Time to stop blaming the middle classes for all ills

Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien once remarked: "If being a professor of the National University of Ireland doesn't qualify you as a member…

Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien once remarked: "If being a professor of the National University of Ireland doesn't qualify you as a member of the middle classes, I don't understand the meaning of the term middle-class."

So I am a middle-class person. As such let me say that I have had enough of being blamed for causing the problems experienced by every disadvantaged group in the country.

All right, you may say, but what has this to do with science? Well, it has to do with the science of psychology.

The media carry a persistent barrage of criticism of the middle class for oppressing or ignoring less well-off groups in society. Let me give a mild example.

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I heard a recent Radio One panel discussion chaired by a well-known personality. The topic of access to third-level education arose. Children of working-class parents take up fewer places than they would if they participated in proportion to their numbers in society.

The panel agreed that the reason for this was lack of resources. If the Government gave more grants and created more places at third level, the participation rate of working-class youngsters would increase.

But where is the extra money to come from?

The chairman supplied the answer: "Tax the better-off," and then added: "But of course the middle classes just don't want to know, do they?" The panel agreed.

And so it goes on. Middle-class indifference, intolerance, selfishness and hogging the lion's share of society's wealth are blamed as largely responsible for high crime rates, discrimination against travellers, homelessness etc.

It would be very convenient if this were true. We would then have a "one-stop-shop" where we could fix most of society's ills. Unfortunately things are not that simple. It is well known in modern psychology that you feel good about yourself in direct proportion to the extent you feel in control of your own life.

Much stress and unhappiness is caused by feelings of lack of control, and this results in much psychosomatic illness. (Stress, Personal Control and Health, A Steptoe, A Adds, Eds Wiley, 1993).

In order to feel in control, to feel personal power, you must first take responsibility for your life. From about the age of 18 everybody has an obligation to accept personal responsibility for their life. This is also a natural human right. If you refuse to accept this responsibility you remain psychologically dependent, you lack the motivation to take action, and you feel bad about yourself.

But how can you accept responsibility for your life if you are confronted by massive negative forces that you could never overcome? Well, you can.

You are not responsible for the roadblocks that life throws in your way. You are only responsible for your attitudes, actions and reactions. Even if you are opposed by massive superior firepower, the decision to accept or reject, to agree or disagree, to fight or retreat, is yours alone to make. Nobody is entitled to take your self-responsibility away. However, you can give it away. If you do, you give up one of your most valuable possessions.

Now, back to the "disadvantaged" and the "advantaged". A plethora of organisations constantly preach to disadvantaged groups: "You are not responsible for the problems you are experiencing. They are caused by this other group who are refusing to treat you properly. Your problems will remain until this group stop oppressing you."

This is entirely the wrong message to deliver to any disadvantaged group. Ironically, many groups who give this message use the term "empowerment" to describe their mission.

Disempowerment would be much more accurate. Such a message neutralises the only real weapon disadvantaged people have, the sense of self-responsibility that will motivate them to help themselves.

It is true that powerful groups often treat less powerful groups unfairly and generally manipulate affairs in their own self-interest. This should not be accepted by the weaker group. But the first basic attitude of the weaker group should be one of self-responsibility: "I will find my most reliable helping hand at the end of my arm."

Once you adopt this attitude you immediately place yourself on an equal human footing with anyone on this planet. And this is your right. But you can only enjoy this feeling of power after you accept self-responsibility. You then proceed to battle against discrimination, unfair practices etc.

Disadvantaged groups should be encouraged to own their problems and to proudly accept responsibility for their lives. They should be encouraged to use the many opportunities available to better themselves. New opportunities should be created.

At the same time they should be encouraged and helped to fight oppression and discrimination. When people are self-responsible and courageous, no discrimination, in a society such as ours, survives long against such dignified tenacity.

Finally, to turn briefly to the better-off groups. Parents know the way to bring a child along is through encouragement and praise, not through criticism. This psychological principle also applies on a larger scale. Telling the middle classes they are a greedy, selfish lot will never motivate them to behave selflessly towards less well-off groups. Constant criticism weakens their motivation to do good.

Far better to encourage and praise and to assume in advance that a generous response will be forthcoming. There is a lot of good in everyone and it responds much more readily to a carrot than a stick.

William Reville is a senior lecturer in biochemistry at UCC