To ask what makes you middle class?

[Wantobeareader]

I am not from the UK so not very familiar with these class definitions (which personally I cannot stand) but I am curious to understand what people mean with MC. I thought it was a term referred to the fairly wealthy but apparently lots of people and incomes seem to fall into that categories.
So, how would you define Middle Class? Feel free to type a description of a typical MC person you can think of :)

Again though, depending on your education level and profession now, I'd say you're not working class. Regardless of your upbringing. Social mobility is a reality. If the BBC class calculator says you're the elite, it's highly unlikely that you're working class, in the eyes of pretty much every sociologist in the land. Sorry.

You've never done research have you? Empirical research is used a lot in social science and in other sciences
But please do continue with your laughing emojis

According to the calculator im established middle class 😂

Probably just due to income I've input and the fact that one day I'll be on Call of Duty or GTA, the next I might fancy a wander around a gallery.

I'm really surprised at this tbh and will enjoy using it to wind up my aspiring MC aquaintences who often roll me out at their gatherings as the edgy, quirky representative of the minions 😂

Apparently I'm established middle class 😂
I was brought up as lower middle class and when I left home, I personally lived in poverty and classed myself as working class as I worked a minimum wage job in a rough area and lived paycheck to paycheck and could barely afford food.
I then married a dentist and now live in a big house in a nicer area so class myself as middle class again but only because of the life DH has given me.

Alright, I'll run with this - how are you eliminating bias from your research? Is anyone peer reviewing your work?

I agree with this post. Class is fluid, not static. I agree that you changed class a couple of times. I'd say I've made a couple of class moves too. I think many of us have, and it's nothing like as black and white as it once was.

I think it’s ok to identify as working class. Even though by all standard accepted definitions you are not,

I do think it makes a mockery of the working class if someone middle class (which is what elite is) tries to pretend they are working class, as for some reason they feel better with the definition.

Oh, do stop trying to be clever. I have not suggested I am currently doing any research.
I was merely pointing out that empirical research/experience is not opinion, but an accepted research methodology.
But, as I have been repeatedly informed, don't try to point put truths/reality to stupid, because stupid thinks it isn't wrong and stupid thinks it isn't stupid.
So no further arguments from me.
Happy for you to think you have won. Happy to 'concede' because it will make you feel clever and superior. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Clearly not clever at all - as your post makes absolutely no sense to me. 😁

Cordohroys For the elimination of doubt and for clarification...
...and on the understanding that I may be reported...
Guess who the 'stupid' is in this context

Ah - you're the clever one - never would have guessed! No, I won't report you, I'm not that insecure.😎

You do not become working class by income or occupation. You retain the privilege and cultural capital being middle class gives you.

You do by occupation. Absolutely.

I refuse to be classified! thanks

That's interesting. All my family are middle class by profession, education, income, cultural capital, all the markers, and have been for several generations.
However in the extended family there are 2 siblings in a family, one is highly educated, professional qualifications, married a similar type of person, friends are all similar, owns own home, lives a middle class life. The other, who went to the same school, did A levels, decided not to go to university but went to college to train in hair and beauty, which I think is a working class occupation. They work in this area and have a partner who has pretty much had no education, is what you might call a "rough" person, they rent a small house, they have one friend who went to university but all the others seem to have not even gone to sixth form. Have they become working class even though their family background is middle class? What about their child who has lots of contact with extended middle class family, doing plenty of what people on here say are middle class activities, and no contact with other parent's family?

Yes they working class, their kids are the children of working class parents. Their own class won’t be decided until adults.

Pretty sure you've muddled epistemological with empirical here.
Empirical is directly observable like physics, isolation and control of variables. So behaviourism (conditioning in Psychology) is empirical but cognitive (memory modelling NOT biological) is not empirical. Because you can't directly measure memory only operationalise concepts of models. These can then be potentially confirmed by neuroscience which is empirical as you directly observe the brain.
Most social science aims to be as empirical amd objective as possible unless its from an interpretivist perspective. So eg Smart's personal life theory uses epistemology amd ground up, meanings based research which is what you are describing incorrectly as empiricism.

No, I haven't.

You have 🤣
Empirical has never meant your own personal subjective ideas and observations. It still doesn't.

1 the list of people who can so go passports is massively larger than you imply
2 It wasn’t worthiness that allowed professionals to sign documents and passports. It’s that we are traceable by the Law Society, ICAEW etc and held to professional standards. But as I say the list isn’t just professionals.

I think generally if you care about what class you are, and frequently refer to your class - then you’re middle class.

So ask yourself if class is important to you. If it is, you have your answer

@ChequeredPastel "So ask yourself if class is important to you. If it is, you have your answer"

I disagree. In my experience people are usually incredibly keen to claim working class credentials on the slightest of evidence. Just read this thread!

*sign not so go

I think this is further evidence to my theory 😂 it’s mostly middle class people claiming to be working.

actual working class people tend to know they’re working class. They just ARE. They don’t spend ages banging on about it

AKA - your opinion.