Why do middle class people have busier social lives?

[swimmingpoolshower]

Feel I may get flamed here but...
I'm WC, maybe a bit MC cos I went to uni. I am also a part time cleaner for MC families and have lots of MC friends. Why do MC people always have so much going on?

Is it money to be able to do things?
Boredom of doing the same things?
Letting off steam from stressful jobs?

No judgement at all but every weekend is house warming, birthday meals, theatre, trips to museums, and that's when you're not 'away for the weekend.' Centre parcs, Rome, Cotswolds, Air BnB in the city. It's January, everywhere is going to be cold.

I think I'm a bit jealous tbh.

The doing things for free brigade on here really don’t have to watch the pennies do they?!
I live in London so an abundance of “free” museums and attractions. But nothings truly free- the good exhibitions have additional charge, travel to the place, children will inevitably want a souvenir and then we may want to eat.
Ok cue the: we could cycle there with a packed lunch ....but realistically we aren’t going to.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers exactly. I'm a big woman, cycling through Bristol traffic with a death trap trailer with my 4 and 3 year old in. No thanks!

I think the trick is never to socialise
I have that mastered pretty well.

And if you do, keep away from school parents.

Anybody cycling in Bristol traffic probably has a death wish.

Maybe it's because I'm old and have done/ seen lots that I am trying NOT to do things. I have family on phone /WhatsApp a couple of good friends, a hobby I enjoy. What's this need to do all the time. I have friends who race from exercise class to lunch meet up to book fair to exhibition to more exercise classes and on and on. I have a lovely home, nice scenery /garden if I want it, Radio 4 ( learn a lot there), books fiction and non-fiction, good tv , the odd art gallery / cinema / concert every few months. Perfect.

What's this need to do all the time

Because life is short and there is a lot of wonderful stuff to do? I'm also not young, and have done a lot of doing, read voraciously, and listen to R4 a lot, too, but a lot of the things I love doing most simply can't be experienced within my own four walls -- hillwalking, art, opera, museums, theatre etc. And an exhibition/concert every few months would be nowhere near enough for me, although it clearly suits you.

punknarwhal What are you studying? Fellow MSc student here, my dissertation's also got a big chunk on social/economic/cultural capital

I think as well as time, personality, and social class where you live probably affects what you do at the w/e a lot too. We're lucky that the beach and the Downs are both a 15m drive away so there's no effort really to go visit. Equally I can get a bus 30mins into town and find art galleries and museums. When we lived in Croydon every thing took longer to get to so we stuck with local parks and softplays more, it was about 1h 30 to get to the Kensington museums.

@camomila sociology and special needs education

I don’t think it’s necessarily a class thing, OP.
But the biggest difference between WC and MC is disposable income so I guess if you have more of it, you will go out more.

My background is traditional working class and we never really went out much.
My family and I now probably go out too much in our spare time!

Also, to get even deeper in to it another supposed differentiator between WC and MC is what they call ‘cultural capital’ (as opposed to economic capital, or social capital) which apparently is down to how much you would prefer a trip to the art gallery or a trip to bingo...
However, it depends on which definition of social class you subscribe to. I suspect the lines are intentionally blurred to keep people ‘playing the game’

Oh my God. So, apparently the middle class are intellectually curious and the working class are more satisfied with simple pleasures and playing with shiny things?
Good grief.
And yes to those pp who recognise that free activities are rarely actually free days out. I'm hard as nails and will march right past the person asking me for my "voluntary donation" at the museum if I'm skint, but most won't. And then there's the mithering for ice cream or the gift shop. It wears you down.

The MC have often moved around more - left home for uni and after that, lost the fear of moving around, but found it normal and stimulating. They have often lived in several places, especially pre-children, and have met lots of people and sometimes maintained a growing social circle

Yeah...um. Who do you think joins the navy and travels all over the world?
Scared of getting on a motorway and going 200 miles? Who do you think are the long distance lorry drivers? Most wc people I know have had stints working abroad. Chefs, hairdressers, cruise ship staff, military...God reading some of the comments I think that a lot of people on MN think that the working class live some kind of Coronation Street type existence. Dim and stunted but good to their Nan!
That's been an education of its own tbh.
Some of you learned and culturally curious MC people should probably get out more!

Who are these working class now there are few factory workers, miners etc And it's often that a working class, eg postie, has a professional partner. Any plumbers or builders I know are doing very well thanks. Supermarket worker? often part time to fit in with school pickup or other commitments and partner full time well paid worker. Who are they?

I think posters are just trying to answer ops question - any ideas yourself?

That was to blakes77

The cynic in me would suggest that some of the socialising among the parents, is as much to do with finding out what other people are up to and boasting about their own achievements , as it is actually enjoying each other’s company.

I wouldn't say most but it definitely happens. My friend's DD was quizzed on which reading level she was on by the mum when she went to a friend's house (mum probably didn't like the girl's answer as she's been a free reader since YR).

cycling is a cheaper option

Unless you're a MAMIL! Then you have to have the best bikes and the best bike computer and go on expensive cycling holidays.

Running is cheaper, until you decide you need an expensive running watch and enter expensive races. And the superfast and superexpensive Nike shoes.

And don't start me on the cost of triathlon. I am just not going there.

DS plays sport as well as watching it non-stop. Luckily for us, his sport isn't massively expensive, all he needs is new shoes every so often.

The cynic in me would suggest that some of the socialising among the parents, is as much to do with finding out what other people are up to and boasting about their own achievements , as it is actually enjoying each other’s company

I definitely think this is the case in the naice aspirational area I live in.

@Blakes77 WC here. Working on MW, dp does a job where he gets his hands dirty every day, We live in a council estate.
I think it's true that there is more emphasis on getting out and having experiences in the MC. I can see this by looking out my window on the weekends and spotting the cars parked on the drives in the houses at one end of my street (council) and not there at the other end of my street (private, big, detached.) Unless the WC are all out on their bikes of course.

What I want to know is why.

Money! (and I said this upthread too). I really thinks it's mainly money.

I am probably MC as are my neighbours. They're out and about all weekend unless they have visitors all weekend.

We are not like that. I'd rather watch tv and chill on sofa. I guess I could have the same opportunities if I could be arsed. I think I'm just antisocial lol

Oh also my neighbours have no kids. Maybe that's the difference!

@HelgaHere1 as a WC person who is now retired due to ill health , I'm guessing that there are a lot of WC people at the food bank who are working maybe as well but on minimum wage or zero hours contract. I dont think you have to be in a traditional working class manual job like mining to be WC, those jobs have gone, it's a different time now. Maybe call centre workers, cleaners, delivery drivers etc. Do you not have council estates where you live ? Wouldn't you say that makes a person working class usually if they are in social housing ? I get anyone these days can fall on hard times so you could be MC and end up at the food bank. Class also isn't that easily thrown off in this country it doesn't matter how much the plumber makes he wouldn't be viewed as MC.

@Blakes77 I agree my OH is from a very poor background and joined the army to escape it. Historically it is the escape route of the WC boy(or girl) when no other options were available, you were paid, clothed and fed. He has been all over the world with the army.

My reasons for planning trips at the weekend = making memories with my DD, having things to look forward to to make up for working 5 days a week, find it easier to keep us both entertained if we are away or out and about doing something. I also have no savings or a mortgage because I spend so much money on stuff like this though, so make of that what you will. It feels like a priority to me but I know my attitude is not good really.

I’m guessing money. They can afford to go to/do the various things and to pay someone else to look after their children and do their chores so they have time.

@Mummadeeze same! It feels right so I go with it.