Which social class am I?

[Chipandcheese]

Inspired by another thread, I'm wondering which social class other people would put me in.

I had a very working class upbringing, raised by a single parent living in a council house. Mum had no qualifications and worked as a cleaner. I attended a standard comp high school in a rough area. No guidance on studying or careers. No extra curriculars, no hobbies other than watching TV. Holidays to nearest seaside resort.

I became a single parent living in a council house myself in my early 20s. Benefit only income. Skint. Educated to A-level and dropped out of university. This made me buck my ideas up!

Fast forward to now. Still a single parent. Living in a private rented flat in a nicer area than I was raised in but not a super posh area. Educated to masters level, planning to do a PhD at some point. Qualified as a psychotherapist and have my own private practice that I run part time. I'm also about to qualify as a social worker, I'll be working full time in this job - I'm on a work-based scheme.

On paper, I've progressed and am doing much better now but due to the cost of living crisis and rent increases, I'm still skint, probably more so than when I was on benefits!

Anyway, back to the class thing. I'm absolutely working class in my background but I find that I don't fit in when I visit and interact with people where I grew up. However, I also don't feel like I fit in with middle class people either. I've still got a regional accent but this isn't as strong as it was when I was younger.

I'm effectively working class but working in traditionally middle class professions. But work is where I spend the majority of my time so does that make me more middle class?

I feel classless in that I don't think I fit into any class anymore.

Have you seen the quiz? I think its on the BBC or guardian, you sound like you might be 'technical middle class', which is a new criteria. I think they came up with about 6 new ones. You may just be a cross between old working class and new technical middle class. Well done on your educational achievements OP. I wouldn't get too hung up on it if i were you. Loads of people have a foot in different worlds. I don't think the class structure is rigid at all anymore.

Yes, I've done the class calculator quiz and I come out as Emergent Service Worker which doesn't seem to fit. I know the BBC one is from 2011 so I'm wondering if it needs to be updated to 2024 as life seems quite different now.

It doesn't particularly bother me, it's more an idle pondering that comes up for me when I see similar threads on here.

I think you're right, there's a lot of us now who seem to straddle different classes. I don't think it's quite as straightforward as "working class, middle class, upper class" anymore.

OP I'm very similar to you. The education pulls you out of your background but you won't ever be middleclass. We're a different type that probably hasn't got a classification as it's relatively recent that we wouldn't have just gone to a factory to work for the rest of our lives.

It's hard as your childhood friends won't get you and you will not get them.

@CattyCattle yes, I think we are in a weird sort of new class of our own. I'm no longer in contact with my childhood friends other than seeing their posts on social media for exactly the reasons you said.
I find it quite awkward. I'd like to see the BBC class survey updated or even a brand new one created - it would be interesting to see the findings.

Surely you're massively overthinking this?

Why does it matter?. This class system seems really outdated, and it doesn't really mean anything these days. Why do you need to define yourself in that way?

It can be tricky when you are caught 'between' classes. There's a really interesting book that looks at some of this (from an American perspective), called Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams.

Kerry Hudson also has a book called 'Lowborn' that looks at some working class kid/ middle class adult issues (although she had a very challenging up-bringing, including time in foster-care, so her experiences go beyond anything related to class).

Yes. What does it matter?

I had a very working class upbringing

Then you’re working class and, imo, always will be. People don’t change their class. Their kids might, but they don’t.

Only privileged people have the luxury of thinking class no longer matters.

Who the hell cares op?

@Chipandcheese @CattyCattle

There is already a category for you. There are 3 'capitals' economic, cultural and social capitals. The class you are in is based on how rich you of if thesec3 capitals. These are apparently the current categories :
Elite: This is the most privileged class in Great Britain who have high levels of all three capitals. Their high amount of economic capital sets them apart from everyone else.

Established Middle Class: Members of this class have high levels of all three capitals although not as high as the Elite. They are a gregarious and culturally engaged class.

Technical Middle Class: This is a new, small class with high economic capital but seem less culturally engaged. They have relatively few social contacts and so are less socially engaged.

New Affluent Workers: This class has medium levels of economic capital and higher levels of cultural and social capital. They are a young and active group.

Emergent Service Workers: This new class has low economic capital but has high levels of 'emerging' cultural capital and high social capital. This group are young and often found in urban areas.

Traditional Working Class: This class scores low on all forms of the three capitals although they are not the poorest group. The average age of this class is older than the others.

Precariat: This is the most deprived class of all with low levels of economic, cultural and social capital. The everyday lives of members of this class are precarious.

Social class boundaries aren't that tidy. Some people say that you can't change class within one generation, so you can't change class but you can change your children's class. But honestly I think there is a lot more movement between working class and middle class these days. The big shift is that cultural differences have been broken down by the internet and job opportunities have shifted as more people have pursued further education and been able to 'educate out' of their precious socioeconomic situation.

You’re working-class. If you grow up working-class you’ll always be working-class. Your kids might not be but you always will.

Do you own the means of production? If so, you are a capitalist.

Are you unemployed, happy to remain so, don't give a shit about anything, criminal, vagrant... you are lumpen proletariat.

Everyone else is working class, even if they are desperately trying to think otherwise.

@Notsuretoputit - I don't agree. I don't come from privilege. My mum worked in old people's home as a carer, and my dad was in the Navy. I'm a single parent, and I live in HA. I just think the class system is outdated.

Not true. What about Carol Middleton, David Lammy, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Nicola Sturgeon, David and Simon Reuben. The list is endless.

And then you get people like Michelle Mone who is very rich but still has that air of working class about her. But she's a baroness. Can you be titled and working class?

Working class turned middle class.

I'm the same and would describe myself as working class with middle class values.

It does matter, and I never seem to fit either.

@Ridiculous24 yes, I like that description. I think that's probably closest to it.

I think class is so nuanced. I picked my child up from a drama class earlier and was acutely aware of the class difference with the other parents, I felt like the odd one out. Class difference is so subtle, I struggle to put my finger on it.

Upper working. You're family history is what keeps you there. Your child could be lower middle if they go onto a traditional profession such as doctor or lawyer.

@Xanthammum That's a good point. I think you're right, we had a fairly clearly defined class system but we've now buggered it up. The internet definitely gave me "ideas above my station" as my grandmother would have said. This led to me pursuing a much higher level of education than I would have done. And then the higher level of education has opened the doors to professional jobs.

@Aknifewith16blades Thanks, I'll check those books out.

I'm not sure that's true. I similarly sometimes wonder where I now 'fit' as my adult life is so different from my upbringing. By all the traditional class signifiers, I mean income, property/car ownership, education etc., I'm in a very different place to where I might have been expected to end up. So I wouldn't 'fit' with any old friends from childhood/early adulthood (or indeed my siblings but that's a different thread!) but still feel like I'm also not a great 'fit' with my professional colleagues and social acquaintances, because I have such a dissimilar background.

I'm similarly educated to the op but private schools for every generation going back. Multiple businesses owned by my grandparents. So I'm middle.

DHs grandparents are traditional working class terrace house hard manual work. His parents are professionals as is he so DH is edging into the middle now.

My children will have a middle class background but their jobs will decide whether it's maintained because of DHs variations.

UK class system is bollocks!

That’s not correct, you are an individual. You are your class, not your parents, not only can you change class, you can move between classes in your lifetime.