Class

"we are all middle class now"

What defines class?

 

£10/20/30,000 income per annum.

 

we've defo got the underclass - or the chav scum as some people like to call them...

 

Hi Mo,

Where does that quote come from? Who says we are all middle class?

SCIDB

 

Hi Dean.

It's a quote I've heard/read a couple of times.
On one of the breakfast shows today they were also discussing it. I didn't pay much attention but got the impression it may have been a politician who has said it lately. Reference to Prescott, and how we should all now have two Jags.
Typing the quote into google brings up lots of results.

I'm just interested to know how Class is defined?

 

Hi,

Class has always been an issue in this country. From a long time class has been a big issue with a number of people. I do think there has been change in who is middle class.

All around the world there are many examples of class systems but here the UK, it has been very interesting. There has been many indications to class and class groupings.

Centuries ago, there were people who were born into nobility & royalty. Then there was everyone else, the commoners. We still see this today with the house of commons and the house of Lords.

Even then, the commoners were split into groups.:

The Baronetage - commoners with the hereditary title of Baronet

The Knights - commoners who had been knighted by the monarch

The Gentry - commoners with inherited wealth and no need to work

The Professionals - Lawyers, doctors, and members of the Church of England

The Yeomanry - a rural class who owned their means of production, such as farmers who owned the land they worked, millers who owned their own mills, etc.

Tenant farmers - farmers who leased their land

Tradesmen

Labourers

Pre industrial revoulation, these groups allowed movement up the social scale but it was restricted. It was very hard for Labourers and tradesmen to get far up the ladder.

The industrial revolution genetrated wealth and prosperity for many and this helped some to climb the ladder of class. The thing is that the people, who were already in a certain class level, didn't always like new faces on the block. This lead to the sort of snobbery that we still can have today.

As the 20th century moved on, development and wealth continued. The class division seemed to develop into;

the upper classes - the nobility and the extremely rich

the upper-middle classes - the wealthy with private incomes

the lower-middle classes - a large class including small manufacturers, shop keepers, civil servants, secretaries, professionals, etc.

the working class - factory workers, agricultural workers, etc.


As upward mobility continued, it allowed working class families to become lower middle class & lower middle class to become upper middle class and so on.

There would also be the established middle class looking down on the newer middle class as not being the right sort. Lack of standing, lack of education etc. But if they played the game, they were allowed to join the club.

This would be things like moving to the right areas, sending kids to the right schools, mixing with the right crowds etc.

I can see why some people may think that "we're all middle class". If you look at some of the things that can determine middle class. A number of people do fall into one of these.

1/ Education

More people have gone further up the education tree. More people than ever have gone into higher education and gained qualifications. This was just for the upper and (well off) middle classes at one time. Working class people didn't go on the whole, they could afford it. Only the lucky few went at one time.

This has changed alot in the last 40+ years. A wide range of people go to university now. Also a number of people from so called working class or lower middle class backgrounds, send their kids to private schools.

2/ Professionals

This has changed alot over the years. at one time it was people who had titles such as doctors, Reverends and lawyers. A professional nowdays intakes a much bigger grouping. Not all doctors are doctors of medicine. Teachers, nurses, scientists, engineers, policemen, civil servants etc.

There is more skilled work around that require a certain level of training and education.

3/ Wealth

Post war prosperity has seen a number of people become better off, overall. People have moved up the social scale by having more money. This can be from investing money, inheriting money, getting well paid jobs, promotions, starting & running their businesses, etc. In a number circles, money is everything and can lead to more doors opening for you. Also a number of jobs can produce a "so called" middle class income.

4/ Housing

More and more people have got on the property ladder. With supply being smaller demand, there has been a big movement of class into various areas. Middle class people haved moved in to working class area and change the outlook of the area. Working class people have been able to move to middle class areas due to big prices rises in their areas.

5/ Social standing and expectation

A number of working class families have believed in upward mobility. They have encouraged the best for their children. This can be through doing well at school, in sport, in the community or in society. Things such as sending kids to private school, extra lessons, teaching their kids to speak with without a major accent, pushing their children into anything that may have some sort of benefit to them.



These are just a few thoughts.


SCIDB

 

Some interesting thoughts

When my sister went to university in the late 70s, it was (I think) quite unusual........she is VERY clever.

Her two/one in biochemistry at the time was worthy of some note.

Every other person has got one now (though I certainly don't!)......or a greater proportion shall we say.

 

I expect that class can now be defined by how much control a person has over what happens to them but I may be wrong.