Interrogating whiteness through the lens of class in Britain: empire, entitlement and exceptionalism

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines ‘whiteness’ from the lens of class in British society. The method used is autoethnography, where the author feels ‘between’ two classes yet not firmly situated in either, allowing interrogation of the church community in the working-class area she grew up. The purpose of this paper is twofold: the first objective is to demonstrate the complexity of the British ‘working-class’ classification and argue that the church can act as a gatekeeper of acceptable middle-class ideals, ostracizing the most economically vulnerable in our society. The second objective is to demonstrate how non-white bodies are seen as outside of the mission of the church. The results of this study display that class and whiteness are integrated into a Christian identity in this church. It also explores the intersections and differences of class and race discrimination in today’s political atmosphere by exploring the logic of imperialism and the legacies of Empire, alongside the concept of ‘British politeness’. The paper outlines how this church enables the community to separate itself from the surrounding deprived area and in turn, through using the work of Graham Adams, illustrates how theological introspection is avoided, lies are projected and normative middle-class whiteness is affirmed.