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- Group history and Origins
The word chav is rooted from the roman word ‘chavi’ which translated into English means child. The word chav was initially used to describe the youth found in the south eastern regions of England to describe a young person who behaves recklessly and is bad-mannered. In 2004, chav became Oxford Dictionary’s buzzword of the year and picked up a wide spread of popularity in media and England’s mainstream culture.
Chavs are rebellious individuals who portray a stereotypical image of the English working class (Pickering, 2013). They are typically young, low-class individuals who act out in a self-assertive behavior in order to demonize the working class. Non-chavs view chavs as the undeserving poor and the underclass citizens of British society.
There have been other words to describe such individuals across several regions of England and parts of Europe. Referring to someone has a ‘ned,’ rooted from Scottish regions, would be equivalent to calling someone a chav. In the north west, such individuals would be called ‘Scally.’ The working class has existed for centuries dating back to England’s industrial revolution. Chavs are merely a representation of modern day working-class individuals who have caught the attention of mass media and major UK newspaper for their outlandish societal presence.
Overall chavs are often degraded and viewed as uneducated and churlish individuals in British society. Despite their underclass status, chavs have become associated with high end brands including Burberry, leaving an imprint of their tacky, athleisure style in the modern fashion industry.
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- Group Differentiation
Aside from their loutish demeanor, chavs engage in several group behaviors which isolate them from other social groups. Amongst the vast number of stereotypes and social stigmas evolving chavs, Chav-speak is one of their most significant identifiers. In fact, books have been written, helping individuals to better engage in their linguistic behaviors. When speaking, chavs will often drop the ‘h’ in the beginning of words and replace a ‘th’ sound with an ‘f.’ For example a chav might say ‘fanks’ instead of thanks and ‘ouse’ instead of house.
In addition to their odd linguistic behaviors, chavs are recognized for their contribution to the grime culture. The genre can be identified as electronic/hip-hop/rap. Grime music illustrates the urban experience of inner city areas of the UK. Therefore, it was initially brought up by working class youth in schools and street corners. It was only recently that grime became apart of British music culture and was recognized by famous artists like Kanye West. Some current chav grime artists include Lady Sovereign, N-Dubz, and the Blackout Crew. Lady Sovereign is a seventeen year old chavette MC, who writes music reflecting the modern day chav culture. In her song Love Me or Hate me she claims, “I don’t like drinkin? fancy champy. I’ll stick wit Heineken beers. Whoops! Might burp in ya face A little unladylike, what can I say?” Through her music, Lady Sovereign validates the stigma associated with chav’s ill-mannered behavior and their tendency to be heavy drinkers. Despite the offputting lyrics often found in grime music, grime has made a large come up in British music culture.
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As its is often mentioned in grime music, chavs are stigmatized as being heavy drinkers of cheap liquor, cigarette smokers, and users of provocative language. They are also recognized for transgressive public behavior and aimlessly wandering street corners. Often times, chavs are unwelcome in establishments as they tend to loiter and act publicly indecent. Some of these indecent acts may include, vandalism, theft, public intoxication, and group violence. It is believed that chavs engage in rebellious behavior as a way of seeking thrill and a desire to overcome their individual limits.
Chavs are also fond of having an excessive number of tattoos because they are not held to highly respected professions. Unlike working class jobs, prestigious professions are less accepting of tattoos as they appear unprofessional. The chavs on the other hand embrace this part of their identity, and therefore cover themselves in meaningless body art.
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