I travelled to Nottingham yesterday to see an exhibition at the Bonington Gallery called After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024. It made me wonder what ‘working class’ meant in 2024. The concept of the working class has long been a cornerstone of societal identity in the UK, rooted in tradition yet continually evolving. Today, it carries with it both historical resonance and contemporary nuance, reflecting changes in the economy, culture, and societal attitudes. I asked Kim, and she saw working class as a group who worked hard all week, and earnt enough money to live but not enough to have any left after paying the bills!
My day started at the Market Rasen Railway Station, from which for £20 return I can travel to Nottingham in about an hour. I often start conversations with people I meet, and yesterday was no exception. I think his name was John, and John was my first conversation of the day. He told me he is a volunteer at the Market Rasen Railway station and I noticed him doing jobs once undertaken by a paid employee. But the interesting thing about the station at Market Rasen is it like a work of art. Maybe there is something beneficial in having volunteers because they do not stop at preparing a place to be functional, they ‘spend’ extra time creating something they want things to be. One of the books I studied for my MA was Postcapitalism by Paul Mason, who argued that he saw a future where the working class would be paid a benefit that did not require them to look for work, but allowed them to survive financially and volunteer for something they loved to do. Could that be a good future?
I also talked to Kirsty as we both waited for the train, a conversation that carried on as we travelled to her destination of Lincoln. She told me she is qualified to teach but prefers the job satisfaction of being a technician in a university, which I found interesting. Maybe it also has something to do with pay levels! I remember being amazed a few years ago when I discovered that a college I studied at offered a higher hourly rate for cleaners than they did for many of their teachers and lecturers!
Then there was Kim, who was on duty at the Bonington exhibition. I was impressed when she told me that she was being paid, rather than the university chasing volunteers for free. She told me that her parents loved Northern Soul, and that hearing them talk about it was her main childhood memory. I photographed her against a series of photographs of Northern Soul, and wondered how I would create an ongoing project about the lives and times of modern working-class people myself.
Traditionally, the working class was associated with manual and physical labour. Occupations like factory work, construction, and trades such as plumbing and electrical work defined this demographic. These roles were often characterised by modest incomes, hourly wages rather than salaries, and limited opportunities for financial advancement. At the heart of this experience lay strong ties to local communities, underpinned by a shared sense of solidarity, tradition, and resilience.
There were some images of shop keepers on display, but I found it interesting that largely the images were of the working class in their non-working lives rather than the working class at work.
One exhibit showed Naseem Hamed in triplicate. Nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002 and I remember him well. I remember him as arriving on the boxing scene dancing and entertaining. He held multiple featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000, and reigned as lineal champion from 1998 to 2001. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was before Kim the gallery member of staff’s time and she told me she did not know who he was. I am not a boxing fan but knew of him through the news he made in his time. I wondered how as new generations are born whether the working class, and their jobs, of my time would be forgotten. I was a press photographer, would my job role be forgotten by the people of the future who film their lives for social media with their mobile phone themselves rather than read about it in the press!
I think that in 2024, the definition of the working class has broadened significantly. It still includes traditional manual labour roles but now also encompasses service industry workers like retail staff, delivery drivers, and care workers. The gig economy has added new dimensions, with many working in temporary or freelance capacities, from ride-share drivers to freelance couriers, often under precarious conditions. Zero-hour contracts and insecure jobs are increasingly prevalent, creating financial instability despite high employment rates.
Housing remains a defining aspect of the working-class experience. Many live in rented accommodations or own homes in less affluent areas, where affordable housing is increasingly scarce. The lack of upward social mobility is a recurring theme, as economic barriers and systemic inequalities often limit opportunities for improvement.
Yet the working class is not merely an economic category; it is a cultural identity steeped in values such as hard work, practicality, and community spirit. These qualities often inspire pride and resilience, even in the face of societal challenges. However, media representations of the working class can be a double-edged sword. Popular culture often highlights their role as the backbone of society, but stereotypes persist, painting them as struggling or underprivileged. Such portrayals fail to capture the diversity and complexity of working-class life.
This brings me to an interesting question: is a teacher working class? At first glance, teaching might seem to belong to the middle class. It’s a professional role that requires qualifications and specialized training, often associated with stable incomes and career progression. But reality is rarely that simple. Many teachers today face stagnant wages and rising workloads, while dealing with financial pressures not unlike those of the working class. Newly qualified teachers, or those on part-time contracts, might find it difficult to make ends meet, particularly in areas where the cost of living is high.
Teachers often share common ground with working-class communities, especially through their union involvement and advocacy for better pay and working conditions. In many ways, their work is deeply embedded in the fabric of those communities, embodying values like hard work, resilience, and solidarity. For teachers who come from working-class backgrounds themselves, the sense of belonging to this group might persist, even if their role suggests otherwise.
Reflecting on all of this, it’s clear that the working class represents a broad spectrum of lived experiences, shaped by economic realities and societal perceptions. It is less about a rigid category and more about the challenges and values that define this group. As the UK continues to navigate economic uncertainties and societal shifts, understanding and supporting the working class—in all its diversity—is crucial to building a more equitable and inclusive future.
The term “working class” may carry echoes of the past, but its meaning continues to evolve, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of those it describes. Their contributions remain vital to the fabric of the nation, and their stories are worth telling—not in stereotypes, but in their rich, nuanced reality.
As I sat on the Nottingham tram to start to head home I noticed that blue jeans were the fashion of the day. Things change, and the blue jeans’ journey from functional workwear to a global fashion staple illustrates their versatility and enduring appeal. The blue jean’s roots lay in manual labour having been invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873. They were made using durable denim fabric, reinforced with rivets at key stress points, making them ideal for hard physical labor. Strauss initially targeted miners and laborers during the California Gold Rush. They became a symbol of the Working Class throughout the early 20th century representing a utilitarian garment for those doing blue-collar jobs. They were commonly referred to as “blue-collar uniforms.” By the mid-20th century, jeans began to transcend their working-class roots. They became a symbol of rebellion and youth culture, popularized by figures like James Dean and Marlon Brando in the 1950s. This shift was cemented in the 1960s and 70s when jeans became a fashion statement across various social classes. Today, jeans are worn universally across all social and economic classes. However, their association with manual labour remains a significant part of their history and cultural identity.
I can see me doing more photography that investigates ‘The Working Classes’ in 2025
You can read more about the exhibition by clicking here