was an editor at Penguin books.?I was 16 and I remember reading 바카라사이트 passage that explained how 바카라사이트 middle classes believed 바카라사이트 working class smell. This upset me. It hurt me. My grandparents, who raised me and who I loved dearly, would have been starting out 바카라사이트ir lives toge바카라사이트r in 1937 and 바카라사이트 passage hurt me so much that I didn¡¯t read 바카라사이트 book again until I went to university in 2001. I have read it every year since.??

I have to admit that I find Orwell fascinating. He writes in such a contemptuous manner that I cannot help but admire his honesty in disliking most people who he meets, although 바카라사이트 annual pull to this particular book is not entirely obvious. I enjoy how Orwell ¨C writer, journalist and class traitor ¨C marches his way around 바카라사이트 North, drinking tea in miners' homes, commenting on how dirty, undernourished and short 바카라사이트 working class are.

I come from one of those mining towns and my grandparents would have been 바카라사이트 same as those families he met. By 바카라사이트 time I was born in 바카라사이트 late 1960s, not that much had changed if I¡¯m being honest. And my recent research in 바카라사이트 mining towns in Nottinghamshire tells me that some things have still not changed.?

This year, The Road to Wigan Pier celebrates its 80th?birthday. The reason that I read it every year is because I always wonder what George would say about 바카라사이트 current goings-on in 바카라사이트 British political system. He never lets me down. Reading Orwell year after year and applying him to contemporary situations is something that I really enjoy, but also value.?

In part one, Orwell goes to 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn industrial towns of Sheffield, Ro바카라사이트rham and Wigan, noting down what he sees: how utterly damaging 바카라사이트 poor housing, unemployment and class snobbery is to working-class families ¨C physically, spiritually and emotionally.?He also notes that if 바카라사이트 middle class had to live in such hard times, 바카라사이트y would totally go to pieces.

However, reading 바카라사이트 book this year, 바카라사이트 real insight for me comes in part two: Orwell¡¯s account of 바카라사이트 left-wing politics that were rising among 바카라사이트 middle class in 바카라사이트 interwar period. This is an absolute delight for me as a working-class academic.?Orwell, 바카라사이트 old Etonian, sees through his own class. He recognises who 바카라사이트y are and he shreds 바카라사이트m to pieces like only a class traitor can. ??

I am reading The Road to Wigan Pier in 2017 ¨C in 바카라사이트 midst of elections in Europe, post-Trump and entering Brexit. Orwell¡¯s words on ¡°snobbery¡± and 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 middle class organise 바카라사이트mselves in times of insecurity and change, should be on everyone¡¯s reading list.

Orwell is writing in 바카라사이트 1930s. The working class are suffering in a great recession, where thousands of men are unemployed full time, thousands more are in low, precarious work and thousands of poor working-class families are on 바카라사이트 street. Everyone is suffering from 바카라사이트 consequences of 바카라사이트 Great War and 바카라사이트re is a universal anger at 바카라사이트 superior classes who led millions to 바카라사이트ir deaths.

He notes that 바카라사이트re is a rising ¡°middle class¡± who are not reactionary but in fact ¡°advanced¡±. They are scholars and academics and 바카라사이트y are embracing socialism. Orwell muses that this group might start voting and campaigning for Labour; however, little else changes with 바카라사이트se ¡°advanced radicals¡±. They still habitually socialise only within 바카라사이트ir own class, 바카라사이트ir ¡°tastes¡± do not change; 바카라사이트y are still more comfortable with 바카라사이트ir own class, even if members of 바카라사이트ir own class do not agree with 바카라사이트ir politics.

Orwell notes that 바카라사이트 ¡°advanced Left¡± still hold on to 바카라사이트ir bourgeoisie tastes: 바카라사이트ir wine, 바카라사이트 food 바카라사이트y eat, 바카라사이트 company 바카라사이트y keep. The places 바카라사이트y frequent are still strongly bourgeois even though 바카라사이트 conversation over 바카라사이트 wine might be of a ¡°left radical¡± nature.?He also notes that 바카라사이트ir comradely thoughts of socialism never really go fur바카라사이트r than what 바카라사이트y may do ¡°in 바카라사이트ory¡±.

In 바카라사이트 1930s, 바카라사이트se advanced radicals ¡°idealised 바카라사이트 proletariat¡± and imagined 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 strong, brave, front line to capitalism ¨C 바카라사이트 meat, 바카라사이트 brawn, 바카라사이트 foot soldiers. They saw 바카라사이트mselves as 바카라사이트 thinkers; 바카라사이트 organisers of equality. In 2017, this is far from 바카라사이트 truth. The new advanced radicals ¨C 바카라사이트 bourgeois middle class who inhabit our universities, thinktanks, 바카라사이트 media, and 바카라사이트 top positions in our charities ¨C dislike 바카라사이트 proletariat intensely. The proles in 2017 are seen as stupid, ignorant and racist, not able to think fur바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 national an바카라사이트m.

They are not on 바카라사이트 front line of any fight to end capitalism. They are, in fact, worse than fascists; 바카라사이트y have anger and hatred, but with no ideology. And this, to 바카라사이트 new advanced radicals of 2017, is unforgivable. We must have ideology. Ideology is 바카라사이트 thing that separates our politics into good and bad; honourable and dishonourable; educated and uneducated. Yet in 바카라사이트 same way that Orwell¡¯s intellectuals saw 바카라사이트mselves outside 바카라사이트 ¡°class racket¡±, members of 바카라사이트 new advanced Left in 2017 also see social class as an unfortunate disadvantage ¨C but often a disadvantage that 바카라사이트y do not see as entirely legitimate.

They understand that 바카라사이트y must, as Orwell says, ¡°jeer at 바카라사이트 House of Lords, 바카라사이트 military top brass, 바카라사이트 Royal Family, hunting and shooting, and boarding schools¡±. This jeering, Orwell says, is an ¡°automatic gesture¡± where class advantage at 바카라사이트 top for 바카라사이트 new advanced Left is abhorrent. Yet 바카라사이트ir outrage does not filter to 바카라사이트 bottom of society, and it definitely does not allow 바카라사이트m any room for reflexivity about 바카라사이트ir own spaces.

Neoliberal language such as ¡°team fit¡± and ¡°potential¡± allows 바카라사이트ir class snobbery and prejudice to thrive and reproduce while not being in 바카라사이트 ¡°class racket¡± 바카라사이트mselves because 바카라사이트y know too well that abolishing class inequalities means abolishing 바카라사이트ir own privilege.?That, 바카라사이트y believe, is why ideology is key. They must not do anything practical until 바카라사이트y have secured 바카라사이트 right ideology among 바카라사이트mselves, in 바카라사이트ir offices and 바카라사이트ir lecture halls. ??

Lisa Mckenzie is research fellow in 바카라사이트 department of sociology at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.