What makes you middle class?

[Singlemum90]

So a comment from my mother a few years ago has stuck with me ever since then really. When I was no longer a single mum, and found myself a little less skint, she said 'oh it's so good now you're just a nice middle class mum, I'm so proud of you'

Aside from her clearly looking down at me before this, and deciding class was what defined how she felt about me- I have often wondered what made her decide I was middle class at this point.

How do you define it? (I feel it's very subjective) Is it what family you are born into? Your income?(And what income makes the 'classes'? Is it a specific job type? The way you stick your finger out when you drink tea?
Or is it just a shitty way to divide people and how they feel about themselves?

well I’ve gone up a class. I just thought I can’t stand doing more housework than needed😉

You might like this response from the late Duchess of Devonshire (nee Deborah Mitford), when she was asked where she bought her clothes. She replied, "Agricultural Shows and Paris".

I don't know which "class" I am. It's a bit tedious to have to class yourself, or aspire to be a "higher class". It doesn't really matter.

Her sister, of course, codified U and non-U.

Even within classes there are several layers...

My maternal granny, living in a rented terrace with her plumber/gas fitter husband and six children was offered a council house about 1930 on an estate that had been built to clear some slums. She flatly refused to go saying, "I'm not going there with that rough lot! The women wear flat caps, drink in the pub and shout in the street."

Granny was working class but never swore, insisted on impeccable table manners and always went out wearing a hat and gloves.

Indeed she did but I'm never sure if she did it as a joke or whether she was deadly serious. She was a terrible snob though and complained that working class people's hair smelled (she was able to bathe daily herself of course!)

Going to West Wittering for a day out (no other beach will do)

Ski-ing

People say it's about behaviour but it's about how much money you have.

That said, you could say anyone who works for a living is working class.

Youre right about layers. Flat caps and shouting! That made me chuckle. A perfect example of respectable working class 100 years ago when ordinary people rarely got the opportunities to improve their lot. They did their best to help their children get on in life. A century later many of their grandchildren will be highly educated professionals living middle class lives.

Me, to a t. My grandpa left school at 14 and went as an apprentice to a Coventry car company. After time sweeping floors etc, he went to the draughtsmen's office. He was quick minded and sucked up everything, and ended up as Chief Standards Officer for Concorde. His son became a naval officer, and I am as middle class as you can get. And not apologetic. What's wrong with being middle class?

Nothing wrong with being MC. Or WC or U or non-U or any other bloody thing! We're all just trying to get on with life.

Embracing who you are is the important thing. Even if that is someone who is determined to climb up or lay the path for their children to climb up educationally, socially, financially.

The only things I can't bear are
a) people who look down on others - for any reason, but especially when it's all about making themselves feel superior; and
b) people pretending to be something they're not (usually found in combination with a)).

Class divide isn't entirely financial. It's a feeling, aswell as an attitude and how you live. You can have a footballer on £100k a week but they are a working class lad, so he's from a poorer background with more money than sense. You can be any class you like really as long as you're being honest with yourself, otherwise you're just being fake.

Must always remember there is asset rich and cash poor. Just because someone appears wealthy, ie big house, nice car etc they may have poor cashflow or no cash at all.

The wealthiest people I know at the moment (the ones with dc at private school, multiple holidays & good cars) are plumbers, electricians, builders & carpenters. They are in short supply in my area & can name their price.
Some are married to very middle class women eg one builder is married to an accountant & an electrician neighbour is married to a women who owns a very successful marketing company. Both couples have a very high standard of living, dc in expensive schools & the dc are very posh judging by their accents & expensive extracurriculars!

So well said!

It's so confusing now. It's almost like they've swapped in many instances. Many working class people I know have become middle class, and middle class people have become working class!
I'm kind of in between or classless (see up thread) and have done lots zero hours agency work etc. Amazing how many colleagues have come from middle class backgrounds, but now renting and living in penury.

Not having tattoos and certainly not visible ones.

And before the usual pierced and tattooed posters start bleating that their surgeon/ barrister/headteacher is covered with them, those will be a tiny minority.

I think that’s going to change. I gave a couple of lectures to medical students over the last two years, in the same notoriously overheated lecture theatre, so people were in short sleeves — lots of visible tattoos. And judging by DS’s primary teachers, the next generation of Heads will be far more tattooed. DS’s current Head goes to my gym, and has two discreet shoulder blade ones, but not visible when clothed…

Royal family were renowned for having tattoos, it’s much more the thing for upper class and working class. I know the royal family are considered middle class in some circles but possibly the tattoos put paid to that

I didn't know that about the royal family? I know leading female members aren't meant to wear nail varnish, unless it's very neutral. So, I assumed tattoos were off limits too.

Actually tattoos are pretty much mandatory for hipsters, who are surely middle class by definition? So, I guess it depends on the type of middle class? It's such a huge social class, and encompasses so many sub-groups!

We became National Trust members at the weekend!!! Are we now officially middle class?!

I only have a single tiny hidden tattoo, but I work in a school (as a teacher, but not a promoted one) and at least half our promoted staff have tattoos. We do have a particularly young staff and leadership team though. I don’t know many old teachers with tattoos, nevermind old promoted teachers with tattoos.

I think it’s an age thing, too.

I have heard that the late Prince Philip had a small anchor tattoo, dating from his navy days, but that hardly amounts to the ‘Royal family being renowned for them’ ,
How about a few examples?

I only have a single tiny hidden tattoo, but I work in a school (as a teacher, but not a promoted one) and at least half our promoted staff have tattoos. We do have a particularly young staff and leadership team though. I don’t know many old teachers with tattoos, nevermind old promoted teachers with tattoos.

But this thread is about what makes people middle class. Teachers, whether ‘promoted’ or not, are not automatically middle class, and if they are not, tattoos won’t help.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yep

I thought of something else today - having a cleaner.

I am far too wc to have "staff".

I personally do think teachers are middle class, even if they have working class backgrounds. Their profession makes them middle class. But, probably lower middle rather than middle middle.