How do we decide 'social class'?

[badspella]

I have been reading one or two threads about 'social class', and it reminded me that I am really confused about the whole notion of social classification (the labels we use, rather than stratification itself).

For example, I know a family who are farmers. They own a good few acres of prime land, and live in a large listed house. However, the house is falling to pieces (holes in the roof, rotten floorboards and so on) and the grandfather left school before receiving any formal qualifications. The son (who now farms the land) completed secondary education. All the family speak with a strong regional accent. The farm is worth well over £1 million.

What class are they?

Then, there is one of my friends who has a masters degree and PhD, is a university lecturer. She was brought up in a large detached house, but, she lives in a rented council house.

What class is she?

I must state that I do not spend my time trying to fit people into little boxes, but I do wonder how 'class' is 'decided', especially when contexts are so complex.

If you were so interested and invested into knowing what class someone is, one way people do it is to look at their social circle and whether it includes mostly professionals.

MaryAndHerNet

Great analysis!

Actually laughing at the nobody cares comment. MN is notoriously obsessed With class

Key takeaways from every thread are:

1. The class system and possession of “class” are two entirely different things - although on class obsessed MN there is a tendency to proclaim anyone upper class also has heaps of “class” (so kind to the villagers as they drive around in their battered Volvo wearing patched hands me downs).

This is bullshit. There’s as many aristo arseholes as anyone else.

1. many MNers claim to be working class “because I work for a living” despite their working involving having a PhD and being educated privately. This is not how class is determined. I assume they think they’re being terribly witty but honestly they sound like pretentious dicks.

Maybe it's birds of a feather or different parts of the UK but ime people really don't care in the way they are meant to.
So everyone I know thinks people like them in outlook are best. Healthy self esteem or , deluded 🤷 take your pick.
Imo a character like Hyacinth Bucket doesn't really make much sense anymore for example. A modern version would be someone on their social media profile living their best life.

This is the problem with social mobility, I feel your pain

I suspect those who are concerned with 'class' like to believe they are somehow 'a cut above' others and use the word 'aspirational' a lot. A hideous way to live.

It's true that migrants to new countries don't park their old prejudices. It does seem amazing to me that you would emigrate somewhere new and experience being looked down on at times or disadvantaged to some degree and then look down on somebody who was perceived to be slightly below you in the pecking order back in your home country!

As a migrant, its really irrelevant what class you were back at home. But with compatriots - context matters. Not British sense of class, its different. A lot of migrants, when they go home for a visit, act like they're lord and lady now, when in truth there is nothing glamourous.

@PegasusReturns

Actually laughing at the nobody cares comment. MN is notoriously obsessed With class

Key takeaways from every thread are:

1. The class system and possession of “class” are two entirely different things - although on class obsessed MN there is a tendency to proclaim anyone upper class also has heaps of “class” (so kind to the villagers as they drive around in their battered Volvo wearing patched hands me downs).

This is bullshit. There’s as many aristo arseholes as anyone else.

1. many MNers claim to be working class “because I work for a living” despite their working involving having a PhD and being educated privately. This is not how class is determined. I assume they think they’re being terribly witty but honestly they sound like pretentious dicks.

Totally agree with this.