So what class are you in?

[alwaysmoody]

I see a lot of comments about social class "la di daaa"

So I'm curious to which class you would all place yourselves?

Honestly?

I'm from a LC background but I'm wealthy now from my own hard work and live in a MN area from what I've gathered (Chiswick) but I definitely don't fit in with these "mums" I still prefer having my friends from council estates in hounslow over

So what social classes are you from? And please be naice

shesCurly I know what you mean. I often feel like an imposter. Girls like me don't get to live the life I live surely? It's all in my ead, which MrBrim tells me often.

People tend to define themselves on these threads. Really people need to look in depth as to the effect on society and themselves and their offspring more than deciding if they say napkin or serviette to prove their place.

Cultural capital and income are oft quoted. People may say class is outdated but stats show huge variations in for instance life expectancy linked to income, link to the Independent.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/life-expectancy-gap-rich-poor-england-increase-health-wealth-living-standards-diet-education-crime-a8211866.html

Lots of studies on education show MC dc often over taking their WC peers at school, not because they are cleverer. But because they have access to experiences, tutors, safer and more secure housing, never been hungry.

John Prescott said in 1997 we are all middle class now, Margaret Thatcher didn’t like class descriptors and said it was a communist concept. Two big hitters from both sides watering down class concept. It has always been useful to be able to define class to help develop social policy. Data is needed to push forward change, stats can be manipulated and size of study is always relevant, nothing’s perfect. But it’s what used to push and form policy.

I do not articulate nor write as well as I used to anymore due to my health issues so I hope this makes some sort of sense. I did research mainly on access to services and also food poverty for many years.

It's all to do with accent especially in England.

@Miriel

It's tough isn't it?

I think especially because most of my friends now (I'm 33) are ones I met either at university or through work.

It's little things like despite owning the business and making good profit, I didn't have a holiday for five years.

Because I am terrified of being poor again, so I still panic that if I fork out a grand on a couple of weeks somewhere then something will happen and I'll lose it all and is a holiday worth it etc.

It's partly imposter syndrome I think. I can't believe my luck that I've got to where I am even though I know in reality it's because I chose to follow a very set path to get into my line of work and sacrificed an awful lot on the way to make it happen.

But when my current friends ask where I ski, or new people ask me what school I went to (which I would never think to ask anyone at our age!) I do feel the difference hugely.

I'm also conscious I have a 'work voice' and a real voice. My boyfriends family think I'm posh and I hate that it hurts me because I'm from exactly the same background as them. It shouldn't hurt me, I made my choices and they worked out - I should be happy about it!

I also am working on not judging people who had a privileged upbringing. As I've matured I realise how often I had judged them while at uni / work. People who grew up with money didn't choose than any more than I chose to grow up on a bit of a scary estate. So I'm working on that.

The chip on my shoulder is totally my fault but I'll keep working on it.

I did that BBC test a couple of years ago and then again now. The only thing that has changed is my level of savings (because of pension payouts when DH died) and I have moved into "established middle class" from "new affluent worker". I can't see how the non graduate daughter of a secretary and factory worker, and widow of a postman, can be established MC, so to me the test is flawed.

ShesCurly I understand completely - especially your point about not having a holiday even though you could afford to. It's as if you need that money there as insurance, just in case everything goes wrong.

My experience was different in that I didn't go to university until my late twenties. I actually saved up to pay the fees, which most people I know now see as a bit mad, but I believed very strongly that the only acceptable debt was a mortgage. I didn't want to end up like the relatives juggling credit cards and not able to pay the bills. I had only one pair of shoes for the longest time, because that was all I had as a child and it seemed sensible. I couldn't see the happy medium between 'only one pair' and 'ridiculous stereotype of a rich woman with a pair for every outfit'.

I have a 'phone voice' which my family make fun of. It isn't even something I did deliberately, I think it must have been to try to make myself understood. I also had the weird experience of being asked what school I went to, aged thirty, and then feeling slightly intimidated by the number of people around me who went to private or boarding schools, even though there was no real reason for it. When I got to know them, most were great people.

I definitely started my PhD with a real chip on my shoulder and a determination not to be mistaken for middle class. My absolutely lovely supervisor said to me one day that I was as qualified as anyone else to be there and deserved it just as much so I should relax. That's definitely a work-in-progress, too.

I think that I'm used to not quite fitting in with academic culture. It's when I'm home and I don't quite fit in with my family any longer either that it's hard.

class of my own lol

OP you haven't contributed very much to your thread. Isn't this really just a morning boast about your wealth and house in Chiswick.

I did the BBC test a few years ago which put me in established middle class and DH as emerging middle class, and I’d agree with those classifications. Even though his family has much more money than my family, mainly because they benefited from higher house price rises in the SE England and my family is from a traditionally poorer area, my family are educated to a higher degree and work in professional jobs where as his work in manual labour jobs.

@ElevenSmiles Becauze I've just came back on. Been driving and I don't use my mobile to browse MN while driving and doing errands.

*because.

I don't understand why anyone gets accused of stealth bragging on an anonymous forum.

You can’t be upper class without aristocratic connections. Anyone culturally upper class without blue blood is upper middle class. Anyone who is insecure about their class or unsure of their class will either be middle middle or lower middle. Those without money or pretences and lower class. Foreigbers are obviously foreign.

The BBC test is better than anything else that's out there, but it's pretty flawed imo.

I am apparently Elite, but my memory of the test is that going to the Opera once in your life counted for a lot, for some reason.

I don't know. I suppose working class... I don't come from a "moneyed" background, have to work to support myself...

@GinDaddy I agree, if I'm to think of upper class I don't even think of money. Think of inherited wealth, land, everything which you stated. I've met some people who exclude class, and wealth and still look "upper class" while driving a banger compared to "new money" self made rich people like reality stars etc who are laced in show off designer flaunting it.

Lower middle with emphasis on the 'lower' :-). In other words just 'average ordinary'. Suits me fine though I rarely think of it. I'm not an upwardly mobile type of person, neither was my husband.

My son is probably more middle middle class but he never thinks about such things either; if he did he'd probably joke that he was in a unique class of his own

Blue House at Prep

then LiiiS, UiiiS, LivS, UivS, LvS, UvS then ViS1 and ViS2 at school

Gryffendor in my adulthood

From a working class background. Lower middle class now.
The most boring class!
Bought council house, juniorish office job, clothes from Primark and Asda, generational anxiety around authority figures, tendancy to overspend on instant gratification......
check, check, check, check, check!

I got that wrong! I did the BBC test for myself and on behalf of my son and we are both, apparently, 'Established middle class'. I wouldn't have thought so but hey ho, so what, it's hardly going to impact our lives.

Hmm, let's see.
I was brought up in a quiet little cul-de-sac, parents owned the house, never wanted for anything, always had the latest gadgets etc etc. Went to a fab school, stay at home mum as dad earned a fair amount. Very MC childhood really.

Then my parents split. And it was all downhill from there! Moved to a council estate, had a single mother, then we moved to another couple of council estates. I got in with the wrong crowd, got pregnant at 16, moved into my own house on a council estate, had a couple more kids, worked, you know, regular working class.
And now I'm a single mum, too disabled to work and claiming benefits.
So I guess I'm scum?

(Dad never paid what be was meant to for us kids, so we went from having everything to having almost nothing, kicked us out if the family home and sold it, then quit his job)

Don't get this class thing. Surely, if you or your spouse, WORK for a living (as a cleaner, or maybe a consultant) then you are working class, otherwise you are unemployed or independently wealthy.

Foreigners are obviously foreign.

I took the BBC test, placed me at ‘elite’, but I disagree - I think I’m more the type well paid urban tech crowd, who I think come from all sorts of classes plus lots of foreigners.

I’m probably somewhere between working class and lower middle.

Family background: grew up in a three bed semi that my parents owned in an average area. Went to a state comprehensive school. My parents had reasonable jobs, they weren’t rich by any stretch but we always had music lessons, tennis lessons, two cars, holidays abroad etc.

Did ok at school, got into uni (although MN wouldn’t call it a uni as it’s a former Poly ). Dropped out through choice, but still managed to get a good job in banking and have had a couple of promotions since so I’d say I’ve had a solid professional career.

I’m now 33, DH and I have a nice lifestyle. Earn over six figures between us, have savings and investments, and a large detached house that’s over half paid for in a nice area. We have multiple holidays a year and shop in Waitrose but I’ll never be properly middle class.

I am a SAHM with a working husband, income is £41K but in this area that's quite high unless you're a solicitor or doctor for example. However we do live in a really nice council flat (surprisingly). It's a lovely small village and council houses are abundant so it makes sense to have one if you haven't bought a house. A 6 bed can go for as little as £130K (I know, right?!?!)

I'd say working class for sure.

I find the modern day concept of 'class' fascinating. Other than the aristocracy you wouldn't really think 'class' would matter to anyone in today's age, but it still hangs on and people can get hung about it.

For example my DM has a real hang-up about class and consistently refers to me and my DH as 'middle class', and she doesn't mean that as a compliment; it's always said with a sneer, and I've never been quite sure why...

I suppose I'm from a very typical working class background and childhood, my DH and I have worked hard, we now have good jobs and are comfortable. I don't consider myself middle class just because I earn more money than some others. One side of of my family however DO consider themselves as 'upper middle class', and are quite clear they consider being a 'higher class' is something to aspire to.

Personally, I think it's all a load of nonsense and something to be mildly fascinated by how some people take it so seriously