The strange survival story of the English gentleman, 1945–2010

This article uses evidence from the National Child Development Study and the Mass-Observation project to argue that ideas of 'gentlemanly' behaviour, and a class-coded identity, have not disappeared in post-war English society. Rather, aspects of 'gentlemanly' behaviour - such as modesty about one's achievements and a studied vagueness about one's social position and class identity - provide a means by which people can negotiate the demands of modern 'audit culture', and renew a sense of status.