Only the middle class and above think that Class isn't a thing any more.

[FindingMeno]

Just that really.
If you're working class it's as plain as the nose on your face.

Wealthy aspirational lower-middle.

Upper class is aristocracy. The royal family. It's not about wealth. Many upper class people with titles are dirt poor.

Presumably you know you’re not when you are signing passport photos.

Im working class because I work? 😳

It's interesting that the majority of the posts so far are middle class v working class. I work with a lot of working class women and it's clear here anyway that the majority of talk is working class looking down on "benefits class" - long term unemployed, self select failures, drug addicts, alcoholics and yes, asylum seekers and illegal migrants. This is in a GP practice in an area of deprivation.

Upper working/ LMC same background as my Mum. What might have been called "respectable working class" or bourgeoisie in Marxist terms. Same as Mrs Thatcher her DC were too firmly middle class.

Ha, ha! I used to run my cleaning business, I asked my two customers to sign my passport, no probs 🙂
But you definition is brilliant.

MN is quite working class. I think it’s more that those who’ve transitioned through classes feel less wedded to the system, so someone who was lower working class would easily travel to upper middle class (based on money and circumstances), or marry/socioeconomically commute via professional work into high net wealth/upper class, anyone who does that has way less regard for the system, as they see it as entirely transmutable.

In Britain there are loads of class signifiers that are absolutely nothing to do with occupation or money. And obviously it shouldn't matter. But there are plenty of examples-like the passport signature one-where society is still rigged against working class people.

It seems a recent change that many now consider that how much money you earn denotes your class. That has never been the case; being upper class is innate though education, success etc can help you mimic it.

Isn't it all a nonsense? My DH and I are both professionals, but neither of us aspire to be described as middle class. The whole thing makes me cringe, I can't understand the obsession with it on MN.

Oh come on-of course class matters. Privilege gives you an enormous leg up. Even being raised in a home where basic table manners are enforced at an early age, people discuss abstracts and money is available for enrichment activities and education propels people forward in life. You might not care about your friends’ backgrounds but that implies you are comfortable moving in all social situations and aren’t feeling embarrassed about how you’re coming across. Just because you don’t feel that doesn’t mean class doesn’t exist.

Edited to say this isn’t a response to the OP, more to the people saying it doesn’t matter.

Oh they really are not.

To answer previous pp's questions.
Working class is, to me, people who do not have the benefit of home ownership, higher education or the ability to have significant savings. Usually manual workers.
I could see the working class particularly during covid. A lot of us still kept going to work out of the home.

Agree.

Disagree. All middle class people I know are desperate to be friends with the 'right' people.

It used to be simple, most people were working class physically worked for a living, virtually everyone you knew. The middle class were professional people, doctors, lawyers, bank managers, people in the city, etc and the upper class were rich.

I'm not convinced they fit neatly in the middle class box either though.

@CitizenZ "Isn't it all a nonsense? My DH and I are both professionals, but neither of us aspire to be described as middle class. The whole thing makes me cringe, I can't understand the obsession with it on MN"

Bet you know loads of people who could sign your passport form!

The government are making it harder and harder to keep generational wealth in the UK. I long for the American trust system.

Can I ask what that is the Americans do?
We’ve had advice to form a limited company now since labour are in, for assets rather than just handing down and losing on the tax. Thank you ☺️

Yes, I agree with this, how can you challenge the establishment of you are the establishment. The BBC's political broadcasters or editors appear to have mostly been to private school and Oxbridge or a highly secretive school in an amazing part of London and then Oxbridge. It does appear to be only upper middle classes allowed, they spent appear to open up to applicants from typical middle class backgrounds let alone working class! Presenters who are on non political shows maybe more mixed but then you see the names familiar and their parents worked in TV before or they were pop stars like the presenters on the One Show. I enjoy lots of Radio 4 programmes but just wish it was a bit more mixed with the voices you hear but generally they sound like they have been to private school. I have a young cousin who applied for various jobs at the BBC but as he has a degree from a non RG and post graduate journalism degree from an ex-poly he is probably ruled out.

The parliamentary committees they have over COVID, Grenfall, again all very posh people, the establishment, I wonder if this will ever change.

Selective not secretive!😄

Class isn't a thing.

How much money you have is.

In the context that she was previously castigated for going to the opera which wasn't sufficiently working class a pastime apparently.