Define Middle Class

[prohornblower]

When I was younger I thought the class system had to do with how much money (income) you (a family) made, or even perhaps as far as what your net worth was. Now it seems less concrete to me than that. I now think being "middle class" has more to do with values and decisions. I consider myself middle-class, from a middle-class family, but I am seeing more and more "mistakes" of my class each and every day. I'd like to not make these mistakes, and have a different value set than some of these people.

For instance, I think the middle class value (just some examples..) having good credit (so they can borrow money), buying a large expensive home (so they can impress people), and having a lot of kids (boredom?).

How do you define middle class? How does one born into middle class go "up" or "down" in classes? How many classes can one increase or decrease in their lifetime? (assuming an U-U, M-U, L-U, U-M, M-M, L-M, U-L, M-L, L-L system)

Thanks in advance! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[vhawk01]

A good description I've heard is that you are middle class as long as your survival is tied to your earnings, and you are upper class when you don't need to make a wage.

[prohornblower]

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A good description I've heard is that you are middle class as long as your survival is tied to your earnings, and you are upper class when you don't need to make a wage.

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I'm thinking it's more complicated than that, though. I think there are people who don't need to work who are still middle class (lotto winners as an example).

[tame_deuces]

I think you can define it pretty much as you see fit. It isn't an absolute term, and I think it can refer to the things you have pointed out and other stuff, like pay, education, place of living, traditions, norms etc.

Apart from that you have added levels like 'moderately wealthy middle class', 'poor middle class', 'educated middle class' et cetera.

Not to mention that politically it might be a loaded gun, several radical 'isms' tend to have some ridiculous feverish illusions of a lazy middleclass which is to blame for all the world troubles.

Define it how you wish, it isn't dreadfully important. Just remembers that someone else may define it differently.

[almostbusto]

the middle three income quintiles.

[valenzuela]

middle class: what ppl who live very confortably call themselves.

[evolvedForm]

For a good example the middle class family in america see Little Miss Sunshine.

[samsonite2100]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
A good description I've heard is that you are middle class as long as your survival is tied to your earnings, and you are upper class when you don't need to make a wage.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm thinking it's more complicated than that, though. I think there are people who don't need to work who are still middle class (lotto winners as an example).

[/ QUOTE ]

"Middle class" strictly defined is probably what VHawk said. As far as your point goes--I think the term "middle class" carries some obvious connotations with that go beyond income level, among them, immersion in the rat race and a desire to "keep up with the Joneses," a fairly predictable set of social prejudices, a consumerist mentality, etc. Fairly or not, all of the class divisions carry these extra connotations beyond pure income level.