What makes a person 'upperclass', 'middleclass', 'working class'..

[Kaimani]

this has always baffled me somewhat.

is it your family history, your present, how much money you have/had etc?

it all seems very muddled up. seeing as you can buy titles, lose money in a lot less than a life time, make millions in the same etc.

 

can a person be more than one 'class' in a lifetime?

[HeadingNorth]

The original, traditional meanings were very clear cut: "upper class" were the landowners, the aristocracy; "middle class" were the business owners and professionals (doctor, lawyer, and so on); "working class" was everyone else, the peasants, cotton-mill workers, people who shovelled dung and what have you.

 

 

Nowadays, the boundaries are very much more blurred.

[discodown]

Sort of but not really and it depends.

 

You can change classes but people won't necessarily regard you as having done so. Its also not really about money. Some of the upper classes don't have much money while some of the lower classes are rolling in it.

 

Besides which most people now regard themselves as middle class while they regard the working class as lower class but the working class are seen as not working so they are actually the underclass. None of this affects me because i'm top class! :D:D

[TJC1]

Money doesnt put you in a 'class', well its not a strong factor as say education and parentage, backgorund..

 

Most people are now lower-middle class or middle class. This includes doctors etc. aswell as plumbers etc...working class is perhaps a state of mind, rather than a profession..

 

upper class would include lords, ladies etc. but some politicians could also be upper class..theres a lot of overlapping and blurred lines..

 

thats a theory anyway!

[TJC1]

Id say if you went to University you are 'middle class' but I know a doctor (phd) and he would describe himself as working class, because his family is traditional 'working class'..its all a load of nonsense anyway, we should just treat people all the same regardless of 'class'. It shouldnt be an issue in modern society..

[Kaimani]

thanks for the answers. so far only clear on one thing, though, really. that the lines are blurred and, though we say it doesn't matter, it matters. is that about right?

[discodown]

thanks for the answers. so far only clear on one thing, though, really. that the lines are blurred and, though we say it doesn't matter, it matters. is that about right?

It matters only very loosely really.

 

People do seem determined to define themselves by their class. I don't know why. It seems that people are determined to hate the upper classes and people who go to public schools - for what reason? I couldn't tell you.

 

I can tell you that i've met the upper classes and they are generally very easy about their station and and position and don't generally abuse it or lord it (sorry, no pun intended) and i've met the upper middle classes who do and can be thoroughly nasty pieces of work.

 

I've met people who had nothing but would happily share everything they had and people who were wealthy but wouldn't let you have the shade of their shadow.

 

I've also seen the opposite of all the examples i've described. The only thing I know for sure is that we can only judge a man on his own merits his supposed social class means nothing.

[Harleyman]

this has always baffled me somewhat.

is it your family history, your present, how much money you have/had etc?

it all seems very muddled up. seeing as you can buy titles, lose money in a lot less than a life time, make millions in the same etc.

 

can a person be more than one 'class' in a lifetime?

 

Definitely. It's called rags to riches and many have achieved it

[Eater Sundae]

It matters only very loosely really.

 

People do seem determined to define themselves by their class. I don't know why. It seems that people are determined to hate the upper classes and people who go to public schools - for what reason? I couldn't tell you.

 

I can tell you that i've met the upper classes and they are generally very easy about their station and and position and don't generally abuse it or lord it (sorry, no pun intended) and i've met the upper middle classes who do and can be thoroughly nasty pieces of work.

 

I've met people who had nothing but would happily share everything they had and people who were wealthy but wouldn't let you have the shade of their shadow.

 

I've also seen the opposite of all the examples i've described. The only thing I know for sure is that we can only judge a man on his own merits his supposed social class means nothing.

 

Well, if I had nothing you'd be more than welcome to half of it. If fact you can have the lot.

[Aries22]

It's nothing to do with what job you do, or if you have money or not. It's the way you were taught your manners. What's ok for some but not for others. Supermarkets, restaurants, public places, there are people that let their kids do what they want, then there is the ones that behave perfectly in all public places.