Description
Book SynopsisA wry, affectionate and amusing take on English class and customs from an outsider''s perspective.For years German lawyer and author Detlev Piltz has been observing England, its life, customs and above all its classes. He argues that whenever an English person meets another, they will immediately try and place the individual they are talking to in a class by their speech, deportment, clothing, address and general aura. Why might this be, and does the English class system still exist in the twenty-first century? This book argues that it is very much still alive.Piltz examines the ''hard'' and ''soft'' class markers that permeate English society, from where Britons go on holiday to what they wear, eat, drive and what they name their pets. He explains how the way you pronounce the word garage' indicates your class, and asks whether it makes sense still to talk of the English Gentleman, a species of human being so often admired in continental Europe yet parodied and satirized ad inf
Trade ReviewAt 400-plus pages, Piltz is nothing if not thorough. He includes some great quotes... * The Guardian Saturday Magazine *
Table of ContentsForeword and Acknowledgements Introduction
Part I: About Class 1 ‘It depends on your class’ 2 Equality and Meritocracy 3 What is Class? 4 Hard Class Markers 5 Working, Upper, Middle, Under 6 Class Matters 7 Class Denial 8 Class and Politics
Part II: Soft class markers (then and now) 9 Rules, Soft and Silent 10 Appearance 11 Clothing and Dress 12 Greeting, Introduction, Addressing People 13 What’s in a Name? 14 Accent and Pronunciation 15 Vocabulary and Language 16 Conversation 17 Stances and Behaviour 18 Cars 19 Table Manners 20 Food and Drink 21 Shopping 22 House 23 Gardens 24 Animals 25 Sport 26 Holidays and Travel 27 The Arts 28 Etcetera
Part III: Always and Forever? 29 A classless Society 30 Class-free Zones 31 Class of Origin 32 Change of Class 33 Breaking the Rules 34 Foreigners
Part IV: Beyond Class 35 This Happy Breed of Men
Bibliography and Further Reading Notes Index
