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Is there an American middle class?
By Meg | May 19, 2008
Is there an American middle class? Does it matter?
Seeing as I have a general interest in sociology and am frequently annoyed by taxonomies, it should be no surprise that I think a lot about our American class system. I’m not saying that we don’t have a class system. However, the terms we use to describe the system were imported from the Old World, whereas our class system is quite different and probably a lot more complex.
Sure, there are people that are wealthy and famous, and some have inherited that. However, a few famous families does not make an aristocratic upper class. Nor is there a good way to define a lower or working class in a country where most people “work” regardless of income and people do have, relatively speaking, good deal of freedom in choosing their careers. And in fact, there seems to be little talk of upper class or lower class by anyone.
There is a lot of talk about the middle class, though. People talk of “lower-middle”, “upper-middle”, and even “middle-middle”. There are calculators online that will tell you where you fit depending on your career choice, your level of education, and of course, how much money you make. Personally, I think those calculators give too much credit to some careers, the level of education needed to pursue them, and of course, the money not just that those careers bring, but also that is necessary to get there in the first place.
On t.v., it seems like everyone wants to save the middle class. However, what the heck is the middle class if there isn’t much of an upper or lower class to define what the ‘middle’ is? Is it just the state between being rich and destitute? Of course, how you define “rich” and “destitute” is a whole ‘nother novel. But my point is, who isn’t middle class these days? Even millionaires are considered “upper-middle”.
Another thing is that people make career choices all the time, whether they’re going to try to make more or learn to live on less in order to follow other dreams. If someone decides to give up a six-figure income to live more sustainably, does that mean that they just took a nose-dive into “lower-class” status?
The more I think about it, the less those class labels seem to matter. Sure, they can sometimes be useful. However, the way I see it, being classy is far more important that being middle or even upper class. Where’s the variable in those class calculators for the people who walk with dignity and treat others with respect, who give of their time and money to help others? Surely they are of a higher class than those who toss their garbage into their neighbors’ yards! But it’s not just about doing good, it’s about attitude — like women who’d rather have two respectable dresses that they keep in good repair than a closet full of disposable clothes.
So, when I talk about “high class, low cost”, I’m not talking about wearing fakes in order to convince people that you have more money than you do — or going into debt in order to have the latest it-bag. It’s about taking care of yourself, putting your best foot forward, and being classy enough to treat others with the same level of respect whether they’re billionaire investors or serving you a $1 sandwich.
Tags: Class, Etiquette, Impressions, Work
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May 19th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
That’s true - millionaires ARE upper-middle class now… and the true “upper class” are the uber rich
May 21st, 2008 at 3:07 am
Interestingly enough middle class really only evolved during the industrial revolution, so the concept is just as relevent for countries like Australia and the US (perhaps more so because that the time they ended up with a larger percentage of their society as middle class).
The middle class can be defined more in comparison to the lower and working class. Chiefly characteristics include access to a complete education (as opposed to leaving early to take up employment). A payscale that allows the wife to be ‘kept’ (stay at home wife/mother concept really only came about post industrial-revolution too) and an increased role in public life (in the political sense). Oh and an seemingly unnatural obsession with manners and propriety.
Its not just the middle class that’s under threat. The working class (ie those in a trade career versus the so-called ‘professional’ career) are turning into the working poor instead.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Thanks for the info Evelyn!
I think it’s particularly interesting what you said about “complete education” since lately I’ve been wondering for myself what that is and how important it is. I value education highly, but the more I get into life, the more I value experience over degrees. I know many *very* intelligent and even very educated people who would be ranked lower by those silly calculators because they didn’t finish their bachelor’s. Similarly, I have a very deep respect for those who choose trade careers.
Of course, I realize that the terms upper, middle and lower class aren’t meant to pass moral judgement on people. But yet…
May 26th, 2008 at 8:42 am
As an outsider to American society (we have only lived here a few years), I see a real distinction between rich and poor. The area of the country we live in has a very distinct polarization between the people we know. Housing prices are in the stratosphere, prices are high, and to survive many of our friends have two or three jobs. I never saw this to such as extent in my home country. Sure, there were very rich people, but not around us. There were poor people, but fewer. I don’t think America has a class system as much as a rich/poor dichotomy, at least where we live.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Hi Christine. There is definitely a growing rift between the rich and the poor, though what I find particularly interesting about our current situation is that our definitions of rich and poor are being thrown for a loop as the bills come due.
Whatever the numbers, though, I think it is sad how much many people here work to maintain lifestyles that are slipping out of their grips. As a country, I think we are going to have to seriously reexamine our lifestyles. I know we have here in my household. However, the issue now is that we’re now paying for the lifestyle we had — and will be for quite some time.
Perhaps that’s the greatest divide: those in debt and those that aren’t.