Do you know anyone middle class?

[angelos02]

I don't. But my definition of middle class is those that go to work but don't need to.

No, but it helps.

Right wing voting behaviour correlates most closely with aspirational working class groups in non-union occupations, follows by the proper Sam Cam upper class.

So statistically you're more likely to be a MC Guardian reader. But only if you have time between MN sessions,

Ha ha ha apparently I'm Elite. I think there might be some flaws in that test!

I thought middle class was people who eat hummous

I'm established middle class according to that bbc link. My partner is middle class according to their job title (teacher), although I earn twice as much as they do, in a manual engineering role (non uni educated) and have alot of disposable income. But we'd probably both identify as working class, and are children of working class parents.

I know plenty of people who are middle aged, with class.

So can you only be middle class if you're intelligent then?

Because not everyone is smart enough to be a doctor/lawyer/teacher.

What do all the people who are just of average intelligence but grew up very middle class do for work? Are they automatically downgraded, or are they OK to stay MC?

In my experience the reverse is true of law , I know plenty of people in their fifties with mediocre grades , remember fewer people applied to university then so the competition to get in was less ( my Durham offer was BBC) and certainly pre 1986 there were jobs

Now the competition to get into the law is awful ,yes more universities offer law but most law firms only recruit from about 10 universities , the graduate completion is ridiculous .

I wouldn't get a look in now , grades too low , not enough extra curriculars, frankly not enough confidence .

What do all the people who are just of average intelligence but grew up very middle class do for work

PR I think mostly

Obviously not true. It's a good question though. It's almost like this whole system is nonsense

also elite but if we didnt work we'd be destitute as no inheritance, all money comes from us.

only people i know who dont have to work are only children of parents who bought property in london in the 60s and 70s.

Well yes, quite AyeAmarok

In fact I consider it to be where the supposed superiority of the MC originates from, the assumption that they are necessarily of greater intellect than their WC counterparts.

I went to school with many MC girls of mediocre intellect. Due to the calibre of school they scraped their ten good GCSE passes with a lot of tutoring, did a few A levels and went to variously work for the family company in the offices, run one of their father's nursing homes, set up in business by their parents running a chain of nurseries, holistic beauty salons etc or became a nurse in the clinic one of their parents ran (in the days before nursing was degree entry)

They were never 'demoted' to WC but neither did they become any more intelligent.

Yes interesting Ellen. And yet according to some on here, the child of a nursery nurse or a beautician and a manual worker who is very intelligent and goes into medicine and becomes a doctor will never become MC because their parents weren't...

It's all ridiculous.

Aye they stay middle class and do white collar jobs, not particularly well.

Squeegle, he was fine bless him, I don't think he hurt himself, he was just a bit embarrassed that me and DP were the audience for his mishap!
His hummus didn't survive the fall though

I have two friends that both hail from council estates and have both done well in life. One is desperate to be MC and shops in Waitrose and sends DC to private school whilst waving her Mulberry handbag. The other really does not give two shits how she is perceived. I can tell you right now who is the happiest. The one that doesn't hide her background.

My background is extremely odd, parents both from money as such but money lost. Grew up in an odd showbiz bohemian household with glamorous Mother who held court to her minions in our enormous but shabby house. It was a bit like being brought up by Blanche Dubois. My friends all thought it wonderful, I found it tiring.

I agree with Bonnies definition. I wouldn't consider anyone who hadn't been privately educated to be MC.

I think it's hilarious how everyone thinks they are middle class these days just because they can drive a new car and have nice holidays. Disposable income does not = class.

I am undoubtedly Working Class by the way. University educated and working as a teacher, can afford to travel and own a large house. None of that makes me, or any of you, MC, sorry.

Why apologise hpb ?

After all, we've already concluded that the MC don't necessarily have a larger income or better standard of living.
We've also deduced that they aren't even intellectually superior to their WC counterparts.

Where exactly is the contemporary benefit in being or indeed aspiring to be MC?

Why should you apologise to the supposedly deluded members of the WC who consider themselves MC?

In what circumstances is it more desirable to be MC, income/living standards/intellect being equal?

Excellent points Ellen I just thought some of them might be a bit disappointed I meet plenty of people in RL who resolutely think of themselves as MC and would be genuinely upset to know they were alone in that view!

I did the BBC test and it says I am Established Middle Class which is astoundingly incorrect.

sadly hpb I suspect you're correct and that they would indeed be a tad disgruntled.

(Off to do the test and be pronounced a wanton prole)

Am I middle class?

I have a degree
qualified lawyer though non practising
Work in a finance based job
Earn above average wages (for the mainland uk average for where I am)
Dh is an accountant
We own our own home
I ride horses
We shop at waitrose (sometimes)

According to the Bbc test I'm elite, but that's entirely down to earnings.

I'm actually from a upper working class / lower middle class background. Went to private school, but the first in the family to do so.

Yes massive strumpet. All of that!

The professions were somewhat set aside but as we moved into post industrial service driven economy it has become even more blurred. Few of us are working in traditional working class roles anymore as they do not exist. And businesses/merchants have conglomerated so there are fewer people fulfilling these traditional roles. But more people working for the owners as managers of a region or a branch etc.

Which is why it is hard to apply these outdated terms to modern society.

Work hard for your money. Spend it on what makes you happy. Put some aside for a rainy day. If the rain never comes you may save enough that you can work for fun. If you are currently in a job that you wouldn't give up even if you won the lottery tomorrow then be very happy indeed as you are quite quite lucky.

The BBC test came out as Elite but we don't match the description given so it must be all about income and property.

I grew up on a council estate with working class parents and we had no money. DH is a vicars son and also had no money.

When we met we discussed class and I described myself as working class and he as middle class ( because of his father's job).

Neither of us have a degree , DH left school at 16 , I left school at 18 after failing my A levels.

DH works in finance and I'm a SAHM.

We've never inherited any money and are unlikely to do so.

Our kids attend a local state primary school and will attend either a local grammar or the nearest secondary school.

I assume my children will describe themselves as middle class purely based on their standard of living, the area we live in and the opportunities they have been given.

I agree with Bonnies definition. I wouldn't consider anyone who hadn't been privately educated to be MC.

I think it's hilarious how everyone thinks they are middle class these days just because they can drive a new car and have nice holidays. Disposable income does not = class.

That's all well and good, except you need a LOT of disposable income to be privately educated.

And it's not the traditional middle classes who can afford private education these days. So I guess you're saying money does buy you class.

Privately education is not an essential factor, particularly not in a grammar school area.

My siblings and I all went to the same school. They had to be paid in privately and boarded, I didn't as I got very high marks in the entrance exams.

So I guess my sisters are MC and I'm not!