Chav - Criticism of The Stereotype

Criticism of The Stereotype

A BBC TV documentary suggested that "chav" culture is an evolution of previous working-class youth subcultures associated with particular commercial clothing styles, such as mods, skinheads and casuals.

The widespread use of the "chav" stereotype has come in for some criticism. Some argue that it amounts to simple snobbery and élitism. Critics of the term have argued that its users are "neo-snobs", and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals with social mobility and class. In a February 2005 article in The Times, Julie Burchill argued that use of the word is a form of "social racism", and that such "sneering" reveals more about the shortcomings of the "chav-haters" than those of their supposed victims. The writer John Harris argued along similar lines in a 2007 article in The Guardian.

The Fabian Society have stated that the term is deeply offensive and that it is "sneering and patronising" to a largely voiceless group. The term has been defined by tabloid headlines. It is language used to belittle. On describing those who use the term the society stated "we all know their old serviette/napkin, lounge/living room, settee/sofa tricks. But this is something new. This is middle class hatred of the white working class, pure and simple." The Fabian Society have been highly critical of the BBC in using the term in broadcasts. The term was reported in The Guardian in 2011 as 'class abuse by people asserting superiority'.

A Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords on the Equality and Human Rights Commission Meral Hussein-Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece in 2011 tweeted: "Help. Trapped in a queue in chav land. Woman behind me explaining latest EastEnders plot to mate while eating largest bun I've ever seen." The Baroness responded to the criticism of her tweet by stating she had not meant it in a derogatory manner.

The rapper Ben Drew otherwise known as Plan B made a public statement on his website in March 2012 to oppose the use of the word 'chav', describing the term "a derogatory phrase no different to the ones concerning race or sex". Speaking on BBC Radio 1Xtra he said "When you attack someone for the way they talk, the way they dress, the music they listen to or their lack of education and you do it publicly you make them alienated".