fatvegan

There was some rowdy discussion in my social theory tutorial this morning. It was a debate between - of all things - whether individuals are free or constrained by the culture around them. It went a little something like this.

Older woman: You're background really has a huge impact on your opportunities.
Younger woman: But it's basically about the individual. It's about personal choice.
OW: But out of the 500 people in my class, only 100 finished high-school.
YW: But you came to university, so the rest could have too.
OW: But I didn't come here until I was in my forties.
YW: But basically it's about the individual.
Another young woman: I think it's a personal decision. It's about the individual.
Another older woman: I had the same experience. I came from a working class background, and none of us went to university.
YW: But ultimately people have to choose for themselves. You had all the opportunities I did.
OW: But I don't think I did. I had to work harder.
YW: But it's about the individual.

And so on for about 30 minutes. I don't think anyone clicked that they were having the age-old debate about this stuff. Or that the subject we were studying was completely predicated on the belief that it isn't entirely up to the individual. Social theory is all about blaming the problems of individuals on systems.

It would have been more amusing if the debate hadn't been between two older working class women and bunch of young upper-middle class girls. It's never pleasant hearing the well off scold the poor for everything they fail to achieve.