What makes you middle class ?

[toddlerdanger]

Inspired by another thread. Just for a bit of fun.

MN is obsessed with this. Let me start- I am not originally British - so I wasn't born into this system. But I understand it somewhat. But I would like to understand what it is that makes you middle class.

Here are my thoughts, gathered from 20 plus years of living here, please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't want to offend, I find this topic fascinating, especially since reading so much about it on here:

• speaking in an RP accent, so not in a regional accent

• living in a period property or cottage ( an old house basically )

• playing board games and scrabble

• loving puns and word play

• having read all the classic books because you grew up with them and your parents showed you/ talked for you about them since you were young

• having parents who don't do manual jobs/ are entrepreneurs. Middle class parents seem to work in academia or in the corporate world in general.

• having parents who have a degree

• having parents that have been to private school

• having been to private school ( but not 100 percent necessary )

• having a degree yourself

• not driving flash cars, think more like a Volvo rather than a Porsche

• shopping at Waitrose

• not piercing your child's ears until they're in their teens

• not having too much flashy designer stuff. The odd bag is OK. But not constant flashing of designer stuff. More understated

• the Christmas lights things. Not too many colours, but more subdued. Think warm white vs ice white lights

• antiques in the home

• not into football, but more into rugby

This is all I can think of right now.

Not having to ask people if you are middle class or not probably

@SuitcaseOfWhine

Not having to ask people if you are middle class or not probably

This. If you have to ask, you’re not.

Who cares anyway? No person you would want to know would care about this. People can spot class fakes a mile off. So just don’t waste your energy on it.

I don’t believe middle class exists. I fit a lot of your description but am working class because I have to work. My mum disagrees and has always considered herself middle class for various reasons so she can look down on other people.

Yeah I don't know what I am. I'm not from here originally, so it's hard to say ! It's different where I am from and mostly based on having money and manners.

@User3579

I don’t believe middle class exists. I fit a lot of your description but am working class because I have to work. My mum disagrees and has always considered herself middle class for various reasons so she can look down on other people.

One of my professors at uni uses to say that if you have to work - even if you're a professor and you're getting money in exchange for work, you're always working class. Even if you own a home.

Who cares anyway? No person you would want to know would care about this. People can spot class fakes a mile off.

Quite a conflicting post, this.

Seems being middle class is being insecure about whether you're middle-class enough, or not, and putting everyone else who might be middle class, or threaten your own middle class status, down.

Round here it’s driving to school when your whole family is able bodied and you live two streets away. Parking your massive car on double yellow lines inches from the school gate and covering most of the pavement so wheelchairs can’t get by and then standing gossiping to equally irritating middle class friends in the middle of the school entrance while ignoring your kids who are creating Merry hell!

Yes that’s how I see it. I’m not from here either, we’ll not ethnically but my mum is so colonial British it’s painful.

MN is obsessed with this

I disagree.

Nearly all of the posts I see started on this are from people not born in England who have a fascination with class and have decided themselves what criteria are middle class and want to know if they are right!

I think a lot of the things you list are a certain style or sophistication rather than “middle class”.

I wouldn’t describe myself as middle class because I don’t fit with the traditional definition. But I would be “MN middle class” - I shop at Toast/Boden/John Lewis. Waitrose or M&S for food. Drive a Volvo. Well paid professional job after postgrad degree. Well read in the classics. RP accent. So I think a lot of those are spot on.

More than 3 types of cheese in the fridge.

@Howshouldibehave

MN is obsessed with this

I disagree.

Nearly all of the posts I see started on this are from people not born in England who have a fascination with class and have decided themselves what criteria are middle class and want to know if they are right!

Haha maybe ! I just read stuff on here - like today about living in a new build being working class and end up wondering about these things !

No one talks about this in real life to me. So I just find it fascinating.

As I said, where I'm from it's about money and having manners.

Well none of that is what makes someone middle class

It's based on your job and income mostly

White collar workers are middle class, the best definition I've seen is the middle class shower before work, working class shower after work.

Living dead does that include dairy lea, cheese strings & Aldi’s grated cheddar coz if it does…woohoo I’ve made it!

@User3579

I don’t believe middle class exists. I fit a lot of your description but am working class because I have to work. My mum disagrees and has always considered herself middle class for various reasons so she can look down on other people.

Do you think working class means everyone that works?

I tick 90% of your list and am resolutely, proudly working class.

@TearifficTaz

Well none of that is what makes someone middle class

It's based on your job and income mostly

White collar workers are middle class, the best definition I've seen is the middle class shower before work, working class shower after work.

But I thought you can have a very high income and still not be middle class ?

I find the "RP accent" qualification quite interesting, as if you don't get middle class people north of the home counties.

@toddlerdanger

Yep, hence the use of the word and in my sentence

I am as caitlin Moran describes herself as a 'class jumper' from my very very poor childhood to my now graduate job.
I think I would definitely be seen as middle class now maybe but I don't feel it. I'm a bit adrift as to where i fit in. I have all the trappings of middle class but I like all the working class things from my childhood. It's hard to explain

@LivingDeadGirlUK

More than 3 types of cheese in the fridge.

Counts cheeses, high fives self on climbing the social ladder... Sod my degree, I have cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, soft cheese, goats cheese, brie and Stilton.

@PearPickingPorky

I find the "RP accent" qualification quite interesting, as if you don't get middle class people north of the home counties.

I’m in Scotland but still have an RP accent

It's based on your job and income mostly

I don't know. That is the American version of middle class. In the UK, it is more subtle than that. At least that is what I think, not being from the UK myself.

Middle classes tend to value and spend on things that are invisible especially education.

Some of the things like playing/enjoying rugby rather than football might push things into upper class though.

Private school or public school?!