To ask what class you think you are?

[IHate]

People always say everyone on MN is middle class, but are we?! I honestly think it’s a pretty socioeconomically diverse mix.

What class would you say you are? Curious how people map themselves when you take both background and current life into account.

These are the rough descriptions I’m working from (from Reddit - I didn’t write them, so please don’t come for me 🤣). Heritage first, income last.

Upper class
Old families, land, inherited wealth, public schools, Oxbridge, connections that run through generations. Sparse vowels, quiet confidence, and a sense that everything important happens in drawing rooms you will never see.

Typical household income: irrelevant, wealth is inherited.

Likelihood of two parent families: very high.

Age at first child: early thirties.

Upper middle class
Professionals with long-standing pedigree. Parents and grandparents were doctors, civil servants, academics, barristers, consultants, senior military. Private or grammar schooling, strong cultural capital, instinctive ease in elite spaces. This is the group most people mean when they say “middle class”.

Typical household income: often £150k plus.

Likelihood of two parent families: high. Age at first child: early to mid thirties.

Middle class
Educated, comfortable, but not posh. Teachers, mid-level civil servants, senior nurses, managers, small business owners. Cultural capital is mixed. Grandparents may have been skilled workers. Big on gardens, National Trust, and well-behaved children.

Typical household income: around £90k to £150k.

Likelihood of two parent families: moderate to high.

Age at first child: late twenties to early thirties.

Lower middle class
Clerical, admin, retail management, entry-level professional families. Polite, aspirational, very aware of class boundaries. Parents or grandparents often from working class backgrounds. Transitional rather than settled.

Typical household income: around £60k to £90k.

Likelihood of two parent families: mixed.

Age at first child: mid to late twenties.

Working class
Manual trades, industrial work, care work, service work. Strong community identity, distinctive humour, bluntness valued over polish. Heritage is key. You can earn millions and remain working class because class is about where you come from, not what you now earn.

Typical household income: usually under £60k, though can be higher.

Likelihood of two parent families: lower than middle groups.

Age at first child: late teens to mid twenties.

Precariat
Insecure work, unstable housing, gig economy. Identity varies, but the instability itself defines the experience.

Typical household income: under £25k.

Likelihood of two parent families: low.

Age at first child: late teens to mid twenties.

I’m solidly working class. Also, if discussions about class make you cross, this is probably not the thread for you.

I consider us working class even though we might be considered middle class. We own our home, have professional jobs, we went to uni, our kids have under grad/post grad degrees. But we were both raised in aspirational working class homes.

Working class as I’m a care assistant.

@GumFossil I’m unsure as to when the class “shifts” IYSWIM. The OP gave the example of Gordon Ramsey who defines himself as working class due to his background-but surely his children wouldn’t be considered working class as they’ve grown up with wealth?

It goes to show that class distinctions make no sense!

I think the framework is still the best we have. What do you mean 'selectively, vaguely'? - what would you rather I said? I think you're the one being selective, vague and superior. You kinda prove the point.

If you think it’s ‘the best framework,’ apply it properly. You still haven’t explained anything beyond repeating the label. If you want to talk class seriously, bring specifics — otherwise you’re just naming Marx, not using him.

But if all you’ve got is ‘no, you are vague,’ then we’re done here. Either contribute something concrete or drop it - despite the fact you were gaging to act superior and desperately needed some internal validation.

Not sure about the class though. Rich EU land owners in the past of my family. I suppose as because it is the EU they won't believe me I have blue blood in my veins and won't even argue with me, thanks goodness

I’d say middle-upper middle. Parents senior military and academic, private schooling (but with military funding), household income in the upper middle band, but I wouldn’t say I feel ease in elite spaces and we’re definitely not posh. Had kids mid 20s.

Gordon Ramsay was someone else’s example that I agreed with. My example was: Alan Sugar is a billionaire, but will always be working class. His kids, on the other hand, are probably at least UMC, and his grandkids are probably vair vair posh.

I definitely think these things can massively shift in a generation or two. Kate Middleton’s mother started her life in council housing.

Agree.

I'm not in any class. I reject the notion of class.

Gordon Ramseys net worth is £ 220 million. I dont think you can claim to be working class with that net worth. His manner is not upper class no but at a minimum he is now middle class.

I am using the AI explanation for your question about class system in Denmark

Denmark's social class structure is often divided into five groups: upper class, upper middle class, middle class, working class, and a class not on the labor market. This is in contrast to its highly structured but often informal educational system, where classes are age-based, teachers are called by their first names, and there is an emphasis on collaboration and problem-solving over rote memorization. The welfare state provides a strong safety net that helps maintain a middle-class status for many citizens.

I would agree with this explanation hence used it

You have to wonder about some people.

I don’t claim to be all that witty or funny, but how could anyone not see it was an attempt at humour?

There are impoverished aristocrats and working class millionaires. Net worth is possibly the least important class indicator in the British context. And there is nothing middle class about Gordon Ramsay, in my opinion (which he shares).

The Danish class system doesn’t sound that dissimilar to the British one? Although I’m a bit confused by as to the relevance of the educational system to this.

Well, I certainly think you’re witty!

I did, your relation to the means of production, I've brought more than you have to this, ironically.

Yes, I'm sorry, as I said before, I was a bit distracted and taking posts out of context.

I’m solidly middle class by your definitions.

Grandparents - manual work/ council houses

Parents - middle managerial, owned 4 bed house

Me - private school, good university. Salaried director of large company. Comfortable - but not posh.

My kids - private school, good universities. ‘Professionals. Out-earn us already. ‘Posh’ friends even though they, themselves, are not posh.

I’d say we’re newly middle-middle.

Definitely working class. Grew up on a council estate on benefits. Penniless Irish and Kent country folk on one side. Penniless thieving Cockney fuckers on the other. We had a front room, breakfast, dinner and tea. We all learnt how to identify Old Bill at 500 paces from an early age. University wasn’t an option as I had to get a job. Current jobs are stable (touch wood) but household income is well under the national average. We rent HA accommodation. Zero chance of us ever owning unless we have a lottery win.

My nieces are the first in our family to go to university, both studying things they’re passionate about. I’m so proud of them both. And I’ve gone a bit posher because we now have a living room, breakfast, lunch and tea (unless I’m making plans with one of my friends, when I put on airs and graces and refer to it as dinner 😁)

My parents and in-laws by chance went to school together (DH and I met by chance and discovered this later). I find it interesting as both parents came from the very same beginnings and were socially mobile in different ways.
ILs, got solid skilled trade/public sector roles, moved out of council housing and culturally identify themselves as ‘respectable working class’ but tend to err on the side of caution. My parents: DM was first in family to go to university and became a teacher (a common career choice to ‘move up’) and DF had a niche trade which he turned into a profitable small business. They bought a large house and took more financial risks and have the trappings of being MC. Both due to their careers and personal interests, they acquired a lot of cultural capital and would be more aspirationally middle class- they certainly come across that way. They were able to help me financially for uni/house deposit/etc.
DH and I both went to university as a natural assumption, have a wide mix of friends, have professional roles and have already outearnt our parents, we have definite MC pursuits (DH mainly acquired his through his friends, uni and me haha)and would say our children edge more to being upper MC due to their experiences and interests- hobbies, travel, dining out and educational input. DH and I have some WC exposure due to visiting our grandparents, our DC are so far removed from
that experience. I would say I am middle class (with a dose of realism) for sure, DH feels more like he has just arrived in that bracket.

I find on mumsnet everyone wants to believe they are working class despite working in stereotypical middle class job in an office and having a masters degree or 2 and owning multiple properties just because their grandad was a bus driver or some nonsense.

Yep! 'Prolier than thou', as I once heard it described.

I’d always considered myself middle class pre mumsnet (only discovered mumsnet a year ago) solely because I’m neither a millionaire or a homeless beggar.

anyway I quickly discovered upper class =kids in 40s middle class= 30s and working class =20s

and because I was 16 im underclass 🤣😭

also owing books makes you middle class and liking Greggs makes you working class? Honestly im more confused about it than ever!

Upper middle, by OP’s definition.

Someone once posted the best class test ever on MN and I wish I could remember who it was, because it’s perfect:

Two couples are traveling together in one car-

The two chaps go in the front, the two women in the back- working class

One couple go in the front, the other in the back- middle class

The husband of one couple goes in the front with the wife of the other couple, and vice versa in the back- upper class.

The first child stuff is hilarious it’s not just this post though I’ve seen it said loads on mumsnet, middle is 30s working is 20s and I’m apparently “underclass” because I was 16 😂

Until mumsnet I was 100% sure I was middle class, now I know I’m a peasant and my salary doesn’t even come close to cutting “lower middle” 😭

Mumsnet. Last year. Kinda vaguely thought I was middle class before (didn’t think about it much but if someone had directly asked that’s what I’d have said) then I found out I’m underclass (the one under lower working class) because I had my first child at 16 and don’t earn 100k (the amount it takes to apparently be considered middle on here)

Difficult to know. On your descriptions I am from working class but income fits into upper middle class and though the descriptions suggest working class can always be that irrespective of income, it doesnt say that for other classes (which I think is wrong) and I definitely do not fit properly with working class people I know. To be fair, I do not think I fit with upper middle either. I speak RP. Have a job people would associate with upper middle. But I also have friends on benefits and do not shop in waitrose haha!

This is a really interesting thread. I’m not sure I agree when people say they don’t care what class they are in or that it does not matter. I understand it is perhaps different in other countries but it all comes down to money at the end of the day and like it or not we secretly all judge people on what ‘class’ we are or how much money we earn. Even though we know we shouldn’t. On Education/job and education I’m lower middle, income at lower tier of middle class. But my background is working class as is DH. Parents, grandparents great grandparents etc. Sometimes due to poor circumstances have been occasionally Precariat when child/young teen due to divorce, and main breadwinner working down the mines and then becoming unemployed. Went to state school, first child late 20’s. Count myself lucky really. Even though brought up working class was seen as shameful to be on benefits/get pregnant in teens etc.