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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not to know what is middle class

367 replies

Goldchilled7up · 08/09/2012 22:49

Inspired by another thread in chat, what does middle class mean to you?

I seriously don't know. Aibu?

OP posts:
Badjudgeofcharacter · 09/09/2012 10:02
margerykemp · 09/09/2012 10:26

I think there are more obvious markers of what makes someone NOT MC. ie A rich home owning, uni educated who speaks in a broad accent with lots of slang/swearing will not be MC.

Other WC giveaways are talent show watching, laughing at crude comedy, only reading supermarket fiction, hair extensions, not caring about education or discipline, lots of visible tattoos, thinking that a uni education is an achievement rather than what is expected, limo parties, english breakfasts in acky resorts, having multiple DCs at a young age, getting into debt to pay for expensive presents for DCs at christmas, missing teeth, wearing tracksuits other then at the gym, burping in public and thinking it's funny.

But on the other hand all this trying to look for ways to divide society is really just a ruse for poor people bashing. Everyone wants to be MC because society pours scorn at WC values.

I dont even think there is one MC. I remember from Kate Fox's book that there are distinctions between lower, middle and upper MC. eg Kate Middleton was upper MC which is a long long way off the lower MC people who probably tick the MC boxes in their generation but came from WC backgrounds.

captainhastings · 09/09/2012 10:43

I meet or have met six of your criteria. Grin

captainhastings · 09/09/2012 10:45

I do read supermarket fiction as well so maybe I need another half mark.

I also have nail extensions rather than hair extensions , I can't afford hair extensions.

I value education but would not pay for it and did not want my children to go to a grammar school . Another half mark !

LST · 09/09/2012 10:50

margery have a Biscuit you fool

Kayano · 09/09/2012 10:52

My mum thinks she is middle class lol

A lot of working class people delude themselves and call themselves
Middle class

LST · 09/09/2012 10:52

Well according to margery's list i'm mc!

Hahahahahahaha!

trumpeter · 09/09/2012 10:53

working class giveaways

hahahahhahahahahahahhahahaaha! Shut up margery

trumpeter · 09/09/2012 10:53

And society does not 'pour scorn' on working class values as far as I'm aware!

captainhastings · 09/09/2012 10:54

Why are we giving Margery a biscuit, she has described me. Am I that Awful? Blush

LST · 09/09/2012 10:58

No captain she was describing them
All as bad things. Which they are not.

Her judgey pants must be that far up her arsehole they are coming out of her nostrils!

ceeveebee · 09/09/2012 11:05

This is from John Prescott's documentary where he interviews girls from the "chav class" (his words) who say they are middle class.
Hilarious

m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=NXZ52-XgUjA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNXZ52-XgUjA&gl=GB

Kayano · 09/09/2012 11:07

'but I don't work'

Grin idiot

Nuttyprofessor · 09/09/2012 11:10

Lived in a council house
DF a shop steward
Went to comprehensive
Now working as a cleaner
DM is illiterate

Went to uni
Don't smoke
Don't swear don't have tattoos
DCs at super selective grammar
Don't read supermarket fiction
Landlord and homeowner
Nice house, leafy suburb
Upper management before ML

What class am I ? Did it drop suddenly when I gave up my career and became a SAHM. Did it drop further when I took a cleaning job for pocket money.

Kayano · 09/09/2012 11:11

Pocket money? I think you will find you took a cleaning Job for a wage

Hmm pocket money!

trumpeter · 09/09/2012 11:13

Are tattoos working class now then? All the posh girls at my uni had tattoos. Probably dabbitys...

Nuttyprofessor · 09/09/2012 11:17

I took a job cleaning so I could spoil the GC without dipping into the savings, that is why I said pocket money. What I mean is I am still me and to decide I am a chav of limited education because I am a cleaner is ridiculous.

I don't think people stay in neat little confines of class any more.

ceeveebee · 09/09/2012 11:18

My DH works in a bank with many public school educated twits (Eton, ampleforth etc) from land-owning families. They all smoke, drink and swear. Many of them seem pretty illiterate too, he constantly has to correct their grammar and spelling on the reports they write for his clients.

trumpeter · 09/09/2012 11:22

Yes, lots of the rich kids at my uni only achieved 2.2s and thirds, smoked, drank, took drugs, slept around. It seems it's ok to do that if you're from a wealthy background though. If your mum's a cleaner and your dad's a binman and you do this, you're scum.

kerrygrey · 09/09/2012 11:44

Margerykemp is obviously MC because she knows about Margery Kemp - especially if she's read it the the original Middle English!!

trumpeter · 09/09/2012 11:48

Yes, but she's spelt her name wrong, so she must be wc.

Mrsjay · 09/09/2012 11:51

The only people who seem to care about class are those who believe that middle classness is a badge to be worn with honour imo, It is only a a bench mark to sort out people for a census in the 50s I doesn't mean anything

Mrsjay · 09/09/2012 11:55

IT wasn't the 50s I am talking rubbish but was still for a census though ,

HiggsBoson · 09/09/2012 11:58

It's about individual perception, I'm sure.

DF & DM were factory workers, brought up in a council house.

Although I'm university educated, DP and I live in a small terrace and bring in £25K between us. We are definitely working class. no doubt about it - we work, but are poor.

To me middle class people tend to:

  • Live in detached or semi-detached houses
  • Drive Nice cars
  • Earn a lot of money (40K+)
  • Take overseas holidays
  • Shop in outlandishly expensive stores such as Boden and White Company
  • Think nothing of spending £500 on ipads and such like
  • DENY being middle class - this cracks me up!

That's my perception though and I realise many others will think differently.

HiggsBoson · 09/09/2012 11:59

Oh and not forgetting private schooling!