Upper, middle, or working class?

[Greycatgingercat]

I was speaking to another parent at DD's nursery and she said that she was upper class. Her husband is a doctor and she does embroidery but mentioned that she also uses dr as her title. She's a lovely lady and we work in similar fields as I run a small business making children's cloths.

I'd never really spoken about class before this, so it prompted me to have a conversation with my mother. I'd consider myself working class but my mother would consider herself middle class, as her father was a head teacher yet she never worked after I was born so after my father left we relied on benefits.

The lady at DD's nursery is originally form Pakistan, but has lived in the UK for 7 years so I'm not sure if it's more of a cultural thing her telling me her class.

What class would you consider yourself as and what do you think makes someone a particular social class?

[Nowayhozay]

I consider myself working class and I feel rightly proud of the fact as well.
On reflection I guess I have a typical middle class life now but in my heart I am still and will always be working class.

I had a very working class childhood, hard work and a bit of luck has given me a more comfortable lifestyle but I have never lost those working class values.

[AdoraBell]

I nearly sprayed my tea over my sister when she told me she is upper middle class. We grew up on a council estate in Hackney. Pre war flats with no central heating or double glazing. Father worked for the post office and mother was a cleaner.

DH clearly thinks class is based purely on income. His parents bought a new build in leafy Kent in 1960. Another new build in the early 70’s. That’s a detached house within 30 mins of travel to central London. He was a solicitor. But because DH has had no income for the last three years he’s suddenly working class

[Flaxmeadow]

you just make my point stronger. If the class system isn't an issue in this country why the majority of the people in power from the upper middle classes?

Class is definitely an issue in this country. I agree.

But the left ignore class perspective now, in favour of identity politics and fringe issues. That's a shame I think

[MollyButton]

Obviously a princess is a princess anywhere - but the lower down you go, the more confusing it gets.

Except in some places being a princess isn't that impressive - eg. pre-revolution Russia- real Royalty were Grand Duchesses, Princess was far more widespread a title.

[queenofarles]

Upper class people often DO work. But they don't need to work to eat. They do it for other reasons. I beg to differ, lots of UC people work to pay rent and pay bills,100 or so years ago most gentry and nobles owned land had great incomes from rent, since then a great number have sold their properties. So that income is gone unless they’ve made great investments to last multiple generations
I’m not British but I see some similarities with British UC , for example both my parents are I would say from old established families both come from wealth and had UC upbringing , it’s easy to spot them and say , yes they are UC no matter which country they are in , . They just had it, the way they dressed, talked behaved and presented themselves.
So being UC Is something that can’t be bought I think , it’s the background you are born into.

[5zeds]

years ago most gentry and nobles owned land had great incomes from rent, this is work. Running an estate wasn’t just getting up and powdering your wig. They ran (and some still run) on hard work exactly like any other business.

[jojomolo]

I'm not confused. My point is that we think these things in this country - that the class system is so complex and blah - of course there are all these particular markers -supper, napkins, knowing about wine - but actually this is a cargo cult delusion of the failed elite. At base there is just power.

[LauraBassi]

@SonjaMorgan

The class system is bollocks. Most of this country is a few paychecks away from losing everything.

Yes. Shocking so.

[Snaileyes]

@Usernamealreadyexists

Class is a very big thing in Pakistan. She probably has no concept of what upper class in the UK means.

This. The caste system is very ridged and you don’t marry out of it

[RickOShay]

Quite @jojomolo
Power and the desire to hold onto it, and the pervading aroma of arrogance.
The upper classes are anything but benign, they benefit from the status quo, and by and large, with few exceptions, hold other classes in utter contempt and disdain.

[PurBal]

I identify as middle class. But people perceive me as working class because I do admin.

[nosswith]

I think most people would consider me as middle class, but if you compared me with those in say Highgate or Muswell Hill (less than half an hour away from me), you would think we lived on a different planet, and they would also consider themselves middle class.

[FraughtwithGin]

Sloane Ranger Handbook - came out in the 80s, I think or Jilly Cooper "Class" will give anyone an insight.
However, much like the English language, these are only "snapshots" or "stereotypes".
What both of these books underline is that, if you have good manners and are dressed appropriately for the occasion, you are fine.
I would add, if you speak correct English (no f for th) you will do well.

[AnotherEmma]

@nosswith

I think most people would consider me as middle class, but if you compared me with those in say Highgate or Muswell Hill (less than half an hour away from me), you would think we lived on a different planet, and they would also consider themselves middle class.

That's because there's a big range in the "middle class" category and it's why there's lower middle and upper middle.

[queenofarles]

5zeds not always , bigger estates had overseers and estate mangers to do all the "work".

[Tootsietoot]

@Flaxmeadow l think we agree! The needs of the working class have been completely left out if politics unless they can be used to gain power. Both parties need the middle ground so labour has gone too far to the right and appeasing middle England (now) as they assume they had the working classes and the Tories saw an easy win by playing base politics.(immigration etc)

[5zeds]

@queenofarles a bit like the hierarchy in a large company? Do we imagine directors “don’t work”? Estates where the heir was a waster and didn’t pay attention did not prosper.

[Bloodybridget]

It's not just the aristocracy who are upper class; to me, it's also the old families, landed gentry who go back many generations - even if some of them lost all the money and had to make a convenient marriage or turn the estate into a safari park.
Conversely, being a multimillionaire absolutely does not make you upper class.
But working class/middle class is very complicated.

[DuchessMinnie]

@olderthanyouthink

She uses her husbands title? Weird, makes me think of Princess Michael of Kent

Yes but Princess Michael is correct. Like the duchess of Cambridge can also use Princess William. Only princesses born into the royal family get to use their own Christian name with the title Princess.

[SleepingStandingUp]

Working class, no hope of being anything else

[Dandelionwine3]

@Cam2020

Epic typing fail! British class system

I think its.dead.appropriate actually! Defining.people.by their class.is.an.arse.system!

[5zeds]

I think she IS a Dr (though possibly not a medical one) and wanted OP to know she was academically equal to her spouse.

She does sound a bit odd.

[thatfilmfromthe90s]

I’m not sure. DH thinks I’m middle class but I feel like I’m working class. My DM’s West Yorkshire family scrimped for her to go to boarding school - they were all very working class (joiners/window cleaners). She was a single mum on benefits while I was growing up, and we were pretty poor. She got a job when I was in my mid-teens, had paid off her mortgage and is pretty comfortable now.

I was bright and did well at school - I have a MA and work in the cultural sector, so pretty middle class in terms of my job. DH and I are comfortably off and I suppose appear more middle class than working class. The kids do ballet and riding. But I feel like an imposter!

[hopefulhalf]

I imagine the Duchess of Cambridge feels like an imposter too.

[eaglejulesk]

Thank god I live in Ireland where the question of "what class are you in?" Can be answered only in relation to primary school children.

Thank God I live in NZ where the same applies!!!