Read on Twitter
1/ Why @GoodwinMJ & @BBradley_Mans interventions on white working class are important. A thread. https://twitter.com/kenanmalik/status/1318072882237497345">https://twitter.com/kenanmali...
2/ It’s true the left cares about class. But the priority it accords it has fallen: ‘In Labour’s 2017 rulebook, there are 206 mentions of ‘women’, ‘woman’ and ‘gender’ in the space of 91 pages, compared to 97 related to race and ethnicity and just two of ‘class’.’ @bencobley
3/ It’s true that there are still spheres where race disadvantage exists. Issue is mismatch of funds/attention/targets given the scale of class vs. race/gender under-representation. With limited resources, prioritising smaller effects over larger reflects ‘cultural turn’ of left
4/ Double-standard. We should celebrate minority/female success & pluck. But you can’t call a disparity racism when one group is ahead & explain it as the result of a more achievement-focused culture when the shoe on the other foot. A consistent explanation, across all, is best
5/ The reality is that in addition to material factors, cultures of intellectualism need to be seriously analysed, whether minorities or whites display them. Then to consider what deeper discussions or interventions can encourage them among underperforming groups.
6/Culture is not static, but changes massively over time. Failing to have this discussion will wind up failing the most deprived groups. And while class is a key category, ethnicity or religion also have causal explanatory power, or ethno-class cultures, like white working class
