What is middle class?

[madchocolatemum48]

I always considered myself working class (even though I haven't actually worked for years), but when I said this the other day I was laughed at. Hubby has a good job; I don't work, SAHM. Is it just how much money you have coming in or is it how you spend it that distinguishes class.

Money is NOT an indication of class.

I think money is definitely part of it, but there's a lot more to it than that. I guess you haven't seen the BBC calculator: www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22000973

It caused a bit of a furore when it was published, but at least it indicates that social status is multidimensional, and not just a unction of how much you earn.

I think it is supposed to be a mixture of money, what you do with it, and attitudes (such as towards education/benefits/travel/etc. But unless someone falls into a stereotype, its really too much bother to try and work it out.

Oh lord this one again...

Nope money is meaningless...what you do and what your parents do is what counts

I'm established middle class according to that BBC test.

the definition is changing sharply and fast so nobody can give you a definitive answer. Separating income from society position is the old-fashioned way of defining class in Britain, but this is changing.

Just did the BBC test and I'm established middle class apparently. I do share a lot with other categories in the test though. I always thought Aurdrey from The Good Life was middle class, which I am nothing like...
Maybe I do put people in stereotypical boxes too, just didn't think about it till someone brought it up last week

Margot.. :) What Margot was, was a 'snob' and I think that's at the heart of the whole class thing ie. how you see yourself in relation to others and how you see others in relation to yourself. Stereotypes, prejudices and tribal loyalties all come into play. If you think the working class tag equates with positive attributes such as being grounded, industrious and 'in touch with reality', for example, you'll want to identify with that. Different matter to 'socio-economic grouping' which can be measured.

Is no-one going to mention relationship to the means of production?

Is that the Marxist take on it?

Apparently I'm elite. This does not explain why I am usually completely skint. They don't ask about disposable income.

What is the middle class' relationship to the means of production though? You can't talk in those terms anymore. Bankers, consultants etc out earn a lot of owners these days
It the uk class is more complicated than other countries. I'd saying doesn't have a whole lot to d

.. do with it anymore.
I also think class is unimportant. 'Middle class' in particular has lots of negative connotations, or maybe that's just my feeling (I'm squarely middle class, without doing the bbc test)

I got elite.

Or I should say rather that I'm simply illiterate, rereading my post. Damn phone

middle class is a subset of working class.

here is an interesting survey on how Americans define 'middle class' , because over there is much closer to being simply defined by money rather than with snobbish "I'm better then them" overtones: blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/09/13/how-do-you-define-middle-class-people-who-make-what-i-do/?mod=trending_now_2