Leslie

My parents were lower working class from the point of view of my father's income after he left the Army. My parents were very upright people for all the difficulties they had to overcome.

I was lucky to go to a very good school because of the 11 plus exam instituted by the post war Labour government who were honourable people and who worked for the good of the electorate and for altruistic reasons.

Because of my education I was able to get a commission in the RAF as a career. I am unable to say which class that put me into, maybe middle class of a kind, hard to say. We all came from a very wide section of society, from top to bottom, and that taught us a lot as to how to treat life in general. All I can say is that I loved every minute of my time in the Service and shall always be grateful to the people who gave us all that opportunity at the time.

Of course you can always better yourself if you have the will and with a modicum of luck on the way.

Les

TelBoy

The most bizarre definition of middle class i've ever heard

ScoobyDoo555

Well, it's more so traits etc....

I live in the Countryside. Despite being well-educated, and having to talk for a living, my Herefordian accent does tend to slip out (not that I try to hide it, I hasten to add). Wifey is the same - she's from the Black Country. Her parents have very broad accents, yet she has none at all (with the exception of some words).

My Working-class values I *think* focus on family - a head of the family, the fact that both myself and Wifey work (according to the Marxist definition of the term).
Another trait is that I've got Working-class friends and family, and the fact that I relate with them (God, how pompous does THAT sound!!! - although I do have some friends who WON'T interact with people who they consider are lower than them - an opportunity too good to miss for a bit of an argument!!LOL!! )
Then there's the hot potato regarding Politics but I'll conveniently side-step that

Does this make any sense (trying to make sense of it myself tbh!! )

Dan

WRX_Dazza

what? living in southend?? fpmsl !!!

TelBoy

I think it's generally true that lower class families are closer-knit, yes. But it's not the preserve of the working class (and not in Dedrater's ultra-literal sense of the phrase). Politics is indeed contentious, lots of people vote Labour becuase they deem themselves to be working class, and that's that. But then i'd never vote Labour if they were the last party standing, so it cuts both ways. In the end class is irrelevant, but it does make me giggle when people will argue to the ends of the Earth that they're "only" working class, as if it's a badge of honour. Funny.

David Lock

I am in the "Independently Poor" class

Upper class is all about old money and new money

dl

WRX_Dazza

i'm with you DL

TelBoy

Not quite, Dazza, not quite

WRX_Dazza

hahhahah

TelBoy

Yes, hahahaha

b road blaster

YouTube - Monty Python: Working Class Playwright

GlesgaKiss

I don't think that is the case. Power and influence in life(and I'd imagine business too) come from respect in my opinion. There are plenty of working class people who have power and influence, and also don't respect people who are in a higher 'class' just because they should for some reason, meaning those people have no influence or power over them whatsoever.

If you even read up just a little social psychology you'll understand that.

In the political sense maybe, if you were a politician? But other than that I can't see it. Is Gordon Brown upper class?

Dedrater

Yeah I know, I tried not to base Class on education or money, then did so right at the end.

What I tried to get at, was, Class must be about, Power/Influence and working for the 'man'

If you are not in a working hierarchy system where someone has seniority or authority over you, but still are able to influence/have power over others.

Bit of a brain wrecker this one

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I dont think you can really pigeonhole the entire population into basically two categories plus a few under "upper class", it also depends on perception, I may sound a bit posh to someone from Ordsall but a bit common to someone from Prestbury.

It isnt all about wealth but its a factor, but again its perception, to some friends of ours they thing we are loaded, and it has to be said we are a lot better off and spend a lot more, but to some other friends you get the feeling they feel like we are a bit poor but they have 100k cars and swimming pools.

There are now a lot of scuffers who do nothing and expect it all and people with a few quid, a big 4 by 4 that think they are special and above everyone else.

EddScott

Not really. Least not to me.

If you work, you are working class. Is that not the case?

Middle class I always thought was if you were financially independent.

Upper class is if you were landed gentry or aristocracy.

All this upper working, lower middle is for Daily Mail readers.

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Using that definition would you place a university professor or surgeon in the working class category?

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

I buy the daily mail which puts me in the middle class wannabe class although after being laid off 2 weeks ago, I am in the fookin broke class atm.

Dedrater

I think to be upper class you would need to hold at least a Peerage; Duke, Baron, Lord of Parliament etc

But then if you go down this route the House of Lords and House of Commons would come into it and that's a game I don't want to play.

Clarebabes

I think it's more to do with your outlook on life and your principles.

What are dole scroungers and chavs? Are they "working" class and if so, is this country fcuked?

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

I believe they are referred to as the "underclass"

EddScott

Well yes, as they are workers. Even though a heart surgeon is probably on 100K from the NHS and say 150K from a consulancy role, he still works.

These financial money men with £1m bonus are still workers.

You could argue that assuming they become financially independent and stop working (as apposed to retire) they then become middle class.

A harder person to quantify would be some tree hugger who has no need of material possesions and money who needs not work and lives off the land. Should he be classed as middle class. I would say a tramp with a purpose but others might disagree.


How is class defined?

By your history
By your profession
By your current salary
By the size of your house
By how many cars you have
By how much debt you are in
How many items of The North Face clothing you have

Or

Lower class - the great unwashed workshy pikeys of sink estates
Working class - everyone who must work to keep a roof over their head
Middle class - financially independent
Upper class - aristocracy

Clarebabes

Like people who shop at "Sports World" I get it now.

alloy

i'm firmly middle class

subaruturbo_18

IMHO Classes are made so the rich can feel better. there's nothing i hate more than snooty people who think they are better than you because of money or whatever else. In my life ive met people from all sorts of backrounds, and the ones i respect/value/admire most are the ones with true loyalty, or the ones who are most honest, so in my view classes are peoples decency.

I was seeing a girl last year, her dad was multi millionaire, diddnt have to work if he chose not to but he did,so upper class?? but he was a prize ****. His daughter thought she was better than everyone else as she had more money. She used to joke, referring my home and surrounding area as being a council estate. Every house is 4 bed or more, houses valued from around £3 to £7 hundred K. Not lots in some peoples views but not poor. It was at this point i gave her the elbow.



Well, after poking the posh out of her tight ****

Chip

Parents were born into working class families but father worked his way up to be a director of a FTSE100 company. Myself Ive got bugger all qualifications but have worked hard all my life and now earn 3X + average wage and through investments I could retire now at 47 if I wanted to.

Even so I still think of myself as working class.

Chip

wayne9t9

YouTube - John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett: Class.

jods

Graphic: How Class Works - New York Times

MMT WRX

Cookie - What an obscene thread.

***** waving fest, begin.

Last year I earned 2 million quid, drive a Veyron etc etc etc.

But I'm still working class...yea right!

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Would that include me then? I shop there because it's cheap, simple as that. I'm on a low wage, but I work.

I'm working class, and I'm not ashamed of that.

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)