Middle class life

[Blueandsilver]

Not one of those goady or provocative titles. I suppose I see Mumsnet in this bracket although perhaps less so than maybe ten years ago.

I’m just thinking things like Downton Abbey, John Lewis, national trust memberships, NCT classes, Volvos, Labradors.

What else?

Class does exist. Though who don't acknowledge it are ignoring/trivialising the challenges and barriers that poor people/communities face

That's really interesting what you have to say about Rooneys.

I reckon it's harder these days to pinpoint a class on someone when they haven't followed the "traditional route."

The Rooneys from WC backgrounds are still WC according to some despite their immense wealth and luxurious lifestyle.

However if he had become a city lawyer I take it he'd be middle class even with the same background and less money.

@Lykia as I said above the children are impeccably behaved, a credit to their parents. Very smiley, happy, polite young boys.

I don't think you can declare the Rooney boys umc because they're polite and well behaved in public. I think moving classes through upbringing generally in one up or down. Obv marriage ie Kate Middleton regardless of her class is UC now shes the Duchess of Cambridge but the Rooney kids i'd say are wealthy middle class. Ah but its all so arbitary isnt it. I tick many of the cultural class markers for MC, i have a degree, in def wc. I could pass for lmc on meeting

Or it's just that politeness and good behaviour is independent of class and background.

Like most things cited as 'class markers'.

I don't know how you'd class the Rooney's, Colleen looked so lovely & very organised, the boys perfectly behaved, very quiet, polite & well turned out. Wayne wasn't with them. They also go to a private school so I would imagine they will be very wealthy, well educated young men in a few years time with very proud parents. I like the way the Rooney's keep them shielded unlike the Beckhams.

But the Rooney kids, raised by wc parents, have manners instilled in them by their wc parents. Unless you think wc are all rude little shits and they're merely emulating their mc peers.

I rather doubt that the Rooneys give a stuff that random people don't think they qualify as middle class and why should they.

I've known a few very grand, titled people. I don't hold to the frequently expressed view that aristocrats are all down to earth types who will befriend anyone, but they do seem to have a sort of innate confidence that I think comes from your family getting to the top of the heap and staying there for centuries.

The arguing on these threads about what is seen as "middle class" demonstrates a lack of confidence about self and choices, and the need to conform. It's a shame the British haven't really managed to move beyond this because it is quite poisonous and divisive.

So basically working class people don’t appreciate literature or art, are less inclined to own a Labrador (cause they all have Staffies, right?) and definitely don’t own a Volvo. Oh and they’re in masses of debt whereas middle class people definitely aren’t because they totally all know how to manage money better than the plebs.

This thread is absolutely pathetic.

No not at all, Colleen & Wayne have done a brilliant job with them & all credit is down to them. I belive that Colleen & Wayne as very close to both their extended families so I'm sure they have played a part in the Rooney boys nature as well. Can't comment on any other celeb kids, these are the only ones I've seen in real life😊

I don't know anything about 'the Rooney children' but the family background is presumably stolidly working class and no matter how rich they might be (it's not necessarily about money) that's how they'll be viewed.

Cheese

The Rooneys from WC backgrounds are still WC according to some despite their immense wealth and luxurious lifestyle.

Yes, the Rooneys will still be considered working class because of their background, etc

However if he had become a city lawyer I take it he'd be middle class even with the same background and less money.

Quite possibly, yes!

The wealth only might be an indicator. Technically you can live in a council house or be unemployed, or penniless and homeless, and still be upper class, or one of the middle class sub sections on account of your background etc.

"Poor" communities. Not "low class". It's all to do with money. If you have money you can buy the opportunities.

My children attended a private school in Edinburgh- the working classes with money did not ever really integrate with the traditional well off professional middle classes- in fact there were regular jokes about drug dealers and strippers. The well off working classes didn’t know the code. All blacked out windowed range rovers, botox, designer coats and bad grammar.

...And you wonder why they didn't mix?

I absolutely understand why they didn’t mix- my point is that money doesn’t change your social class.

the working classes with money did not ever really integrate with the traditional well off professional middle classes- in fact there were regular jokes about drug dealers and strippers.

Lovely use of the passive tense there. The jokes just existed did they? They weren’t made by any particular clique about the others?

Who do you think made the jokes!!

Yet you insist it was the monied WC parents who weren’t integrating?

As I said before- all groups have their own ‘code’- working class just as much as middle classes- and groups within that. If you don’t know the code you can’t ever really integrate.

Sounds like the code was made quite hard to crack @Janedoe82 !

Maybe the polite, 21st century thing to do is all relax our codes? Making jokes that fellow school parents are strippers is just embarrassing. No code is worth behaving like that for.

Perhaps the drug dealing WC don't care about the code.

@Janedoe82 can immigrants learn the code?