Why does society hate lower class persons?

[Bombadil]

Reminds me of this story of a CEO and a Janitor/Custodian.

If a CEO does not come to office for a day and his place is locked, there is little to no issue. You can simply chime him in via conference call and have a meeting as per normal if he is needed. Ahh, then when the Janitor does not show up for work just for 30 mins, the whole place is screwed. No one to clean or unlock the toilets, the former no one else wanting to do.

I would call them physical work (or blue collar as the official definition), but they are by no means low-class or unworthy/dumb/lazy/whatever they are going with. I really do love schools and places that appreciate janitors/custodians for the many jobs that they have done over the days. Cleaning by itself is a skill - there is a difference between a cleaner that is thorough and efficient, and ones who are not, and we probably only appreciate that difference if the toilet has gone down the crapper (i.e. got super dirty).

And not to mention most of them are very down-to-Earth if you open up to them, which can be as simple as a small genuine smile to them and appreciating their work. It's unfortunate that they got called low-class, but hey, these "low-class" people are the reason your bathrooms are clean, and trash cleared on a daily basis! ♥

This! Always respect the custodial staff, for they are vital to the function of society.

It tends to reap benefits in favours too, at work I'd always ensure to make friends with the receptionist/PAs, someone in HR and someone in finance - these tend to be viewed as back end operations and not overly important but, boy, can they make your life a helluva lot easier.

[UniversalCommons]

There is a specific advantage in keeping people poor. There are entire industries devoted to it. Rent to own, lottery, foster agencies, liquor stores in minority neighborhoods, and similar things. Many groups specifically take advantage of the poor. It is often not about middle class and upper class. There is so little money at the bottom that actions against the poor are often predatory in nature.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transf ... -industry/ It used to be places like pawn shops were viewed as negative places, now they are celebrated. When people are looked down on and given poor names, they become open to attack.

It goes much further than simply having an advantage in ability. It is having an advantage in ability then taking advantage of people.

[Albrenia]

It makes treating poor people like shit easier if you consider them inferior or 'bad' in some way.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Chimpanzees will beat up on, and take the food out of the mouths of, anyone lower in the hierarchy than they are. Humans tend to do an analogous thing, unless they consciously try not to. It is why it so easy for populist right wing politicians to vilify people at the bottom of the social pile and get votes for doing so.

[USS Monitor]

Some poor people really do a lot of dumb things. This does not mean they are genetically programmed to be dumb. People can do dumb things for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes they just were never taught the skills they need to do better.

For example, back in the 1990s before everyone traded stocks online, my parents had a stock broker they would talk to on the phone or meet with at an office. A few times, my dad brought me to the broker's office with him. I don't remember exactly why. Maybe it didn't fit in his schedule to go while I was in school. But I do remember my dad explaining where we were going, telling me about what the broker did, what stocks are, what dividends are, and so forth.

If someone comes from a family where nobody has ever owned stocks, that stuff would be less familiar. That might mean they don't invest because they don't know how. It might mean they make bad investments and lose money. It might mean they are more vulnerable to scams from predatory "financial advisors."

But when you see someone doing something dumb like wasting all their money on lotto tickets, it's very easy to just go, "Oh, I guess they're dumb," without digging into WHY they are acting that way.

I think much of the hatred towards lower class persons has been intentionally spread by capitalists to turn "middle class" people against their lower class fellows, breaking class solidarity and benefitting the top of society's pyramid by causing infighting.

For that to be coordinated in a purposeful way, the capitalist types would have to be very smart and sophisticated. I don't think they're that organized. Human beings in general are not very organized, and that doesn't magically change just because they have money.

[USS Monitor]

Chimpanzees will beat up on, and take the food out of the mouths of, anyone lower in the hierarchy than they are. Humans tend to do an analogous thing, unless they consciously try not to. It is why it so easy for populist right wing politicians to vilify people at the bottom of the social pile and get votes for doing so.

That's another reason I don't think it's intentionally engineered by the ruling class. It is a pattern that comes easily, even without some sinister capitalist cabal conspiring to make it happen.

[The New California Republic]

By "lower class persons" are you meaning the proletariat or the lumpenproletariat?

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

Well if that's true, it could explain why some people give up completely, becoming permanently unemployed, homeless, or living with the misery of untreated illness.

Drugs, disability, untreated or improperly treated psychiatric illness, and post-traumatic stress, do cause the same thing. But I think some "dropouts" actually choose complete failure because they get pity rather than contempt or hate, as they used to get when they struggled but did badly.

Maybe it's even an attempt to be accepted in any class at all; an 'underclass' where no-one demands you try harder or "make something of yourself". Though I admit I've never known homeless or hermit people that well, having more experience of the hermit style than the street style and (at the time) having some contempt for street people.

[Nilokeras]

Chimpanzees will beat up on, and take the food out of the mouths of, anyone lower in the hierarchy than they are. Humans tend to do an analogous thing, unless they consciously try not to. It is why it so easy for populist right wing politicians to vilify people at the bottom of the social pile and get votes for doing so.

That is not how chimpanzee social hierarchies work. Constantly beating up on social inferiors is a great way to get yourself couped if you're the alpha in a particular band. Social hierarchies in chimpanzees are maintained through coalition building and a mixture of force and cultivated social connections - you get your place in the hierarchy through banding together and working to maintain or improve your station.

All of which is moot because human social systems evolved after the divergence of chimpanzees and humans so there is no analogy to be had from this other than a not particularly interesting bit of appealing to nature.

[Nevertopia]

"Unintelligent", "lazy", "dirty". There are no lack of negative adjectives with which people around us often describe the poor and working class in our society. Studies have shown that we consistently have negative views of the less fortunate, often attributing their failure to having poor work ethic or addictions despite evidence to the contrary, and even claiming they don't deserve to be paid a minimum wage. Classism, defined by Oxford dictionary as "prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class," seems prevalent in our society, particularly against the poor. So, NSG, what is the cause of such discrimination and what can be done?

---

I think much of the hatred towards lower class persons has been intentionally spread by capitalists to turn "middle class" people against their lower class fellows, breaking class solidarity and benefitting the top of society's pyramid by causing infighting.

(Image)

While I cant disagree with your opinion on class warfare in capitalist societies, "lower class persons" have always been discriminated against, be it the peasant class in feudal societies to religious ideologues like the caste system that Ghandi fought against during his time. The answer to your question from my perspective is, people are prone to bigotry and the more vulnerable you are the easier you are to target.

[Karlopetrus]

Here in the USA I don't think society in general hates lower class persons, if by that you mean the working class. After all, most Americans are working class, meaning they need to sell their labor in order to survive. Few of us can survive just by investing our capital, which for many is perhaps a home they own and for others a few thousand in the bank. So how can we hate each other based on class, since we are in the same class?

I suppose you can separate out the "middle class" whatever that is. The politicians like to talk about doing what's good for the "middle class" but few like to use the term "working class, " perhaps because that sounds like socialism nomenclature. We do not have a socialist or labor party of any size.

I think the upper middle class or even the plutocrats don't necessarily hate the working majority, they just see us as potential customers, or as workers to be exploited and then discarded when we are no longer useful. Perhaps it's more indifference to our fate than it is hatred.

Anyway, to go deeper on this issue, I would refer to what my Catholic religion teaches about exploiting the workers. We believe in a living wage, for example. This was made very clear in the early 20th century by popes who were alarmed by the rise of socialism. They made it clear that not paying a worker a living wage is very sinful. But so-called "conservative" Catholics don't talk about that, as far as I know. They uphold Catholic teaching on abortion, for example, but they reject raising the minimum wage. I don't know that "hatred" is the right word for that attitude, but it's certainly greed and selfishness.

[Risottia]

"Unintelligent", "lazy", "dirty". There are no lack of negative adjectives with which people around us often describe the poor and working class in our society. Studies have shown that we

"We" who, exactly?
I guess you just implied you're not working-class.
For one, I am working-class.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Chimpanzees will beat up on, and take the food out of the mouths of, anyone lower in the hierarchy than they are. Humans tend to do an analogous thing, unless they consciously try not to. It is why it so easy for populist right wing politicians to vilify people at the bottom of the social pile and get votes for doing so.

That is not how chimpanzee social hierarchies work. Constantly beating up on social inferiors is a great way to get yourself couped if you're the alpha in a particular band. Social hierarchies in chimpanzees are maintained through coalition building and a mixture of force and cultivated social connections - you get your place in the hierarchy through banding together and working to maintain or improve your station.

All of which is moot because human social systems evolved after the divergence of chimpanzees and humans so there is no analogy to be had from this other than a not particularly interesting bit of appealing to nature.

How you get your place in the chimpanzee hierarchy depends on your gender. Females inherit it from their mother, and youngest daughters are higher than older daughters. Mature males establish their place through violence or at least the threat of violence, you don't need to beat up on another male if they readily submit. Violence only really takes place between those close together in the hierarchy. Coalition building is a factor to stabilise the hierarchy, but it doesn't change the fact that if a chimp that is higher in the hierarchy once your food you give it to them or face violence. You get out of the way and avoid conflict with anyone higher in the hierarchy.

Just because humans diverged from chimpanzees doesn't mean there is no analogous behaviour. Humans clearly behave hierarchically.

[New haven america]

Because the rich have decided it should be that way in order to keep the lower classes infighting instead of going after them.

Just like how they decided capitalism, the system that benefits them the most, is the best economic system.

[New haven america]

That is not how chimpanzee social hierarchies work. Constantly beating up on social inferiors is a great way to get yourself couped if you're the alpha in a particular band. Social hierarchies in chimpanzees are maintained through coalition building and a mixture of force and cultivated social connections - you get your place in the hierarchy through banding together and working to maintain or improve your station.

All of which is moot because human social systems evolved after the divergence of chimpanzees and humans so there is no analogy to be had from this other than a not particularly interesting bit of appealing to nature.

How you get your place in the chimpanzee hierarchy depends on your gender. Females inherit it from their mother, and youngest daughters are higher than older daughters. Mature males establish their place through violence or at least the threat of violence, you don't need to beat up on another male if they readily submit. Violence only really takes place between those close together in the hierarchy. Coalition building is a factor to stabilise the hierarchy, but it doesn't change the fact that if a chimp that is higher in the hierarchy once your food you give it to them or face violence. You get out of the way and avoid conflict with anyone higher in the hierarchy.

No they don't.

It's actually quit common for female chimps to go from tribe to tribe finding ones that gets them the best perks or placing in their social hierarchy.

Not even a sentence in and there's already a major issue with your claim. Also, humans aren't Chimps and we're actually more closely related to Bonobos.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

How you get your place in the chimpanzee hierarchy depends on your gender. Females inherit it from their mother, and youngest daughters are higher than older daughters. Mature males establish their place through violence or at least the threat of violence, you don't need to beat up on another male if they readily submit. Violence only really takes place between those close together in the hierarchy. Coalition building is a factor to stabilise the hierarchy, but it doesn't change the fact that if a chimp that is higher in the hierarchy once your food you give it to them or face violence. You get out of the way and avoid conflict with anyone higher in the hierarchy.

No they don't.

It's actually quit common for female chimps to go from tribe to tribe finding ones that gets them the best perks or placing in their social hierarchy.

Not even a sentence in and there's already a major issue with your claim. Also, humans aren't Chimps and we're actually more closely related to Bonobos.

Yes females that move between troops have to establish a place in the hierarchy. But those that don't inherit their social rank from their mothers.

" Females, unlike males, can inherit their status from their mothers or rise up the pecking order by moving between communities."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasakela_ ... _community

[Eahland]

Because if society didn't hate them, they wouldn't be lower class.

[Socialist States of Ludistan]

Where I’m from? They don’t.

[Nalver And]

well honestly, the lower class is often disappointing by greedy capitalist people, the more wealth they have, the less compassion they have
since lower class are the poor and/or criminals, they view lower class as "poor people and criminals"

[Bombadil]

Chimpanzees will beat up on, and take the food out of the mouths of, anyone lower in the hierarchy than they are. Humans tend to do an analogous thing, unless they consciously try not to. It is why it so easy for populist right wing politicians to vilify people at the bottom of the social pile and get votes for doing so.

That's another reason I don't think it's intentionally engineered by the ruling class. It is a pattern that comes easily, even without some sinister capitalist cabal conspiring to make it happen.

It doesn't need some combined conspiracy, it needs vested and focused interest from disparate groups looking to protect their wealth. That this tends to lead to deregulation, looser workforce regulations, lower tax and thus lower public services.. it's kind of designed.

Wealth looking to protect wealth will have similar tactics.

[Socialist States of Ludistan]

Alright Sanghyeok, are you in the ‘lower class?’

[The Huskar Social Union]

Because the rich have decided it should be that way in order to keep the lower classes infighting instead of going after them.

Just like how they decided capitalism, the system that benefits them the most, is the best economic system.

[Socialist States of Ludistan]

Because the rich have decided it should be that way in order to keep the lower classes infighting instead of going after them.

Just like how they decided capitalism, the system that benefits them the most, is the best economic system.

Capitalism also benefits the lower class, at least where I come from, I of course don’t know how things are where you come from.

[Jarvikan]

"Unintelligent", "lazy", "dirty". There are no lack of negative adjectives with which people around us often describe the poor and working class in our society. Studies have shown that we consistently have negative views of the less fortunate, often attributing their failure to having poor work ethic or addictions despite evidence to the contrary, and even claiming they don't deserve to be paid a minimum wage. Classism, defined by Oxford dictionary as "prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class," seems prevalent in our society, particularly against the poor. So, NSG, what is the cause of such discrimination and what can be done?

---

I think much of the hatred towards lower class persons has been intentionally spread by capitalists to turn "middle class" people against their lower class fellows, breaking class solidarity and benefitting the top of society's pyramid by causing infighting.

(Image)

I think it is to make them feel special and powerful,they think they can make fun of people for not having a relative in high power.Here in England,Private schools are filled with children of celebrities.My school had the children of a footballer coming,yet we were always told to never take this for granted.Every year we would be forced to bring in enough food for a week.Every person would bring in enough food for a week,to help someone less fortuanate.We would also bring in a shoe box with toys and clothes to help kids in Syria,Iraq and poorer parts of the country.We were told to never take it for granted.

[Latvijas Otra Republika]

Because you can rip the piss out of anyone for anything
The rich got their own slew of insults and jokes, same as the middle and the poor. It’s funny.