CLASS-CONSCIOUSNESS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 734, 7 August 1953, Page 5

CLASS-CONSCIOUSNESS

Sir,-It is encouraging to read of activity in the field of social research in New Zealand, but a pity that The Listener reported Mr, Congalton rather than have Mr. Congalton report himself. The article on class-conscious New Zealanders contained no definition of what Mr. Congalton means by "social class," and it is on that account difficult to comment on his report. It does appear, however, that Mr, Congalton too closely ties occupation and "social class." : That a group of persons rated occupations in a certain order can be readily understood, But no certain conclusions regarding social class can be made therefrom. (It would be interesting to know just how Mr. Congalton "put across’ the exact meaning of "social status" to his subjects in the short time that must have been available with each one.) No doubt prestige attaches to certain occupations in the order in which they are listed in the report. But occupational prestige is again not sufficient indication of social class, We are told that the survey was based on the replies of 1033 people, and that "a considerably larger and more representative sample would be required to ‘give a firm result." Yet no "firm" result regarding "social class" can be obtained by pursuing this method of occupatiorfal analysis alone, no matter how many thousands of persons are included. Class distinctions do not rest solely on occupations. There will be broad groupings within the list’ of occupations" rated, but to illustrate "class-consciousness" Mr, Congalton must show that between these broad groups social intercourse is limited by considerations of social status, by feelings of being "higher" or "lower." And, of course, within these broad groupings themselves, there are bound to be numerous differences of status that will depend only in part, if at all, on type of occupation. There is a danger in Mr. Congalton’s approach of equating status and occupation and of projecting social classes on that basis, whereas, conclusions on the nature of the status and relationships of groups must be sought in the attitudes which groups hold concerning one another. Research conducted on the present lines is apt to be misleading.

GILBERT

JOHNSTONE

(Whangarei).

Sir,-It is disturbing in such a widely-read magazine as yours to find such an arrant piece of snobbery as the article on Mr, Congalton’s survey. The contention that we are as class-con-scious as some of the older countries I find hard to believe. I am sure that New Zealanders have their roots firmly in their native soil and traditions and consequently are too closely connected with the old pioneering stock from which our principles havé derived. New Zealand children are taught from an early age that all occupations, dirty or otherwise, are interwoven. We are cogs in a machine, each one utterly dependent upon the other, I think, too, that the practice of taking polls of this nature in schools ig

to be abhorred. It is not constructive and can only confuse a youth’s mind at a time when he is struggling to adjust himself to the very complex world which is opening up to him, As the mother of three children I feel that there is so much worth while that we can do for our young people without bewildering them with harmful inanities

of this type.

DANA

(Auckland) _

Sir,-We New Zealanders do indeed deceive ourselves if we think there are no class distinctions here. Mr. Congalton would have been interested in twa experiences of my own, One was at an afternoon party of about a dozen second and third generation New Zealanders, one of whom was being congratulated. on her daughter’s engagement to a young farmer. "He’s a sheep-farmer,"’ she replied, "not an ordinary farmer!" The second occasion was at a wedding. On one of the guests asking for tea without milk, a remark was passed about the number of country people who did not like milk, Quick came the reply in an offended tone, "We're not cow farmers-we are sheep farmers!" (though no one had mentioned farms). Here is the surprising thing: scarcely one person in either "audience" agreed with me that both these women were unconsciously humorous, or that they were even mildly snobbish.

TOWNIE

(Napier).