What are the main identifiers of those who describe themselves as lower middle classes?

[Rosehip10]

As distinct from middle/upper middle.

@MikeUniformMike oh goodness you think I attended the finishing school in Switzerland as a pupil?! That's the only explanation I can think of for your comment about my parents getting their getting fees refunded!! Ha - no of course not... I taught English at it!! 😂 I'm afraid children at comps on Free School Meals with unemployed parents who have never been abroad... just do not do that 🤷‍♀️

I think I can usually have a guess at someone's class if they're middle - upper middle or upper class. Cannot tell the difference between working and lower middle class.

I still don't know which I am meant to be! Suspect LMC. But I don't have any if the Live, Laugh, Love signs, a particularly matchy house, say toilet or lounge...

I think I probably come from a wealthy enough family that I aspire to middle middle, despite my dad definitely being working class, but I wonder if that's because I grew up in a part of the UK where money goes further, so my dad's pretty good salary went miles. We had a big, Victorian villa, looking over the sea, with a big garden etc.

Now I'm in a modern mid terrace with a postage stamp sized garden. If you want a characterful, non matchy, detached house where we now live, (near london), you would need to be really quite wealthy imo.

So, I think class can change depending on where you live as well as between generations. If we lived where I grew up, with the same income as we have here, we would have the trappings of being more middle class I think. I wouldn't trade in a hundred years though. I love being near London and would take working class where I want to live over middle class where I don't.

VivaLeBeaver
It's around 3 generations to move class entirely (up or down).

plum100

Is Class something that people are aware of in day to day life? probably not consciously most of the time, but if asked most people will see the traits of their own class in other people.

If asked I could probably tell you the class of 90% of the people I come into contact with on a regular basis.

Aren’t we all just .....people? Yep

does it matter? No it shouldn't matter and most of the time it doesn't but unfortunately in some circumstances it can and does still seem to matter and can cloud people's judgments.

And does this comment speak volumes about my class? No

@koshkat Oh only just spotted this... genuinely curious - which bit of my post do you think is made up?! Intrigued!

Well if it takes 3 generations to move class then the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are working class. 😮

If you're posting on Mumsnet you're not working class. I'm sorry, but you're just not.

^
I was wondering for example, what class a family would be if mum was underclass and dad was upper class?

Who cares? I’d describe us as UMC but really even that is a huge bracket

My dad wouldn’t let us watch itv on the 80s, he’s nauseatingly snobbish.

No VivaLeBeaver I said entirely and around 3 generations. As in leaving no traits.

So Carol's DC will have had the life experiences of upper middle and depending on how much Carol retained the influences and roots of her working class grandparents and whether she shared those with her DC, determines her DC experiences.

Kate's Children are royalty and will have the lived experiences of that and the upper class societies they move in.

I’m intrigued that you apparently can’t change class for three generations.

I’d be genuinely interested in what class I am considered to be.

Raised by a single mum who was the daughter of a miner.

Mum was first to have any further education when she trained as a teacher when I was about 9. We were on benefits while she trained and before, but never after.

I went to university and am now a senior civil servant (a category 1 job in those lists earlier in the thread).

My husband went to a top public school and Oxbridge. We live in a nice part of London in a nice 5 bed Victorian house that his parents helped us buy. My husband is also a senior civil servant.

Our children go to state school but we could afford private if we thought that a good idea. We don’t send them because we want them to be grounded and aware of real life and London day schools seem crammed full of elites.

I say lavatory and serviette but sofa and supper. We have no TVs upstairs.

So am I middle class yet or am I not due to the three generation rule and my tendency to use a serviette?

In my experience if you give a shit you’re middle class. Below middle class and you don’t give a shit because you can’t afford that luxury. Above middle class and you could afford to give a shit if you wanted to, but why should you bother?

moctodtensmum

Your mum was working class who moved into middle class circles. That is her experience and life memories.

Your mum brought you up as middle class.
I don't know how much of her history or traits she passed on to you, to influences you and your perspective on your own experiences, to be able to say whether you are LMC or MM.

Your DH sounds upper middle or upper.

Your DC by the sound of it are probably MM. Having the influences of his upbringing and yours plus there own experiences.

But then I don't know you so have no idea.
and half the time I'm just enjoying musing about class. it's all just my opinion based on what I've learnt and who I've met over the years.

So take it as read I could be completely talking out my arse

Wouldn’t the posh barista mentioned upthread be a trustafarian?

Someone with a trust fund who wants to find themselves and just coasts in a low paid job because they don’t need the money.

So not sure their children would be working class

@moctodtensmum I think you are middle class as am I. I went to state school and have a PhD. But my mum was working class (but had a posh accent due to grammar school). Left school without qualifications though. Dad didn't do any further education. Neither of my parents would describe themselves as working class - to my mum's family who are all still working class (builders, factory workers) we are the posh ones!

If you're posting on Mumsnet you're not working class. I'm sorry, but you're just not

There isn't an entry requirement, it's accessible to anyone with an Internet connection and device.

So when we have opinions that range from 'if you're not independently wealthy then you're working class' to 'if you have access to the Internet you're not working class' and therefore presumably middle class, it's pretty much impossible to objectively define any particular class or how people fit into the 'system'.

surreygirl your repeated misuse and misspelling of 'privelige' tells me that this is not just a typo and as for 'incredulised' ...

So I cannot imagine that you are not an English teacher - really? Plus your long post is very braggy and you tell us how 'posh' others think you are. Again - really?

My post upthread was just an observation at the end of a long day and I apologise if I offended. It did make me smile though.

Apologies again - my post should read 'So I cannot imagine that you ARE an English teacher'

Oh the irony!

Not enough coffee on board yet...

Class in the UK only applies to white British though.

Some people on this thread are describing under class and working people as those with certain hairstyles- but racist, no? Or plain stupid?

What class does a Nigerian businessman fall under?

If I use chopsticks to eat, am I below the middle class?

The millionaires who wear tracksuits, what class so they fall under?

The cleaner who listens to classical music and listens to R4?

Haha yours made me smile too - the irony indeed! Admittedly 'incredulised' was stupid. Duh. 🙈The others were actually typos though - I'm quite fingers and thumbs on my phone and tbh I don't care enough about mumsnet to read over my posts! And yes - I really am an English teacher (masters in Lit from Russel Group, PGCE etc) and also taught English at a uni... although actually English teachers DON'T always have good SPaG - I have been quite horrified by a the low standard of literacy of a number of English teachers I've come across over the years. I don't count myself in that category though, although you may do based on my mumsnet posts! 😁 Interesting that you have a high enough opinion of English teachers to think that someone who doesn't write decently on mumsnet must be lying about being an English teacher! Also, if I was going to lie about my career, I'd choose something higher status than an English teacher; I hate the 'those who can't, teach' messages.

If you interpret my post as braggy that's fair enough though and I have no problem with you thinking that. Maybe I am rather. But obviously that doesn't mean I am lying about being an English teacher ... it just means you think I'm braggy!

I have been quite horrified by a the low standard of literacy of a number of English teachers I've come across over the years.
So have I.

Interesting that you have a high enough opinion of English teachers to think that someone who doesn't write decently on mumsnet must be lying about being an English teacher!
I am an English teacher.

Also, if I was going to lie about my career, I'd choose something higher status than an English teacher; I hate the 'those who can't, teach' messages.
If you hate that message, why have you just perpetuated it with this comment?

If you had a career, house and lifestyle that people would say were 'Middle middle class, lower middle class' and then life happened and you lost it. have you lost your 'class'.

Or once you have your class badge, have you got it for life?

Is it a state of mind?

Selene I'm not so sure. One of the most ladylike and well educated people I know is Nigerian.

Is class still even a thing? To identify as? One of the dads on Ds1's football team told Dh that he thought he himself was UMC. Dh scoffed.

not really about class, but chomalungma post reminded me of the Australian comedy series Frayed

www.skygroup.sky/corporate/media-centre/articles/en-gb/new-sky-original-comedy-frayed

It's bloody funny and slightly dark. such a great watch

@chomalungma, social class is more than just income, house, possessions, consumer habits etc, though. If these are taken away, the person would still have their education, social and cultural capital etc.