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Chav

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Chav is a slang term in popular usage throughout the United Kingdom, usually used in a derogatory fashion, referring to a subcultural stereotype of a person with: fashions such as flashy 'bling' jewellery and/or flat fronted, occasionally Burberry caps; congregating around places (sometimes known as chavaramas) such as fast-food outlets or other shopping areas; a concentrated music taste (centred loosely around drum and bass, rap and hip hop); and a culture of antisocial behaviour.

Origins and Etymology

The word 'chav', as a pejorative term, was until very recent times a localized phrase, notably in the London area. In the early years of the noughties, the growing numbers of similar types of youth around the country came to the attention of the London-based national media. The word chav was adopted as covering all such groups of youths such as charvers, scallys, townies and neds. It should be pointed out that some of these terms are much older than 'chav' and have had different connotations in the past.

The label, which has only come to national population in the last 2 years, implies someone who is uneducated and uncultured. The label is typically, though not exclusively, applied to teenagers and young adults of working class or lower-middle class origin. In the past such a person would have been called a yob. Response to the term has ranged from acceptance to criticism that the term is a new manifestation of classism.

Chav is used for both sexes; a male chav may sometimes be referred to as a chavster and a female as a chavette. The most similar slang in the United States is probably the term guido (UrbanDictionary). Chav also has similarities to American terms such as wigger and trailer trash, and the Australian term bogan. On the other hand, the term chav does not bear the racial overtones of its American counterparts, and many chavs are part of multi-ethnic inner city communities like London council estates. A more complete list of synonyms can be found in the Derived and Similar Terms section below.

The term may also be used as an adjective; for instance, a certain car might be refered to as "chav", or a person may be said to dress "chav", if the car or dress match the image of a chav. Often this is extended to the word "chavvy", meaning 'chav-like' or 'to the taste of a chav'

Numerous suggestions have given different etymologies to the term. This is partially thanks to the fact that it appears to have developed seperatly in more than one region:

  • The word chav is most commonly held to be a distortion of the Anglo-Romany word charvi meaning "child". This word could have entered the English language through English dialects which have borrowed Romany words, such as Cockney where other Romany loan words are common (e.g. mush for "friend" and pikey for "outsider") or Palare a coded slang used first by travelling circus communities, and more recently in theatrical societies and gay ingroups.
  • Another theory is that the word chav comes from a suppposed Romany sub-group called the "charvers". This point is supported by the use of charver in the North East and Edinburgh, pre-dating the rise of the 'chav'.
  • Following an article in The Independent it has been suggested that the word comes from a nickname used for people from various towns in the UK, in particular Chatham.
  • It is sometimes mockingly redefined as one of several backronyms, including "Council Housed And Violent", "Council Housed And Vile", "Council House Assault & Violence", "Council House Associated Vermin", "Council House Adolescent Violence" and "Council House Adidas Victim" — although there is no etymological basis for these terms. (In the large majority of cases, suggested derivations of words from acronyms are erroneous.)

Key concepts

This stereotyped subculture is defined in part by outsiders. Few self-identify with these labels and groupings, more often seeing them used by those on the outside to categorise those supposed conformance to stereotype. Note, however, that "lotto lout" Michael Carroll has "King of Chavs" emblazoned on the side of his car and a number plate reading " L111 OUT."

The essential stereotype is of being loudly lower-class, with 'class' defined by taste rather than (necessairily) by income.

Elements of the stereotype

Typical features of the stereotype include:

An image of the stereotypical chav. Note track suit, bling and Burberry cap.
  • The wearing of particular clothing, such as
    • Scallywear, brand name athletic clothing and shoes. Stereotypically, this might include "prison-white" trainers / trainers such as Reebok Classics); tracksuits; and for females stilettos.
    • Fake designer clothing and accessories, in particular the distinctive tartan of Burberry, similar to (and perhaps derived from) the casuals of football supporters.
    • A love of "bling", that is, gaudy gold jewellery: in particular hoop earrings and large dangling golden clowns on chains for females and gold sovereign rings for males. The Elizabeth Duke brand from Argos (Argos Gold has been linked with this.
    • Sports caps and hoodies. Often both are worn, the hood pulled up over the baseball cap, thus obscuring the facial features.
    • Sports or jogging trousers, often tucked into white sports socks, so as to show off the sports label on the socks which would otherwise be hidden. These are also referred to as tracky b's or trackies.
  • For females, thickly applied make-up, the heavy use of fake tan, and the hairstyle known as the "Council House Facelift" or "Croydon Facelift" in which the hair is pulled back into a tight bun or ponytail.
  • An association with crass, drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities. This includes unprovoked attacks on members of the public (see happy slapping), vandalism, verbal abuse and drug abuse. This may be carried out under the influence of cheap alcohol such as White Lightning or Lambrini, and often after the pubs have closed.
  • An association with housing estates and other low-income neighbourhoods.
  • The ownership of a large, dangerous attack dog and a heavily modified car (known as a 'chavmobile'), usually of low original specification, but decorated in the style as typified by the film The Fast and the Furious. Typical vehicles include the Vauxhall Nova and Corsa, the Ford Escort and Renault Clio.Also seen but perhaps less common are the Citroen Saxo and the Nissan Micra.These vehicles are chosen because of their low initial cost and the ease and relative cheapness of modifying them.

A high specification music system with amplified bass may also be included in the cars.

  • A proclivity for under-aged drinking and sex (and, consequentially, an association with teen pregnancy).
  • Congregating and loitering in areas such as shopping malls, outside off-licences and fastfood carparks.
  • A fondness for txt slang
  • Pronunciation of English that is seen to be unsophisticated - for example, the pronuciation of 'thing' as 'fing'. There may be a tendancy to use a North London accent, irrespective of the chav's geographical location,

Development of the Stereotype

Commercial impact

The chav stereotype and image has had impact upon the commercial world.

The Burberry clothing brand acquired links with the chav subculture and ceased production of its branded baseball cap, in an attempt to distance itself from the stereotype. They pointed out that chavs were usually associated with counterfeit versions of the clothing: "They're yesterday's news," stated Stacey Cartrwright, the CEO. "It was mostly counterfeit, and Britain accounts for less than 10% of our sales anyway."

The Thomson Directories Ltd. has reported that the popularity of "chav culture" has both increased the quantity of listings in certain categories and influenced the way that it categorized its Thomson Local directory. It reports that:

  • there has been a 15% increase in alloy wheels suppliers advertising since 2000;
  • there has been a 50% increase in the number of car customisation and conversions specialists;
  • there has been a 20% increase in car kit assemblers;
  • there has been a 15% increase in the size of the car painters and sprayers listing; and
  • it has created a whole new heading, renaming the Car Radio Dealers section to Car Audio and Entertainment Systems in 2003.

Other brands that are seen to be 'chav' include: Elizabeth Duke, JJB, Allsports, Kappa, MTV and Fred Perry.

Media characterisation and comment

The character Vicky Pollard as portrayed in the BBC comedy series Little Britain by Matt Lucas is the most iconic chav. She is often seen in a Kappa tracksuit and describes her activites of under-age drinking and sex, mindless gossip, petty crimes and playing truant. She also has no resepct for forms of authority. A similar character on The Catherine Tate Show, Lauren, is another satirical portrait of a chav, using the catchphrases "Am I bovered?" and "You disrespecting my family?"

The Gallagher family from the Channel 4 series "Shameless" share many chav characteristics including alcohol abuse, petty criminality, underage sex and maintaining a large family on state benefits. In this case the family is presented in a sympathetic light in an extension of the "Sympathetic Scally" characters found in Brookside and Boys from the Blackstuff.

The British magazine Viz includes a character called Tasha Slappa, an exaggerated teenage female "charva". The strip satirises chav culture. (The character was originally called "Kappa Slappa" until the Kappa (company)|Kappa company filed a lawsuit against Viz. It is unknown whether the term "Kappa Slappa" predates its adoption by Viz.)

Lottery millionaire Michael Carroll is the self-proclaimed King of The Chavs due to his lifestyle and antics. He is frequently derided in the tabloid press for his anti-social behaviour, often referring to him as the "Lottery Lout".

The Welsh rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain are frequently described as an example of the chav aesthetic, though the group heavily satirize chav culture.

Critcism of the Stereotype

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism from some quarters, many arguing that it amounts simply to classism and that social problems such as teenage pregnancy, delinquency and alcoholism in low-income areas are hardly appropriate subjects to laugh about. Julie Burchill writing in The Guardian in 2005 defence of chav girls, arguing that reduced social mobility means that an education as the traditional route out of poverty has limited value. Burchill claims that it was logical that chavs would aspire to role models such as Jade Goody and Victoria Beckham, who have risen from economically poor backgrounds to fame and money. Burchill also produced a Sky One television programme on the topic.

The controversy around the term was also the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in July 2005, entitled simply 'Chavs'. This documentary, however, was accused of bias chavs.

Derived and similar terms

There are many regional and local synonyms. For example, chav is equivalent to one definition of townie but is more specific in its usage.

Similar terms are scobe/scanger (in Ireland, Dublin in particular), spide and steek for boys and millies for girls (in Northern Ireland), and ned or schemie (Scotland). North & South Wales use the terms townie and scally.

A more comprehensive list of terms with more or less similar meanings includes:

Bam, Barry, Bazza, Bhav, Bogan, Casual, Charver, Chavalier, Chavette, Chavster, Chavver, Chore, Chore-Banger, Dumbo, Gazza, Giles, Hatchy, Hood Rat, Janner, Johno (Hull), Kappa Slappa (female only), Kev, Knacker, Millie Ned, Norrie (Northsider) (Cork, Ireland), Pikey, Ratboy, Rick Wing, Rudeboy, Rudie, Rude, Scally (Liverpool, England), Schemie, Scranner (Leeds, England) Scumbag (Dublin, Ireland), Scutter, Shazza, Skanger (Dublin, Ireland) Spide, Steek (Northern Ireland, Stig, Telf, Townie, Tracy, Trendy, Trev, Twocers (acronym for Taking Without Owner's Consent), Westie (Auckland, New Zealand), Yarco, Yeadner.

Many of these are only partial synonyms and have subtle, or even major, differences from the stereotype presented above.

To "chav" something is used as a substitute for the verb "to steal" in some areas, perpetuating the chav link with crimes such as shoplifting and petty theft.

Related terms for urban or suburban miscreants can be found in the dictionary entry for "chav".

There are a number of neologistic collective nouns for a group of chavs, among the most popular being a chavalanche or a chavalcade.

Charva

A charva (also spelt charver) is a member of one of the oldest and, it is claimed, distinct of groups that are labelled as chavs. They exist in the North of England.

Charvas are very similar to chavs, and as such are often considered to be the same thing, although upon closer examination there are several differences between the two. For example, a charva is often anybody who is stereotypical of the lower class, whereas chavs are often identified more distinctively for their dress sense, speech pattern and way of life. The term "chav" is also rarely used in the north east, where charvas are most common.

Despite a long-term existence it was only in the second half of the 1990s that 'charva' started to become common slang for the North East lower class. The term started to become popular with changes in youth lifestyle resulting in many subcultures, including goths and skaters, and continued to become more popular to the extent of effectively being placed permanently in to the Geordie language as the derogatory term it is often seen to be.

The subculture

File:Charva2.jpg
A charva wearing a Burberry cap, common within the subculture

The origins of the charva subculture are disputed, and existed before the term having begun to form as youths started to become more independent toward the end of the 1980s. Due to the high youth crime rate in Newcastle it is likely that the origins simply came from groups of friends performing criminal acts, and slowly starting to fit the traits of 'charvaism' during the 1990s. With the rise of the term, possibly used as a simple put-down at first, the subculture began to take more prominence and by 1998 was clearly more appealing to the more unruly, antisocial youths of the North East.


The music

Chavs are often most associated with heavy dance music and rap or R'n'B. In paticular, acts such as Nelly, Beyoncé, Goldie Lookin' Chain and DJ Sammy can be seen as typical chav favourites.

Music is also an influence in the clear charva dislike of people they consider to be "goths" - which not only includes real goths but also such varied groups as punks, skateboarders and anyone in general who likes guitar based music.

See also

References

  • "British tabloids savage 'snooty' Burberry". 2005-01-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help) (via Agenda) — reporting the comments of Stacey Cartrwright
  • White, Alison (2005-07-13). "The chav effect". {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help) — reporting the effect on the Thomson Local directory
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