Is this 'middle' or 'working ' class

[FarmerSamon]

Back in 2013, I put on Facebook that I'd just shopped at a local weekly outdoor farmer's market set up in our area, and I was proud of myself for buying local, fresh, produce from a small, local, independent retailer - all locally sourced food in paper packaging - not a nasty piece of plastic in sight!! I put a status to this effect on Facebook - yes smug I know.

My Fb friend commented that this sounded 'very middle class' and I said - no you could argue it's more 'working class' as working class people are more likely to have jobs in the primary industries - so I'm supporting the local economy

Any thoughts ?

OMG this is hilarious !! Thanks so much - I lol'd really hard !!

I would read the hell out of that. I'd oooh, I'd tut, I'd shake my head. I'd thoroughly enjoy it. Sex and brassicas, you just don't get a better combo than that.

😂

You're worried that a decade ago you might have been perceived as the wrong class? Honestly I think it's MC to be this class obsessed.

You do realise you weren't working on the farm right? You were just buying it's produce.

Are people who buy Bentleys working class because they're supporting the automobile industry?

Has it taken 10 years for you to decide to post on MN?

What is this class thing? I don't entertain any of that nonsense. Who cares really -the ones that do aren't worth worrying about.

I'd say an open produce market where there are sellers shouting a pound of bananas 50p etc is more working class, the food is cheaper than a supermarket. However the whole farmers market thing tends to these days mean high quality produce at a premium, with people who have time to shop like that - and boast about it on social media!

Middle class. If you're not sure with anything like this, it's always middle class.

I don’t think it’s either. We have a popular local one and all sorts of people go. Everyone I know personally that’s gone has a job, therefore they are what I would call working class if I had to label.

I do think they are a bit of an aspirational endeavour, and I have relatives that live almost on top of one that wouldn’t dream of spending a tenner on a sourdough bacon roll sprinkled with poppy seeds, so perhaps traditionally working class (& proud). But buying local and supporting local can be anyone’s ideology, and is quite trendy.

The cost of food these days does make me think well at least if I’m spending this much, at least I’m doing it within the local community.

I cannot bear you, with respect and in all fairness.

You post about a minor incident that happened ten years ago.
You are obsessed with class.
You post on Facebook about buying things at the farmers' market.
You argue on Facebook.

Are you playing some kind of bingo.

No it isn't. Produce at our farmers market is cheaper and better quality than the supermarkets.

You can't get an answer to this because there are different definitions to working and middle class.

What's yours?

Used to be blue and white collar being an indication of whether you had a job or a profession - professionals are working so I don't get it, but I suppose it means not living hand to mouth?

This is the "erosion of the middle class" though because now I believe professionals and home owners are living hand to mouth? So are they now working class?

New terms needed I think.

I think we're back to or almost back to upper and lower.

If you have savings you're upper. If you live hand to mouth you're lower.

Farmers markets are stuffed to the gills with Hugos and Pippas who gave up jobs in the city to escape the 'rat race' and make artisanal bread / cheese / preserves / chocolate instead.

@ 'Hugos and Pippas!' 🤣

I agree that boundaries are changing and it's now becoming a big of a nonsense

Working class - living in council house, husband has manual job in brewery, wife is SAHM but worked in a factory before marriage/children

Middle class - university education , medical degree. Hospital consultant job, owner occupiers, husband a journalist,

But I totally agree that the nature of jobs and class are changing

In the UK, it would be fairly middle class. But that wouldn't be the case everywhere. I used to live in Asia and shopping at the fruit and veg market was definitely considered a bit down market. If you were middle class, you'd go to the big fancy air con supermarket.

I find it all quite fun as well. I remember reading a definition once around your profession versus job.

I'm socially housed
Have a degree
Self-employed
Single mum

What am I?

Maybe housing is the crucial factor? We're in the slums with no capital.

When I inherit my parents' home does that elevate me?

Ultimately doesn't matter but I think definitions are impossible at this point.

You have to have a certain level of affluence and disposable income to be able to afford Farmers Market prices, which are much higher than Aldi or Lidl equivalents, but it's possible to be wealthy working class (and possible to be poverty-line middle class).

It's definitely middle-class to post about it on facebook.

It's quite excruciatingly lower-middle class to agonise about what someone else said about it on mumsnet 10 years later.

What class do you want to be percieved as @FarmerSamon ?

But when you are at the market, did you use a loo? or a toilet?

This was brilliant. I hadn't seen it before, and it really made me laugh - thank you so much :)

This is a really poor attempt to bring up the eternal am I MC which certain posters are obsessed with.

Im sure there’s a term for seeing your grocery shop as an act of philanthropy. You’re right, though, I’m not sure that middle class is the specific term we’re looking for!

MC for sure. Working class people like me shop in Asda, Iceland and Poundland.

@*MerryMarigold
*
Um ... excuse me. I'd appreciate it if people got their facts right. When I was with my ex, as far as he was concerned it was:

Paaaaandland!!!

We're working class and go to farmers markets and food festivals and the like. What money we do have spare we like to spend on nice food every now and then. Nothing more too it really.