What makes someone middle class?

[lilibet]

Just had a conversation with a mate and a mutual freind has described themselves as middle class.

He works in a shop for a living, his parents work for a living, to me he is therefore working class.

I appreciate that a brain surgeon is obvioulsy a bit higher up the social strata than me ( I work in finance in the NHS), but to me if you have to work for a living you are working class.

Thoughts and opinions?

I don't know... I've known some people (especially at university) who were very keen for everyone to know about their "working-class roots".

working class people care about being working class, I dont think it is inverse snobbery either......

well they're manual workers they move their arms

UQC - I know hwat you mean. I had never been aware of class until I wnet to Uni - and then it was those people who were "working class" who brought it up and made an issue of it in a sort of inverted snobbery way.

I cant stand the term 'maual worker' as it implies all people who dont do pen pushing are 'manual' workers gggrr (sorry southeastastra)

I wasnt aware of class until i discovered mumsnet
ahhh those were the days

i don't really know how else to put it! haha

Sad I know but I am doing sociology at college as part of an access course and social schema is set out as such:

I - Professional eg, lawyers, doctors, teachers, as a whole those educated to degree standard or above

II - Managerial and Technical eg, senior management

III - Skilled - a) Non-manual skilled eg nurses

• b) Manual eg skilled tradesmen

IV - Partly skilled eg factory assembly line workers, telesales, office workers

V - Unskilled eg, labourers, binmen.

Social stratification based around income was scrapped a while back as skilled tradesmen were begnning to earn more than, say teachers. So, emphasis is now placed on profession rather than income.

I don't think working/middle/upper class exosts really anymore.

OH THANK GOODNESS!!!! I knew the course would pay off one day and I could apply this to real life

makes total sense to me, coathanger.

isn't there a VI

"as a whole those educated to degree standard or above"

Of course, by 2026 that'll be everyone

So they'll need to break it down again.

and the binmen round here are definitely skilled

Thank you Unquietdad

I think this is interesting...(from the blonde's link)

Social value group characteristics

self actualisers
focused on people and relationships, individualistic and creative, enthusiastically exploring change, 'in a framework of non-prescriptive consideration for others'

innovators
self-confident risk-takers, seeking new and different things, setting their own targets to achieve

esteem seekers
acquisitive and materialistic, aspiring to what they see are symbols of success, including things and experiences

strivers
attaching importance to image and status, as a means of enabling acceptance by their peer group, at the same time holding onto traditional values
contented conformers wanting to be 'normal', so follow the herd, accepting of their circumstances, they are contented and comfortable in the security of their own making
traditionalists averse to risk, guided by traditional behaviours and values, quiet and reserved, hanging back and blending in with the crowd

disconnected
detached and resentful, embittered and apathetic, tending to live in the 'ever-present now'

(pmsl re: green or black olives 4 cressida)

but that ain't class in trad sense

I have a v good mate who is a lord to be who was a mini cab driver and worked in a loony bin, where does that put him?

See it's all ARSE

what class are children?

sorry to be pedantic

maybe they are VI

followed by the other

I suppose if you break Skilled in to 2 separate groups there would be 6 classes (therefore a VI) but according to my sociology text books it just up to V

FIO SORRY MY MSN DOWN WHAT DID GRAINNE SAY?

she said I was a working class slut

no she is following up what we talked about last time..

what about the unskilled Prince Charles what would he be classed as?

well that you are you bat

arse

Ahem he makes nice bacon

At the end of the day, class is just a structure to put us in a "box". Plus, who judges which class we are in? Surely its all to do with perception. Like the Lord who works for a living.

Bundle,that extract is full of meaningless noughties speak.

I'm just waiting for someone to tell me that the working classare really nobs with low esteem.

(Lol UDwith your thread titles.Sal is right though.Nowt like F&B.)