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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What class are you?

175 replies

OnWednesdayswewearpinkIYKYK · 17/01/2025 19:46

There are soooo many threads about class that are on this forum. I wondered how people actually identify.

I’m assuming there’s not too many upper class or aristocracy, or even royalty, and only have two options for the vote (I think).

So, YANBU is: Middle class
YABU is: Working class

Please vote! 😁

OP posts:
Rhodora · 17/01/2025 23:08

Middle class. Daughter of a stockbroker and a midwife and the wife of a chartered building surveyor. Does it really matter though? Surely an ability to treat people with dignity, respect and kindness is more important than what social class you are.

TempestTost · 17/01/2025 23:11

The thing about that BBC class calculator is that with a lot of the questions that aren't about money, it's working backwards. It's trying to guess what sectors of the economy you are immersed in based on your social characteristics.

This can work because we can make generalizations - for example, if you go to the opera, statistically there are other things that correlate with that, including what kind of employment you might have.

But it can also be way off. If you are dirt poor living on a tiny pension, you could spend all your time finding free classical music concerts in churches and listening to opera on the radio or YouTube or whatever, but that wouldn't be telling us anything about your social class in that individual case.

TempestTost · 17/01/2025 23:13

Rhodora · 17/01/2025 23:08

Middle class. Daughter of a stockbroker and a midwife and the wife of a chartered building surveyor. Does it really matter though? Surely an ability to treat people with dignity, respect and kindness is more important than what social class you are.

I matters if you want to understand how the country is functioning economically and politically.

It could even help someone understand why mumsnet tends to have the opinions it does on things.

Not everything is about how people are treated.

mondaytosunday · 17/01/2025 23:15

Middle class.

JessiesJ99 · 17/01/2025 23:17

TempestTost · 17/01/2025 23:11

The thing about that BBC class calculator is that with a lot of the questions that aren't about money, it's working backwards. It's trying to guess what sectors of the economy you are immersed in based on your social characteristics.

This can work because we can make generalizations - for example, if you go to the opera, statistically there are other things that correlate with that, including what kind of employment you might have.

But it can also be way off. If you are dirt poor living on a tiny pension, you could spend all your time finding free classical music concerts in churches and listening to opera on the radio or YouTube or whatever, but that wouldn't be telling us anything about your social class in that individual case.

Yeah, I think it came up as Elite just based on household income for me, I said I used social media, listened to rap, knew people of all different professions and it still said Elite 😅

BigSilly · 17/01/2025 23:18

Oh ffs not this again!

Whatonearth07957 · 17/01/2025 23:26

It's about the individual and likes and interests. Class is not static in families. Its a fun definition to help attribute your tribe. There can be elements of each. No one likes the aspiring aspect of it.

TempestTost · 17/01/2025 23:30

StormingNorman · 17/01/2025 23:03

How are you defining upper middle class? I would think it’s impossible to go from working class to upper middle. There just isn’t the upbringing, education, network or life experiences to support it.

What is your basis for that? That doesn't fit my observation at all, and I'd go so far as to say it's a bizarre statement.

Middle class is middle class. Generally it means people are in fairly secure employment, or sometimes self employed, and they normally have regular access to things like good dental care and medications and so on, and some kinds of investments, even if it's only a pension. These days they will generally have some kind of post secondary education.

As for differentiating within the middle classes - it's not a hard line. LMC are more likely to have good jobs in trades, some kinds of para-professional positions. They will likely have access to a pension of something that functions as a pension, but not usually a lot of other investments - if they live in a place where they can afford a house that may well be their major investment. (A lot of these people would, a few generations ago, have been working class, but they changed in the workforce provide a higher income and they do have investment income now which is a big difference from the past.)

Upper middle class would be the very highest earners, the "professional middle classes" often they will be people whose professions are regulated by professional organizations. They might be considered "rich" by some, but their incomes, while high, aren't usually enough to put them at the level where they are making money work for them, they are working for money. And while they may be able to spend a lot of money of a few things , a home, cars, private education, travel - they probably can't spend like that on everything. Many doctors, lawyers, certain people in business, sometimes certain people in the arts or even the top of the charitable sector can fall into this category.

In the middle you find a lot of people like civil servants, teachers, less successful lawyers, small business owners, university professors, and successful tradesmen with their own businesses or the ones who can ask for a very high wage.

LinnettdeBelleforte · 17/01/2025 23:34

I'm middle/upper middle depending on how you define class.

Lambington · 17/01/2025 23:49

I can't vote because you've ruled out my category.

Greyish2025 · 18/01/2025 00:14

Middle class mainly because of my lengthy education and profession (think along the lines of Lawyer), but not wealthy

MudpiesinEssex · 18/01/2025 00:20

Not sure, but definitely superior to you lot.

mollyfolk · 18/01/2025 01:34

catin8oots · 17/01/2025 21:26

Oh I LOVE these threads where everyone lists their middle class credentials. So fun to read.

Haven't had one in a while 😀

Are we still counting humous-eating children as a marker of middle classness ? Or is that just MN 2004?

All the proletariat are eating hummus these days. If your child didn't throw together a butter board for a snack jn 2024 you can safely call yourself riff raff.

timetodecide2345 · 18/01/2025 02:46

Just check here; I'm technical middle class

www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2013/newsspec_5093/index.stm

MarkingBad · 18/01/2025 03:00

I honestly don't understand how anyone defines class effectively. Is it the situation in which you were born, the attitudes your grew up with, your ancestory, can you move class, or any other thing?

PointsSouth · 18/01/2025 03:34

KabukiNoh · 17/01/2025 20:03

Mammal

Some of our evil overlords may be reptiles though.

No, we’re not. We’re just ordinary people. Very, very not rept…

…ooh! Hamster!

StormingNorman · 18/01/2025 07:27

TempestTost · 17/01/2025 23:30

What is your basis for that? That doesn't fit my observation at all, and I'd go so far as to say it's a bizarre statement.

Middle class is middle class. Generally it means people are in fairly secure employment, or sometimes self employed, and they normally have regular access to things like good dental care and medications and so on, and some kinds of investments, even if it's only a pension. These days they will generally have some kind of post secondary education.

As for differentiating within the middle classes - it's not a hard line. LMC are more likely to have good jobs in trades, some kinds of para-professional positions. They will likely have access to a pension of something that functions as a pension, but not usually a lot of other investments - if they live in a place where they can afford a house that may well be their major investment. (A lot of these people would, a few generations ago, have been working class, but they changed in the workforce provide a higher income and they do have investment income now which is a big difference from the past.)

Upper middle class would be the very highest earners, the "professional middle classes" often they will be people whose professions are regulated by professional organizations. They might be considered "rich" by some, but their incomes, while high, aren't usually enough to put them at the level where they are making money work for them, they are working for money. And while they may be able to spend a lot of money of a few things , a home, cars, private education, travel - they probably can't spend like that on everything. Many doctors, lawyers, certain people in business, sometimes certain people in the arts or even the top of the charitable sector can fall into this category.

In the middle you find a lot of people like civil servants, teachers, less successful lawyers, small business owners, university professors, and successful tradesmen with their own businesses or the ones who can ask for a very high wage.

Your lower middle is still working class for me.

Your upper middle is just regular middle class.

I don’t think you can be anything more than middle class based on professional or financial attainment alone. Beyond that it’s family history and social & cultural capital.

You find my comment that these are important bizarre and I find it equally strange that you don’t. Some people could lose every penny and could never be anything but upper class. Some people (the Beckhams) can make hundreds of millions and never be anything other than working class cosplaying upper class.

StormingNorman · 18/01/2025 07:32

Rhodora · 17/01/2025 23:08

Middle class. Daughter of a stockbroker and a midwife and the wife of a chartered building surveyor. Does it really matter though? Surely an ability to treat people with dignity, respect and kindness is more important than what social class you are.

What do YOU do?

TorroFerney · 18/01/2025 07:42

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 17/01/2025 20:17

Lower middle
WFH laptop jockey job
Mortgage on an ex council house on the "respectable" end of the estate
Kids in slightly expensive extra curriculars.
Weirdly uncomfortable in the presence of anyone more than one social grade away in either direction.

is it those things that make you lower middle or your education/backgound? I’m not doubting you it’s a genuine question.

TorroFerney · 18/01/2025 07:46

JessiesJ99 · 17/01/2025 23:17

Yeah, I think it came up as Elite just based on household income for me, I said I used social media, listened to rap, knew people of all different professions and it still said Elite 😅

I came up as elite. Both my parents left school at 14 , I was capable but too anxious to go to uni but I’ve a professional senior role , good salary and savings.

Dextybooboo · 18/01/2025 07:49

Definitely working class and a complete working class background.

When young only my df worked as I'm one of 5. We did actually own our house which was unusual for where we lived in the middle of a housing estate. In my early teens we moved to a street house which was an improvement. All our old estate friends thought we had gone up in the world 😅

I am educated to nvq and work in admin. My dp, who also had a very working class upbringing is in education. I see from his line of work they are typically middle class. It actually causes problems for us in some ways that I'm happy where I am but he liked to keep up with his colleagues and the things they have / do. Causes us both frustrations for understandable reasons.

Zippedydodah · 18/01/2025 07:50

Apparently I’m Technical Middle Class, whatever that means!
My mother would have strived to be middle class but we were firmly working class.
As a nurse I was definitely working class, did a degree when I was 48 but never considered myself anything else.

BOREDOMBOREDOM · 18/01/2025 08:13

MarkingBad · 18/01/2025 03:00

I honestly don't understand how anyone defines class effectively. Is it the situation in which you were born, the attitudes your grew up with, your ancestory, can you move class, or any other thing?

I'm not kidding when I say I never heard the words middle class or working class till I joined Mumsnet I kinda thought they were the same haha like middle as in average income and working like most people do.

Sorry but I find it kind of cringe when people on this site with massive houses and kids in private school bang on about how working class and humble origins they are because their great grandad worked in a factory or their parents left school at 14/15 (I'm pretty sure almost everyone's parents left school at that age back in the day haha)

I admit these thread are weirdly my guilty pleasure I love reading them for some reason

CoffeeCakeAndALattePlease · 18/01/2025 08:22

I don’t think it’s very easy to fit into either.

Both grew up in single parent, working class families. Both first in family to go to university. Both need to work now to afford our lives. So in that respect I’d say we’re working class.

But, we both earn well in management roles, live in a 4 bed semi, live in a nice area, 2 cars, holidays abroad etc. kids get everything they need. So in that respect it feels quite middle class.

so…. Lower middle class maybe?

MarkingBad · 18/01/2025 10:35

BOREDOMBOREDOM · 18/01/2025 08:13

I'm not kidding when I say I never heard the words middle class or working class till I joined Mumsnet I kinda thought they were the same haha like middle as in average income and working like most people do.

Sorry but I find it kind of cringe when people on this site with massive houses and kids in private school bang on about how working class and humble origins they are because their great grandad worked in a factory or their parents left school at 14/15 (I'm pretty sure almost everyone's parents left school at that age back in the day haha)

I admit these thread are weirdly my guilty pleasure I love reading them for some reason

My DGP all left school by the age of 10. As long as they could sign their name on gov and other legal documents regardless of if they could understand the documents and count the coins in their pocket so they could pay for rent bills and food it was deemed enough education.

So if class is situation we are born into them I'm working class.

If it is the attitudes you grow up with and hold, or you can move class then I'm middle class on all counts.

If it is ancestors then I am aristocracy via 3 GPs and royalty by the 4th. The sad situation in this is all GP knew their ancestry even though all grew up in great poverty.

We are many classes and it can change depending on the definition so even though I'm middle aged and grew up with this I've never once understood it.

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