Meet the Natives

Writer: Dr Luke Freeman

What is Anthopology? | An Englishman's home | Language and class | Body language | Meet the Natives

An Englishman's home

A suburban street

Our anthropologist might become inquisitive about the apparent obsession of the English with their houses and gardens. Why are the television schedules crammed with programmes about moving house, doing up your house, or giving your garden a makeover? Why are the price of housing and the evils of estate agents everyday topics of conversation? And why on bank holidays are the DIY superstores crammed with home improvers? And what is meant by the saying, 'An Englishman's home is his castle?'

One way an anthropologist might analyse this phenomenon is in terms of social class. Houses are excellent indicators of class because they display two of the most important factors in a class system: money and style.

People often assume that the more money you have, the higher you are in the class system. But does an aristocrat who falls on hard times and has to sell his stately home lose his 'upper class' status? And does the garage mechanic who wins the lottery and buys the stately home become an aristocrat?

Styles of home décor often indicate class status. Furnishings such as door handles, cutlery, coffee tables and light fittings are the details of everyday life that can form the basis of an anthropological analysis of class. They are private possessions with public meaning.

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