Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

lighthearted, are you middle class?

178 replies

mrziggycoco · 19/04/2022 11:45

How do you define classes, personally, and are what class are you?

I read a book once that said if you are a professional (in one of the professions; teaching/doctor/engineer/surgeon/lawyer) you are middle class.

Similarly if you are a blue collar worker (you have a uniform for work) this makes you working class.

I wonder if being socially housed makes one automatically working class?

Thoughts? Just for fun.

OP posts:
topcat2014 · 19/04/2022 17:33

I have always been happily middle class. The last book I read was Clarksons Farm.

You can't really create a tick box for this.

Camomila · 19/04/2022 17:46

I'm not sure about DH and I...we're both from immigrant backgrounds, and grew up in not great areas, but both have postgrad degrees and office jobs now.

I think our DC are middle class though, as they hopefully won't have all the early struggles we did, plus they have parents who understand applying for uni/internships etc.

Firelogbridge · 19/04/2022 17:48

Don't know what I am. Never give it a second thought outside of Mumsnet.

Grew up in a working class area. My dm was the first of her family to go to uni. My df was a teacher. I lived in one of the most deprived areas in Europe. I did get a place at a grammar and have an undergrad, masters (oxbridge) and a doctorate. So I'm a doctor - but not a medical one. We're lucky that we're mortgage free as we moved from London to my home town. We like going to theatre, rugby, football and drinking beer. We also have a hot tub 🤣. We have a national trust membership and my dh just finished clarksons farm book! I shop at Lidl, M&S and primark. My dc has a tutor as standards are higher where we are now so they had lots of gaps.

I don't think it's as easy as putting people into a box as we tick many probably on either side. We have a household income of £120k but I work pt and earn more than dh.

My dc is probably mc though.

Allusernamesalreadyused · 19/04/2022 17:49

[quote Thereisnolight]@Allusernamesalreadyused

Pray elaborate[/quote]
Well a surgeon or consultant would be super specialised in their respective field. Heart, Neuro, Orthopaedic etc. A doctor is generally a GP is it not or possibly a junior in a hospital . Both studied medicine originally but veered in different directions.
I imagine a surgeon might consider themselves a class 'above' a GP. Then again what do I know I'm WCSmile

Gynaesaur · 19/04/2022 17:57

I might have it wrong- but I'm fairly certain that both surgeons and GPs are both just types of doctors. A surgeon (orthopaedic, brain, other???) or pediatrician, neurologist, cardiologist etc are all doctors who've done a few more years specialising in a particular area.

High street solicitors and QCs have very different levels of prestige, but both are lawyers.

the80sweregreat · 19/04/2022 18:08

Nope!

Carpy88999 · 19/04/2022 18:15

I've always thought of middle class as someone who could afford to not work for a sustained period of time.

If you earn good money but have to work to sustain your lifestyle in my opinion you're just a wealthier member of the working class.

mubarak86 · 19/04/2022 18:17

I would say I'm lower MC as I have a masters, NT membership, liste to R4, dc play rugby and go to selective grammar schools. BUT although I live in a very MC area, I rent on full housing benefit as I'm on benefits (long term) due to caring for disabled ds and dc get FSM. Because of this on paper I think I'd be described as underclass.

SleepingStandingUp · 19/04/2022 18:49

WC.
Studying for my second degree but both BSc.
Hobbies are theatre esp ballet and dance.
Read a mix of fiction and non fiction (norm natural science / science)
Kids go to the Art Gallery and Museum lots
Volunteer for a "worthy" charity.

timestheyarechanging · 19/04/2022 19:00

My mum was middle class back in the 60s - private school, big house etc. my dad not so.
I've been living in London all my life- worked since 16, home owner since 25- kids at grammar school - no idea what class I am?! Does it matter?

timestheyarechanging · 19/04/2022 19:06

Yes we had a pony. Yes my kids play cricket, football and musical theatre. I drive an old banger and work full time. Yes I own my property outright. Still don't know what class I am. Left school at 16 with decent o levels and went travelling for a few years. Had a career in the civil service and retired at 51. What class am I?? I really don't care.

miltonj · 19/04/2022 19:13

@VanGoghsDog

I think of you read a book once that makes you middle class.
No
Trippingslippingx1 · 19/04/2022 19:23

Class in the uk is bonkers

People think they are middle class when actually there really is only two classes - the elite and the ones who work. Thats it.

I cringe when I see the ‘middle class’ in their suvs and new build housing all trying to out do each other with holidays to florida and dubai and ridiculous weddings - its all nonsense

I went to a uni that had the very very wealthy royalty types at it and learned very quickly that not even a £200k a year job would make the cut to become the elite of this country

Greatoutdoors · 19/04/2022 19:32

I haven’t got a clue. I’m a well educated single parent who swears like a navvy, owns my own modest terrace, still relies on tax credits to top up my wage, despite a professional job (journalist, not the thread stealing type), can’t afford holidays, own a car but prefer to walk or catch the bus to save money, watches soaps but enjoys theatre trips several times a year.
I suspect with another income in my home I’d tip into middle class, but as things are I’m working class income, MC education.

Class is much more fluid these days.

PaddleBoardingMomma · 19/04/2022 19:39

Wouldn't a better question be "are you happy with your lot in life?"

Some people have very little and are happy with their lives, some people have it all and are miserable.

I won't say here what life I have, I'll sound like a twat. But I'm happy, so it doesn't really matter does it? I have friends in the same circles who are still miserable, I have friends with much less who are happy souls. 🤷🏼‍♀️

SynchOrSwim · 19/04/2022 19:43

@Trippingslippingx1

Class in the uk is bonkers

People think they are middle class when actually there really is only two classes - the elite and the ones who work. Thats it.

I cringe when I see the ‘middle class’ in their suvs and new build housing all trying to out do each other with holidays to florida and dubai and ridiculous weddings - its all nonsense

I went to a uni that had the very very wealthy royalty types at it and learned very quickly that not even a £200k a year job would make the cut to become the elite of this country

I don't see new builds and holidays to Florida and Dubai as being middle class at all!
XingMing · 19/04/2022 19:52

I'd probably say we are MC, but none of my family went to uni until me. My grandpa left school at 14, grandma worked all her life except when her children were pre-school, but as a family we were MC. My parents were both qualified, but as a pilot and SRN, not via degrees. And we listened to R4, which makes one more MC than anything else.

Mercurial123 · 19/04/2022 19:57

One of the many things I love about working overseas is that the class issue has never been mentioned. Probably because it's really boring. MN is obsessed with class, it's weird.

5128gap · 19/04/2022 20:04

It seems to me that people who define the classes largely do so by picking the one they want to belong to, and ascribing criteria to it that means they personally fit.

WorkHardPlayHard1 · 19/04/2022 20:07

@Thereisnolight

A surgeon is a doctor
But they have done a helluva lot more training I think as specialists.
Longcovid21 · 19/04/2022 20:08

I don't know. You tell me. I am an associate Prof, so a professional job. I'm a single parent. I live in a small semi in a posh part of town, and have a big 4 bed in the country we visit in the holidays. But also I shop in lidl or aldi. Wear old clothes etc. I'm a real mix.

sophienelisse · 19/04/2022 20:09

My accent is too strong to be middle class.

sophienelisse · 19/04/2022 20:22

Is it because we have a royal family? Is that where the obsession with class has come from?

IwaswhoIam · 19/04/2022 20:23

I don’t know my official class . I don’t fall into any category. I rarely thought about my class until I went on mumsnet where there seems to be obsession over it . I’m currently a SAHM but prior to that I had a working class job . My grandparents fall into the middle class category but my parents had me at 19 so most of my childhood was a struggle financially. My husband is on a high salary and (according to a quick Google search ) it puts us in the upper middle class but I relate more to working class personally. I don’t feel like I fit in anywhere and it’s causes me anxiety in social situations.

the80sweregreat · 19/04/2022 20:24

@sophienelisse

Is it because we have a royal family? Is that where the obsession with class has come from?
Probably , although some pop stars are richer than the Queen , it is a mystery for sure