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Original poster

What makes someone middle class?

283 replies

lilibet · 31/08/2006 17:03

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?

OP posts:
UnquietDad · 31/08/2006 17:52

Funny that everyone is discussing this alongside a ficking great Boden advert.

Blandmum · 31/08/2006 17:52

Buying 'Aspiration Toiletries' from Waitrose

bundle · 31/08/2006 17:53

moondog, i know plenty of esteem seekers and quite a few disconnecteds...

Coathanger · 31/08/2006 17:53

Have I upset anyone? Just saying whats in my books. Not really that bovvered, just thought I would put my twopenneth in

MrsFio · 31/08/2006 17:53

sorry moondog what do you mean?

southeastastra · 31/08/2006 17:55

you've offended Prince Charles with the lack of an 'arse' category

MrsFio · 31/08/2006 17:55

you havent upset me coathanger dont you worry

Coathanger · 31/08/2006 17:59

SmileSmileSmileSmileSmileSmile

TambaTheDragonSlayer · 31/08/2006 18:12

So,

What 'class' is this....

Parents - Live in big posh house with grounds. Mother is an artist and father ((?? Lilibet help me out here I havent paid much attention it seems)

Job - Something techy with sound systems - it is a shop but its a bloody posh one and he tends to do stuff on a computer rather than any actual shop keeping.

Home - V.Posh flat in good area (albeit rented)

Clothing - stoopidly expensive

He says he is Middle class. What do you think?

(Dont mean to make him sound like an arse though as he is very nice)

Twiglett · 31/08/2006 18:20

did I hear someone mention acutalisation

mwahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa

scotchick · 31/08/2006 18:20

Class shmass I say.

However, the 'working class' call their children 'shannon', 'caitlin', 'jay-mee' (saw this in the paper today) and 'ronan'.

'Middle class' call their children 'oliver', 'poppy', 'afie' and 'eliza'.

Ooooh! Controversial!

(sits back and waits for fall-out!)

scotchick · 31/08/2006 18:28

What, no fall-out?

What about this: middle class children's clothes come in two distinct categories:

  1. Boden
  2. Charity Shops

for two distinct looks. One quite obviously classy and proud and two quite obviously unco-ordinated and tatty....and proud

Original poster
lilibet · 31/08/2006 18:28

Bloody big garden rather than 'grounds'!!

Depending on your POV his dad was either an asbestos factory worker or Senior management at a multi-National fibre glass company

He is a lovely bloke tho'

According to coathanger's categories I'm going to move up a whole two slots when I finish my OU degree - tht makes all the work seem worthwhile

OP posts:
scotchick · 31/08/2006 18:30

we're still under 'hourly rate for cleaner'!!!

Joolstoo · 31/08/2006 18:33

someone who is even thinking about it?

I don't consider myself any class, I'm just me.

Twiglett · 31/08/2006 18:34

that's either no class or classless Jools

Original poster
lilibet · 31/08/2006 18:39

Jools has class!!

OP posts:
Coathanger · 31/08/2006 18:41

Joolstoo, I agree. As I said before, "classes" are just a way for the government to put us all in boxes. I don't consider myself a class - I am a student working hard to better myself and improve the lives of my children because I will hopefully qualify as a midwife, I educate my children the best I can, I dress them well for the money I have, my DH works (bloody) hard to keep us all afloat and happy. Thats just me. According to the social schema, I came from a group II family but I married and started my own family which is now group III. But I really don't care

Socci · 31/08/2006 18:42

Message withdrawn

edam · 31/08/2006 18:50

delayed gratification is said to be one of the key indicators of middle-class attitudes - being prepared to wait to achieve things. Barristers, for instance, used to earn jack shit as pupils (don't know if this is still the case) but know they were aiming for status and moolah in the end. Whereas yer working classes wanted to leave school and start earning asap.

Also to do with how much control you have over your life - doctors get to make important decisions and have choices about their careers. I guess hairdressers (to take an example of manual workers) have less control. Can't escape sink schools for their kids by going private and so on (unless you end up owning a chain of salons when you move up a class).

Coathanger · 31/08/2006 18:56

Edam, you been reading Paul Willis?

edam · 31/08/2006 20:09

No, who he? It's not a new idea...

Gobbledigook · 31/08/2006 20:10

Oooh, that's an interesting view edam - not heard that before but it makes sense.

moondog · 31/08/2006 20:27

Psml at SEA's 'arse' category.

Scotchchick,I would argue that the working class are appropriating traditionally middle class namessuch as Poppy and Oliver,as a way of signalling their aspirations.

(Although interesting that 'posh' names now are the working class names of my grandparents' generation-Harriet,Jack and Grace for example)

You're dead right about the Boden and charity shop clothes.
That is my brood.

CountessDracula · 31/08/2006 20:34

the charity shops round here are full of bloody boden

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