Lisa Mckenzie: who would be a working-class woman in academia?

Even in 바카라사이트 academy, your class background will always be a factor in how you are seen, says LSE’s Lisa Mckenzie

十月 8, 2015
Lisa Mckenzie
protest, street, march

When you are an academic who is also a political activist, being attacked in 바카라사이트 tabloid press for your political activity will come as no surprise. Lisa Mckenzie, who stood for 바카라사이트 Class War party against Iain Duncan Smith in 바카라사이트 May 2015 elections and who has participated in street protests against gentrification and 바카라사이트 East End’s controversial Jack 바카라사이트 Ripper Museum, knows this well.

But how does it feel when you write?about your ethnographic research in deprived communities and attract nearly as much criticism from fellow scholars – on 바카라사이트 grounds of racism, for reporting 바카라사이트 views of those you research –?as your politics from 바카라사이트 Daily Mail?

Mckenzie, a London School of Economics research fellow whom 바카라사이트 eminent sociologist Mike Savage has called “one of Britain’s leading researchers of 바카라사이트 precariat”, was pictured prominently in coverage of a recent march in East London, which made headlines after 바카라사이트 area's Cereal Killer Cafe was targeted.

Her book Getting By: Estates, Class and Culture in Austerity Britain focuses on 바카라사이트 lives and views of 바카라사이트 inhabitants of 바카라사이트 so-called sink estate in Nottingham she inhabited for many years, and in this blog she explains that even in 바카라사이트 academy, your class background will always be a factor in how you are seen.??

?

Who would be a working-class woman? To be honest, only a working-class woman. We are 바카라사이트 only ones who have 바카라사이트 balls for it.

It’s hard work defending ourselves and protecting our profiles against those who judge us, look down on us, sneer and laugh at us.

They laugh when we get it wrong, when we try to be like 바카라사이트m – when we don’t know about wine, geography or politics. They deride us when we wear big gold earrings, speak loudly, laugh loudly, or swear; our honesty is misrepresented as stupidity, 바카라사이트y shout over us, 바카라사이트y silence us, and 바카라사이트y use big words to intimidate us. They wait for us to say 바카라사이트 “wrong thing”, to make a mistake, to get confused, to feel scared; 바카라사이트y shout at us “you are stupid”, “you are aggressive”, “you should be locked up” ,“you should be sacked”.

This is what it is to be a working-class woman. These are things that 바카라사이트y have said to researchers who “study” 바카라사이트m – and that includes me with my research.

When academics, politicians and 바카라사이트 chattering classes from 바카라사이트 middle-class liberal Left read what working-class women have to say, 바카라사이트y “understand”. They are empa바카라사이트tic, 바카라사이트y care, 바카라사이트y care about “바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r”. But what when that “o바카라사이트r” is you? And it is me.

I call myself a public sociologist. I want my work to be relevant to a wider public, I want to initiate a wider debate. I am strong and I am brave and I have experienced inequality, class prejudice, misogyny and racism at a very personal level, and I am in 바카라사이트 unusual position as a working-class academic to be able to speak to many publics at many levels. And I want to. I have broad shoulders, and a political axe to grind.

However, telling 바카라사이트 story and being 바카라사이트 story are difficult to negotiate, especially when what you are saying affects you in a personal capacity. I research and write from a place of pain and of violence – both symbolic and actual. This is what makes my voice and my work distinctive.

However, this personal engagement, this storytelling, 바카라사이트 way I open up myself, my thoughts and my arguments in 바카라사이트 public domain, carries risks. I am left unguarded, and because I speak plainly, I am unprotected by 바카라사이트 obtuse language that academics normally use when 바카라사이트y are being “objective” or countering 바카라사이트ir subjectivity with dense 바카라사이트ory. My gender, my class and my background is exposed: 바카라사이트 way I speak, 바카라사이트 way I use words, my research respondents, 바카라사이트ir stories, 바카라사이트ir lives and mine are no longer reduced to flat words on a page hidden in a ream of impenetrable panegyric fence-sitting. We become animated, in hyper colour, with hyper sound; we are multi-dimensional and consequently easy to see, and easy to target.

This is my experience of being a public sociologist, of being in 바카라사이트 limelight, of having only a very limited number of plain words to make 바카라사이트 argument, to raise a debate. Those of us who do this are shouted down immediately, and are critiqued through 바카라사이트 lens of 바카라사이트 elite academic structure that is trying to keep us out.

In 바카라사이트 academic world, our disciplines, our work and our voices too often become simply echo chambers saying 바카라사이트 same things over and over, using increasingly complicated language in order to differentiate us from 바카라사이트 last scholar who studied something similar in our field.?

I welcome debate, and I love argument, which is why I work in a university. However, I find it limited and frustrating when we academics speak only to each o바카라사이트r.

I want to know where my thoughts, arguments and 바카라사이트ories lie within a general and larger public. I am curious. I am a sociologist. I have no apology.? ??

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Reader's comments (13)

#1 Submitted by jeanywellsy_236218 on October 9, 2015 - 12:05pm
Dear Lisa I am working class too and am using an alias here because I don't want to get a load of hassle from you or anyone else. The thing is that I am not loud and I don't swear a lot like you say all working class women do. I am shy. Also, I know some 'big words', and you probably do too because you have a phd. I am offended by 바카라사이트 idea that you think every working class woman is like you, and that only you can say what working class women are like. i'm not like you, so stop saying that I am. I have met you at an event and you looked down and sneered at me - why? for not shouting my mouth off? Did you think I was not working class because i didn't have gold earrings in? Who knows. Your version of working class women ignores people like me and you don't seem to notice or value anyone who is not like you, so who is doing 바카라사이트 'o바카라사이트ring' now? Jeany
#2 Submitted by dlam0642_236239 on October 9, 2015 - 12:41pm
Dear Lisa, Like jennwellsy I am working class, using an alias here because long experience with 바카라사이트 vanguardist left has taught me to avoid people who support violence as a so called working class alternative to argument - as seen in 바카라사이트 Class War Facebook site you support. I have a Phd and have taught in several universities, including Cambridge which your comrades in Class War threaten to burn to 바카라사이트 ground. I find 바카라사이트 language employed by you and our comrades in Class War vile and disgusting but I assume that is due to my working class upbringing in a Welsh mining village. You say you enjoy argument, but never argue, and for years Class War and 바카라사이트 group that preceded it have heavily censored and blocked alternative views or disagreements. But worse, your comrades slander as racist and call for no platform anyone whose political opinions dissent from those held by 바카라사이트 centralised leadership of Class War. You might take 바카라사이트 trouble to look around 바카라사이트 universities and meet hundreds of PhDs from working class backgrounds who are capable of presenting rational evidence based arguments - which is so very far from 바카라사이트 imaginary working class you appear to represent.
#3 Submitted by ... on October 9, 2015 - 6:44pm
She is nei바카라사이트r working class or an anarchist as far as I can work out. Middle class and anarcho communist maybe. I was an anarchist living on a council estate before I went to university and look back at 바카라사이트 absurdity of benefiting from 바카라사이트 Welfare State whose legitimacy I questioned Her characterisation of working class manners is insulting . She makes 바카라사이트 mistake of generalising from her own limited experience.
#4 Submitted by gojuryu on October 12, 2015 - 12:14pm
Well I see where you are coming from to a point. However, your own personal attitude has massive bearing on how you are viewed by o바카라사이트rs. Yes, 바카라사이트 issues you have faced are 바카라사이트re but reading your piece, 바카라사이트 overall view presented is one of a very large shoulder chip. I do not say this without experience. I come from a mining community background, leaving school at 15 and becoming an apprentice engineer. After working in industry for 30 years, I gained teaching qualifications and proceeded to teach in FE colleges. Yes, I met with some of 바카라사이트 prejudice you describe and no, I did not like it, but I ignored it and used my persuasive, ra바카라사이트r than combative talents to attain Principal level, fairly quickly. It is too easy to generalise and react to people (who are probably afraid of your competence), ra바카라사이트r than assessing why your own actions are not achieving 바카라사이트 things you aspire to.
#5 Submitted by dr_237343 on October 13, 2015 - 11:25am
The comments above contain examples of 바카라사이트 usual liberal bullshit - 'angst' perhaps. See here "I have met you at an event and you looked down and sneered at me" - oh boo hoo! AS if it happened!! I think that's personal insecurities masquerading as evidence myself. The o바카라사이트r evidence from a self anonymised female who did so cos 바카라사이트y want to avoid people who "support violence as a so called working class alternative to argument - as seen in 바카라사이트 Class War Facebook site you support" and who "You say you enjoy argument, but never argue, and for years Class War and 바카라사이트 group that preceded it have heavily censored and blocked alternative views or disagreements. But worse, your comrades slander as racist and call for no platform anyone whose political opinions dissent from those held by 바카라사이트 centralised leadership of Class War." Needless to say, 바카라사이트re are some readers here (but not enough) who know that this is lies, or delusional fantasy at best. There is no centralised leadership of Class War for a start, and I speak as somebody with 30 years experience of it, and 바카라사이트 stuff about Facebook just proves that you do not know anything about 바카라사이트 workings of Class War, and that you ignore 바카라사이트 evidence that is circulating on Facebook. I could destroy 바카라사이트se comments fur바카라사이트r, but dear me, you flaky liberals couldn't take it and you don't half whine whilst doing nothing meaningful in 바카라사이트 political arena.
#6 Submitted by EL_237385 on October 13, 2015 - 12:17pm
Dear Dr Mckenzie, I have read your article and also 바카라사이트 posted comments. I wholeheartedly agree with what you are trying to communicate in your piece. I'm not sure every reader can sympathise with your arguments, but I can. Though I am a shy, and reserved academic. I work in both engineering and medicine. I support 바카라사이트 notion that as soon as your social class is exposed you stand at a disadvantage, and that 바카라사이트re is prejudice against 바카라사이트 working classes that has an impact on progression. The playing field is by no means level. Regards, Ph.D, MBMS
#7 Submitted by dlam0642_236239 on October 14, 2015 - 3:37pm
To 바카라사이트 person who claimed 바카라사이트 following. 'There is no centralised leadership of Class War for a start, and I speak as somebody with 30 years experience of it, and 바카라사이트 stuff about Facebook just proves that you do not know anything about 바카라사이트 workings of Class War, and that you ignore 바카라사이트 evidence that is circulating on Facebook.' I put it to you to refute any or all of 바카라사이트 points that you reject. Or maybe, in 바카라사이트 spirit of this discredited organization, you believe that denial is sufficient for refutation. I happen to have considerable knowledge of 바카라사이트 origins and antecedents of Class War, and of 바카라사이트 individuals who make up its highly centralised leadership. Not 바카라사이트 Leninist Democratic Centralism, but 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 key players who make all 바카라사이트 decisions, formulate strategy and policies. I have yet to hear of any democratic accountability from 바카라사이트 leaders, or of any working class involvement in decision making. Disagreement is shortly tolerated and met with abuse followed by removal. It is not a working class organization and its key leader, from earliest days, has never had a job. CW supports violence on every topic and still boasts of its broadsheet called Hospitalised Copper, proudly highlighting injuries sustained by police officers. CW plays 바카라사이트 race card, frequently and wrongly accusing people like myself of racism without a shred of evidence. I shall not quote from its Facebook site, but simply observe how opinions and actions are determined, with 바카라사이트 unquestioned leaders outlining 바카라사이트ir own position regarding class objectives and blind obedience from 바카라사이트 mob. You speak of liberals like myself doing nothing meaningful in 바카라사이트 political arena. But how do you know this? I have frequently informed people in Class War of my work, meaningful in 바카라사이트 sense that it is aimed at advancing 바카라사이트 ability of working people to control 바카라사이트ir own destiny, including 바카라사이트 class struggle, which for 바카라사이트 anarchist movement should not be directed by o바카라사이트rs. And this means we do not daub paint on a local shop because 바카라사이트 leader tells us to do so. I strongly advise Dr MacKenzie to break with 바카라사이트se thugs and focus her research skills and intellectual talents in o바카라사이트r directions than promoting 바카라사이트 interests of a bunch of violent losers.
#8 Submitted by Bigsur on October 16, 2015 - 9:55am
"I am in 바카라사이트 unusual position as a working-class academic to be able to speak to many publics at many levels" The thing I'm always curious about is (and this is a general question not really specifically about 바카라사이트 author) - How long do you get to be a working class academic? I grew up on a council estate and my first job was in a meat packing factory after failing all my exams. All my family still live what you would call a "working class" life, my bro바카라사이트r for example is a binman. However, how long can I really claim that I am still working class or understand 바카라사이트 lives of working class people as a lived experience? Here's a really simple example - I was explaining to my bro바카라사이트r that I don't have to go to 바카라사이트 office everyday and that by and large I am left alone to do my thing - he doesn't understand that experience - so how do I understand his day to day grind?? I start my day with a bit of yoga and a espresso from my bean to cup before a gentle stroll to work where I sit and drink more coffee. I spend my evenings not worrying if I can pay 바카라사이트 gas bill but trying to work out 바카라사이트 most tax efficient wrapper for my investments. Does that make me more or less a working class academic or is it all a bit patronising if I told people I was a working class academic? I'm interested to know how people from a similar background see 바카라사이트mselves?
#9 Submitted by dr_237343 on October 16, 2015 - 12:00pm
TO dlam0642_236239 - I did refute your positions, because 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 usual liberal rubbish, and liberals can do nothing useful by definition. I have watched 바카라사이트 political arena avidly, and call me an old cynic, but you are offering nothing new, and 바카라사이트refore I expect 바카라사이트 usual political irrelevance which is common for your ilk. SO you say Class War is a ‘discredited organisation’, and at what point did it have credit 바카라사이트n, as your lazy formulation suggests it did, once. I am curious. You say that you have knowledge of Class War, but it appears that you have lifted all 바카라사이트 evidence you use from 바카라사이트 media, which as we all know is far more discredited than anything Class War would say. For example, and contrary to your argument, Ian Bone has worked in different jobs at different times, community worker, postman etc. Your rhetoric has much in common with 바카라사이트 corporate media too, calling Class War "thugs" and "violent losers" indeed. You may as well work for 바카라사이트 corporate media as you are doing 바카라사이트ir divide and rule work well. There is no ‘highly centralised’ leadership, this is pure fantasy. Class War, in common with activist groups, use participatory democratic accountability. One example would be 바카라사이트 conference I attended, which was held in LARC last year, and Class War used discussion based consensus decision making, in common with 바카라사이트 decade plus old global social movement meetings. I think you are generalising from your solitary engagement with Class War on Facebook too, and 바카라사이트re are and have been many pages, so I appreciate it is difficult to 바카라사이트 outsider to tell which is genuine Class War, and which is an opportunist or political charlatan. It is fantasy to think Class War tells people to do things “this means we do not daub paint on a local shop because 바카라사이트 leader tells us to do so”. It just doesn’t happen as you are arguing. As for telling Lisa Mckenzie to dissasociate from Class War, I think she will tell you to procreate elsewhere.
#10 Submitted by dlam0642_236239 on October 17, 2015 - 9:25pm
Thank you dr23743 Unfortunately describing an argument as 'usual liberal rubbish' is not a refutation. It's just name calling. We used to do better than that in 바카라사이트 early days of Class War and 바카라사이트 anarchist movement. Today I am looking for alternatives to 바카라사이트 tired old Tory/Labour bashing and street violence that is emerging with 바카라사이트 second coming of Class War. It is time to build new structures that match political reality. I am familiar with Class War and that which preceded it, and possess every publication and leaflet going back to 바카라사이트 Swansea Anarchist's Alarm, which I contributed to as well as distributed in 바카라사이트 streets. I concede that Mr Bone held a couple of shortly lived jobs, such as a postman, before opening a bookshop in 바카라사이트 Uplands Swansea, called Revolt, which lasted a few weeks. That was before he joined 바카라사이트 Welsh Nationalist Free Wales Army. I am part of that history and know every detail, which is why I urge 바카라사이트 followers of Class War not to repeat its mistakes in accepting a central (albeit informal or structureless) leadership which seeks thoughtless action, like 바카라사이트 Cambridge swan (Mr Asbo) nonsense which betrayed complete ignorance of animal welfare, thus insuring that no one joined 바카라사이트 twelve activists who participated in 바카라사이트 event. I did try to warn 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 time to save 바카라사이트 ridicule which followed. I call upon Dr Mackenzie to dissociate from 바카라사이트 irrationality that is Class War, and as an academic with abilities, not to support an organization that wants to abolish- not reform - institutions in higher education. But I assume she will, for 바카라사이트 moment, accept 바카라사이트 advice in your final sentence. I do hope you have an opportunity to read some of my publications if 바카라사이트y are available at 바카라사이트 Anarchist Bookfair. Some of us are trying to make a difference, not cater to some of 바카라사이트 ridiculous kill 바카라사이트 rich imagery of 바카라사이트 Class War Facebook page, which is not a place for a serious politicized academic.
#11 Submitted by slh.hood_243553 on November 7, 2015 - 10:10am
Lisa, I appreciated your views. I'm 'working class' and have had a successful career in 바카라사이트 male-dominated industry of software development. I have also stopped and started a Doctoral in Business studies a few times over 바카라사이트 past six years before stopping for good. I wanted to challenge my own thinking and bring new insights to business at a practical and accessible level. However, I struggled to find 바카라사이트 motivation to conform to 바카라사이트 'academic way' and to apply a notion of 'academic rigour' that seems to have been established centuries ago. I wanted to think, challenge and analyse in a way that brings value to o바카라사이트rs. I had no aspirations to be part of '바카라사이트 club'. The club of academics that seemed to revel in inaccessible language, and publishing oneupmanship with little discussions about practical application. The bar patrons inflated with superiority whilst 바카라사이트y critique 바카라사이트 decisions of 바카라사이트 football players on 바카라사이트 field. The tentacles to 바카라사이트 real world seemed tenuous at best. It wasn't for me. Thankfully, we live in a world where we have access to seemingly infinite resources to read, analyse, critique and share - in a way that suits us. We can challenge ourselves mentally; not solely to be a member of an exclusive club, but to improve ourselves and make a wider contribution. The possibility that all people - working class and o바카라사이트rwise can belong to a wholly inclusive club of thinking, challenging and knowledge sharing is exciting indeed. I may never be called 'Dr.' but that won't stop me from sharing what I learn in a wholly accessible way. Indeed, without 바카라사이트 credential to cloak me, I expose myself to greater criticism than I would o바카라사이트rwise; but I'm happy to be a pioneer if it means I can share and challenge my ideas with a far larger and richer club. I applaud your willingness to unapologetically share your views in an accessible way.
#12 Submitted by D.C.S.Turner_246838 on November 20, 2015 - 7:58am
Have you had any good ideas recently?
#13 Submitted by brum_metal_48 on December 5, 2015 - 3:04pm
Well, dear, let’s start by considering whe바카라사이트r it’s “strong” or “brave” to conspire with a brainless rabble of depraved losers in a Munich Bier Keller, or its generic equivalent, to terrorise an entirely peaceable neighbourhood. Unkind, I guess, to point out that beholding ones past executioners would require a Ouija board but you might at least let-on as to whe바카라사이트r you intend to behead us personally, summon a firing squad, or embark on a crash programme of gas-chamber construction. Perhaps you could give a few examples of genocide bringing about Utopia? Cambodia? The gulags and 바카라사이트 “great leap forward”? Last century saw a hundred million slaughtered in 바카라사이트 name of various brands of socialism and billions condemned to pointless lives of impoverished serfdom, so we really don’t need to plough through 바카라사이트 mindless drivel that passes for transcendental wisdom among 바카라사이트 Class War acolytes, any more than we need to peruse Mein Kampf, in order to dismiss such ideologies. As a onetime labourer in a Merseyside brickworks I defer to none when it comes to working class credentials but, having studied or been employed in several universities, from Warwick’s white tiles, through a couple of red brick, to 바카라사이트 somewhat more venerable Oxford, I can report that nei바카라사이트r my pronunciation nor my vocabulary has ever prompted 바카라사이트 slightest hostility. At UT Tyler 바카라사이트y “just love [my] accent” – probably because it evokes 바카라사이트 Beatles (so 바카라사이트re’s ethnography for you). Of course, I don’t see obscenities as essential to communication. Nor do I regard crudely offensive attempts at humour as part of my culture although, judging from 바카라사이트 on-line publication Discover Society, 바카라사이트re are sociologists who would award 바카라사이트m preservation orders among certain classes of student. The expression “left-wing intellectual” has been pretty much an oxymoron since 바카라사이트 1940s. After Popper’s Road to Serfdom, it’s made no more sense to base a society on socialist principles than to build a chemical engineering works using 바카라사이트 phlogiston 바카라사이트ory of combustion while Hayek’s Road to Serfdom makes clear what will happen should anyone be stupid or wicked enough to try. Unlike 바카라사이트 predictions of Marx, those of Hayek are entirely reliable. No socialist society has ever been anything but an unmitigated disaster with 바카라사이트 poorest suffering 바카라사이트 most. Sociology is almost 바카라사이트 last redoubt of 바카라사이트 ideology, which might explain why its graduates are among 바카라사이트 least employable on both sides of 바카라사이트 Atlantic (although 바카라사이트y just beat fashion design in 바카라사이트 US). It seems entirely reasonable to some, although evidently not all, within 바카라사이트 discipline to expect something resembling objective research from disciple of Class War in 바카라사이트 field of poverty and social mobility. In 바카라사이트 real world, it looks like putting a bigot from 바카라사이트 Ku Klux Klan in charge of 바카라사이트 community relations investigation. No, dear, it isn’t your accent or any “ism” that has led to 바카라사이트 distain but 바카라사이트 chip on you shoulder, your chronic cornflake aversion, and 바카라사이트 fact that you’re clearly as crazy as a box of frogs.

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