Changing "Classes"

[kcowan]

Somewhat surprisingly, I tested as Elite. I would have said I was solidly middle class. Perhaps the fact that I am not British had something to do with it.

Also the same surprising result. I think one of the things I find is that class in US/Canada has very little to do with money. Money is a great enabler, but not a prime factor in behaviour.

 

[HFWR]

It's complicated...

Parents were HS grads, working as a production mechanic at a union factory, and a billing clerk. I suppose their income level made us middle classish, though given the depressed nature of our locale, we were almost upper middle by comparison.

My income over the years was well above median, but certainly any skilled tradesman had the potential to earn more. My income in retirement is about median for "household" income, though I'm single, so if, heaven forbid, I was to marry, that would bump "us" into a higher category.

As far as lifestyle, I'd say solidly middle class. Thankfully, I can eat out at a level above fast food, but well below Ruth Chris. My home is nice, my car is relatively new, but I have no debt besides the mortgage, and could easily cover a few thousand for an emergency expense.

I've seen, up close, both extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Glad I'm neither, not that I have an aversion to wealth, just never had whatever it took to get to that level.

I'm likely on the lower end of income/assets in comparison to the demographic on this board, but I don't give that much thought. I do sometimes find it bemusing that folks with 10x or more my nest egg can quibble so much over seemingly trivial purchases or expenses, but then that's why/how many of us ended up with a nest egg at all...

 

[braumeister]

My background was distinctly lower class. Father had about six years in a one-room rural schoolhouse and that was it. Drove a bus for a living (think Ralph Kramden) and mother was a SAHM. I was the first on either side to go to college.

The funny thing is that where we lived (a backwater part of Brooklyn), everyone else was the same, so I didn't actually realize I was part of a lower socioeconomic status group until I finished college and got out in the real world. Quite an eye opener!

 

[hesperus]

A lot of wealthy people have no "class," and many less wealthy people have lots of "class".

ain't that the truth. Oh, pardon my use of the word 'ain't'
How classless of me...

 

[MRG]

ain't that the truth. Oh, pardon my use of the word 'ain't'
How classless of me...

Thank you.

I've had an interesting life and have no care of class.

I'm of European decent and spent years w*rking where I was definitely a minority. All kinds of interesting people most very nice folks, many were illiterate, some homeless. One guy who had more common smarts then 90% of the world signed his check "X". One guy couldn't come in for a week cause his wife shot him. Two guys who were in prison for years cause they killed people. We all got along.

Then in a different part of life I hung out with highly educated and wealthy individuals. We ate at some very fine restaurants, stayed in high class hotels all over the world.

I'm grateful for all the experiences. From the toothless logger who told me about being there when Ken McElroy was murdered; to the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company who told me about meeting his wife, it's a great life.

I guess I am middle class. Despite the Elite score.

 

[rodi]

I grew up in a white collar upper middle class household... Both parents were college educated - not typical in the early 60's....but dad was super frugal (aka cheap) so I wore hand-me-downs and rode the bus to high school when friends were given cars. (Or I bummed rides from said friends.). I didn't go straight to college, rather moved out and worked a clerical job... that taught me a bit about how folks who had less, growing up, lived... Gave me new respect for learning about different socio economic groups.

As an engineer who married an architect - kids are being raised in a similar manner... cheap parents who make them ride the bus and wear hand-me-downs... but all their needs are met and they are expected to go to college (on our dime.) I was concerned they would be a bit sheltered in our neighborhood of upper middle class white-ness... so I found academically excellent schools that are in more diverse socio economic areas... They are exposed to kids like them (who were also drawn to the academic excellence from more privileged neighborhoods) as well as kids who's family's don't have the same means.... It's triggered some interesting conversations at the dinner table. And my kids are peers with folks of different races and economics... more so than at the neighborhood school. I'm hoping this will make them grow up to respect diversity...

As for the word "class"... my grandmother epitomized the word and I try to be like her. She recognized that snobbery (oooh - that person used the wrong fork!!!) was RUDE and classless... A truly classy person makes everyone around them feel at ease, regardless of their social standing.

 

[growing_older]

I looked it up and apparently I'm in the H. Sapiens class:

H Sapiens is a Species, not a class. You are in the Mammalia class.

And I apparently am in the Pedant class.

 

[Walt34]

As for the word "class"... my grandmother epitomized the word and I try to be like her. She recognized that snobbery (oooh - that person used the wrong fork!!!) was RUDE and classless... A truly classy person makes everyone around them feel at ease, regardless of their social standing.

Exactly what comes to mind to me.

I have no idea if the following story is true, but I read of it somewhere. Purportedly at a fancy/state dinner at a meal attended by Abraham Lincoln after the meal one of the guests, having no idea was the finger bowl was for, drank the water from it. Observing this, and not wishing to embarrass the man, Lincoln then drank the water from his finger bowl.

That's class.

 

[FUEGO]

The funny thing is that where we lived (a backwater part of Brooklyn), everyone else was the same, so I didn't actually realize I was part of a lower socioeconomic status group until I finished college and got out in the real world. Quite an eye opener!

We live in a below median value neighborhood. Gentrifying quickly but certainly not yet a "desirable" place to live in the city. While walking the kids to school one day, they were shocked to learn that we don't live in a mansion and that the average home built today is much larger than our house. It's all relative, and many of their elementary school peers live in single wide trailers, small condos, or apartments.

 

[Lsbcal]

H Sapiens is a Species, not a class. You are in the Mammalia class.

And I apparently am in the Pedant class.

Thank you, never to late to learn some biology. Somehow I missed it in hight school.

 

[Nemo2]

Somehow I missed it in high school.

High school? You went to high school? Snob!

 

[Teacher Terry]

I was raised in a blue collar family but my Dad was a skilled trades worker so by the time I came along we were in good shape financially. My older sister remembers the lean years. All three of us were expected to go to college. I married young so did not go to college until I was 31. My husband at the time had a master's degree but preferred to work as a tool and dye maker. He made good $ and our friends were mostly blue collar, skilled workers and we lived in that type of neighborhood. Then we divorced when the kids grew up and by then I had a professional job and met my current hubby who is an engineer so most of our friends are professionals but not all. We live in a middle class neighborhood that is getting really popular because it is not in the burbs so close to everything. The homes were built in the 50's and range from 800-1500 sq ft. The bigger ones all have had additions. The prices are sky rocketing. I could care less if someone has a degree or not. I want my friends to be intelligent, empathetic, etc. That is more important to me then $, education, etc.

 

[MichaelB]

All we need now are an appearance by the Four Yorkshiremen and some "Fortunate Son" by CCR.

 

[eytonxav]

I grew up in a blue collar household and still have those values in me. I think class is better defined by how you treat others.

 

[haha]

I think this is an interesting question. In the US, famously, most people no matter their income think they are middle class.

I think this is no longer true. Charles Murray has an interesting book on this topic, called Coming Apart.

These young very high earning software executives don't think they are middle class, and it appears to me that they are correct.

Last fall my son said to me, be careful, it is hard for middle class people anymore. By none of the ways of seeing that are common on this board are his mother or I in the middle of anything, But in reality he and others in his position are qualitatively different from moderately affluent people like us who do not have money coming out of our ears.

Ha

 

[kcowan]

I'm likely on the lower end of income/assets in comparison to the demographic on this board, but I don't give that much thought. I do sometimes find it bemusing that folks with 10x or more my nest egg can quibble so much over seemingly trivial purchases or expenses, but then that's why/how many of us ended up with a nest egg at all...

On this continent, we get confused because everybody is nouveau rich. No centuries old dynasties. I must admit that many people with much less money than us enjoy the arts more than we do. And some with more than double are boors. Class is not defined by money.

 

[Sunset]

Interesting.... I am technically middle class.... maybe start another thread on this....

Hey I was: Technical middle class - hope we get to stay on the forum

 

[Sunset]

High school? You went to high school? Snob!

school? You went to a school ? How Privileged !!

 

[Nemo2]

school? You went to a school ? How Privileged !!

For my part, my 'formal' education ended when when I was twelve; I'd been expelled from two schools and had started doing menial work before I was fifteen.

Then age twenty nine I returned, wasted three years getting a piece of paper in order to obtain a job that I could've done without it.......and, adding insult to injury, nobody ever asked to see the paper!

Class? Dalit I guess.

 

[RobbieB]

Ah, you were a "trouble maker" eh?

 

[Nemo2]

Ah, you were a "trouble maker" eh?

Were? WERE?

 

[Koogie]

For my part, my 'formal' education ended when when I was twelve; I'd been expelled from two schools and had started doing menial work before I was fifteen.

I think all w*rk should be considered menial.....

 

[Nemo2]

I think all w*rk should be considered menial.....

Drudgery was the word I generally used.

 

[MRG]

Ah, you were a "trouble maker" eh?

I musta been. My high school career was highlighted by the two hundred pound wrestling coach/world culture teacher picking up my 140 pound body from my desk and body slamming me in world culture class! He sent me to the guidance counselor to get assigned to another class(in front of all my classmates).

Sweet little lady she was, Southern accent. I recall her in church most Sundays. She sent me back to the same class the next day. He never acknowledged the incident nor did I.

 

[Amethyst]

What world culture was he modeling?

And did the other kids laugh?

I musta been. My high school career was highlighted by the two hundred pound wrestling coach/world culture teacher picking up my 140 pound body from my desk and body slamming me in world culture class! .