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Public Lecture Series

University of East London

How the white working class became ‘chav’: formations of class and race in Essex further education colleges

Dr John Preston, School of Education.

The term ‘chav’ recently entered the Oxford English Dictionary. Like its American equivalent, ‘white trash’, ‘chav’ is generally used as a term of abuse, identifying its subject with bad taste, low education and anti-social behavioural patterns. Little consideration has as yet been given to how real people are affected by the use of this derogatory stereotype. 

Through an in depth study of white, working class students studying vocational subjects in Essex, Dr John Preston, Senior Lecturer in Citizenship and Education, has uncovered lecturer discourses and college practices that parody students as vulgar, over-consuming and over-sexualised stereotypes.

Dr Preston's most recent book, ‘Whiteness and class in education’ (Springer, 2007), investigates the idea that the white working class is being ‘re-racialised’ – differentiated from the white middle and ruling classes. In his UEL public lecture, Dr Preston will examine this development and explain how its implications affect the practices of everyone employed in education.

All welcome - admission free.

For further details, contact Franc Gooding on 020 8223 2884 or f.gooding@uel.ac.uk, or visit www.uel.ac.uk/lectureseries.

For travel information to our Stratford Campus see: http://www.uel.ac.uk/about_uel/why_uel/stratford.htm


© 2008

Social Science Perspectives on the 2012 London Olympic Games

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