Why do some people feel the need to describe themselves as ‘middle class’?

[lottieandmia22]

I met a man who said

‘I am incredibly lucky. I’m a middle class, white, straight male which puts me at an advantage’

Frankly, this made my teeth itch. I thought ‘what a tosser’

Why do people feel the need to do this? I couldn’t care less which class I am.

I would see middle class as being more of a cultural thing than a financial thing, tbh. If someone went to uni, which uni they went to, what sort of entertainment they prefer (theatre and opera vs the pub, playing rugby vs playing football - yes I know this is all bollocks but the idea persists culturally).

So my parents had middle class jobs but grew up in poverty. They had much less 'Cultural Capital' as they grew up and as adults than I did a generation later. They'd never in a million years think they were middle class despite being wealthy, living in a very posh area, lots of holidays. Whereas most people would look at my education, which universities I studied at, my professional qualifications, my accent, my hobbies, my childrens' schools and so on and would conclude that I was middle class.

My American ex was constantly surprised by how much we judge and categorise people here by all these little indicators and by how little movement there seems to be between classes. He said in the US if you're wealthy and well educated you are middle/upper class and you can move up/down classes more freely.

Social class is not about money. A middle class person who went bankrupt would still be middle class

So if social class is not about money, it's wrong to say only DCs from middle class families can afford to do internships. We're not really still in the era where most 16 YOs get put out to work because the family needs them to earn a living.

It's also not my observation that you need a degree to get an office job. None of our office staff have degrees and we don't ask for one on recruitment. Same for our junior technical staff.

In fact we'd prefer none graduates because the graduates are less likely to stay long term because those who do get in often leave when they get a graduate level job elsewhere.

I wonder if the social class system is stronger in London/SE because the situations that people describe on here bear no resemblence to my reality.

I think that is quite a normal thing to say if you are self aware and have some emotional intelligence.

He is right. He is privileged because of being white, male and middle class.

If you didn't fancy him fair enough. But if it is him saying this that put you off then you are the tosser.

I don't really think that there is such a thing as "middle class" but if it is, it's signified by annual ski holidays and driving a Chelsea tractor. Certainly where I live is a very aspirational area and it's all about how much money you have.

And then you get the reverse where people say "oh I won't pay for my child to go on that expensive school trip because I can't justify my dc being one of the privileged few".

hashtag virtue signalling

'False consciousness' is when the working classes don't realise the nature of their class oppression, so they would think we live in a classless society where everyone is equal when in fact the rich are screwing them over. That's why it benefits the rich, because it stops the poor from overthrowing them. Really living in an egalitarian society would benefit everyone (well, not the richest quartile I suppose) but then of course, that would be communism in action. Or maybe we could aspire to an intellectual elite of some kind instead?

Social mobility in the uk is demonstrably decreasing
www.gov.uk/government/news/social-mobility-in-great-britain-fifth-state-of-the-nation-report

Maybe people say they are middle class because they are? I’d need more context about the man in the OP. There is nothing wrong with recognising you have a privileged position in life and have had advantages people in different circumstances won’t have had. It’s better than when people think everything is down to their hard work when the system has been so obviously loaded in their favour.

Not read the full thread but it sounds like this guy moves in lefty circles where there's often quite an emphasis on recognising and interrogating unearned privilege.
What he said would actually be understood as modesty because he's acknowledging that he has had life easy- rather than taking full credit for his successes (such as they are).
He was trying to impress you with his political understanding not his class or race!
The trouble is that, in a mainstream environment, where having relative high status is understood as a positive thing, such a statement can come across as boasting. He does sound a bit socially inept not to realise that a new acquaintance might interpret it that way.

'If the speaker is middle-class they are just relaying a fact about themselves'

Not necessarily - they are stating how they perceive themselves.

Anyone who actually describes themselves as middle class, probably isn't!

Thank you for calling me a tosser lovka you sound so nice

I think it is a twattish thing to say on a first date. The way he said it certainly didn't smack of humility.

"DH and I have a joint income of around £100k but I know people that are middle class & I am certainly not like them."

How are they different?

Lottie- you still haven't said the context he said it in. Which is crucial, really.

I did Bertrand - he just blurted it out after telling me he doesn't get on with his sister.

wow, interesting fiscal studies link

'you have a higher income than around 87% of the population - equivalent to about 55.2 million individuals.'

which, frankly is scary, because I wouldn't say we were wealthy at all.

No idea what class I am. I is foreign so don't go in for all that.

Not necessarily - they are stating how they perceive themselves.

True, but for literally millions of people in the UK that perception will be a fair summary.

I'm of average height. If I (for some reason) commented to a first date I was of average height, and later found out that they thought I was twat for boasting about being taller than short people, I'd find that bizarre.

I don't consider "middle class" as a descriptor any more boastful than describing yourself as of average height. Though, partly due to my non-UK upbringing, I've never thought of myself as working class. Maybe I would feel differently if I had that background. (My class background in UK terms would probably be equivalent to having two school-teacher parents. My father's parents were definitely UK working class though.)

A statement of fact is saying that you ‘have a degree’, ‘do this job’ or ‘like this that and the other’ in your spare time.

Pigeonholing people into ‘classes’ isn’t a statement of fact.

I don't think it's anything like saying you're average height personally. But it's the way something is said as well as what is said.

I agree JoJo.

Pigeonholing people into ‘classes’ isn’t a statement of fact.

It's a more nebulous fact that eye-colour or height, but it's only not a potential fact if there's no such thing as class.

Pigeonholing people into ‘classes’ isn’t a statement of fact

I also agree with this.

Many people will have traits that are strongly associated with working, middle and even upper class.

You could also list a description of background, job, interests etc and there would be no consensus for some as to what class they are.

I'm of average height. If I (for some reason) commented to a first date I was of average height, and later found out that they thought I was twat for boasting about being taller than short people, I'd find that bizarre.

Thinking about it, I can see how, even if I didn't think being of average height was an achievement, a short person who was sensitive about their height could take offence.

Well this BBC class test has me as 'established middle class' which is clearly bollocks, but apparently based on enjoying a diverse range of cultural activities, university attendance and being 'comfortably off, secure and established'.

So did he say something like "I come from an abusive home and I don't get on with my only sister, but realize that I am still incredibly lucky because............."?

No he didn't say it like that. To me it came across as smug.

But then I realised it's always a certain type of person who says this (and there are many people who wouldn't even think to mention it). If you think about this enough to announce it to a relative stranger then it shows you've spent time thinking about where you fit compared with other people.

I find it equally uncomfortable when people announce, completely uninvited what their income is. This might be a British thing I suppose but I find it crass.