“Oh, it’s actually quite nice up here”: Reflections on Prejudice, Partiality and Division and Moral Challenges to Inclusivity Created by Gender, Class and Region

Abstract

Written in 2019, the UK is awash with anger and hate over the Brexit issue, in a way I have certainly never previously experienced. Division is rife and fuelled by government, the press and social media. Poverty and age-old prejudices are on the rise. This chapter considers what happens if bias and selfishness is encouraged and I reflect on my own experiences and how bias against gender, class and region is deeply embedded in our everyday experiences. It considers the effects that such bias and unequal treatment can cause for individuals but also its impact on both perpetrators and victims and on wider society. It concludes that the ultimate outcome of supported selfishness could be the destruction of the planet and asks why governments perpetuate inequality and division when all the evidence suggests that actually the most equal societies are the most secure, harmonious and happiest for all members.

This chapter is dedicated to four excellent, but very different, female role models, all Professors of Education who gave me their time, encouragement and support earlier in my career. They were Kathy Hall, Pat Broadhead, Sue Clegg and Anne Campbell.