What make the middle class?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

What do you guys think defines the middle class?

Is being middle class based on your income (if so how much), education, who you associate with, your career, something else, or a combination of those elements?

I've heard many differing opinions on this, I'm interested what you all have to say.

[Cadeho]

Well... they're not rich... and dey ain't po.

I say it's based on income. I'm not sure exactly how much, because you can make a few thousand over the poverty level and still struggle. The middle class lives comfortably, they still have to watch what they can spend, but they can't spend recklessly.

[runawayjim]

What do you guys think defines the middle class?

Is being middle class based on your income (if so how much), education, who you associate with, your career, something else, or a combination of those elements?

I've heard many differing opinions on this, I'm interested what you all have to say.

class levels are generally based on income. it depends on where you live for the actual dollar amounts, but generally it means you can live comfortably, but you can't just blow money away like there's no tomorrow. you have to budget yourself. and for families, it's based on household income, not just a single person's income.

[Charlotteman]

This is a question I've always found interesting.

I don't think it has a thing to do with money. Personally I think being middle class is a state of mind.

"Middle class values" used to be a catchphrase of sorts. Someone can make $15,000 a year and be as middle class as someone who makes $50,000.......when ya think about basic values of respect for law and order, dignity, a desire to improve one's lot in life in an honest way, hard work.

Of course someone can make $50,000 a year and be pure trash. And someone can make $15,000 a year and be a huge thief. It's all in the mind.

[runawayjim]

This is a question I've always found interesting.

I don't think it has a thing to do with money. Personally I think being middle class is a state of mind.

"Middle class values" used to be a catchphrase of sorts. Someone can make $15,000 a year and be as middle class as someone who makes $50,000.......when ya think about basic values of respect for law and order, dignity, a desire to improve one's lot in life in an honest way, hard work.

Of course someone can make $50,000 a year and be pure trash. And someone can make $15,000 a year and be a huge thief. It's all in the mind.

that's differnet than when someone is talking about the middle class. the lower, middle, and upper classes all have to do with income, not a state of mind. someone below the poverty level can certainly have respect for law and order and have dignity. if you're going to say that the lower class is "pure trash" or "a huge thief", i think you're going to offend a lot of people who live good clean orderly lives but don't make a lot of money.

the lower class is generally people close to or below the poverty line. the middle class is as i described above, people who can live within their means quite comfortably, but still need to budget. the upper class has a lot of disposable income and generally doesn't have to think about what they spend money on.

[Charlotteman]

I wasn't saying someone who makes $50,000 is trash, etc.

Someone can grow up in a middle classed home, and later in life find themselves in a less-than-desirable financial condition. They might find themselves making $15,000 a year, but they'll still have the middle class values---they will live in a nice place, clean, with decent furnishings. They will lead a law abiding life. Maybe they won't buy their furnishings from Bloomingdales, and they won't be taking vacations, but most likely when they are seen in public, most people would think them to be middle classed.

I've known plenty of people who fit that description completely. They grew up in middle class suburbs, but left home and worked at low paying jobs. When you went into their apartments, they were furnished really cute (from thrift stores--the best way!) and the atmosphere and demeanor was as middle classed as other friends who were better off financially.

That's why I think middle class is a state of mind.

[runawayjim]

those values you decribe i think are values that everyone has or strives for (or one should hope everyone strives for that). regardless of that state of mind, the middle class is determined by income.

[monsoon]

What do you guys think defines the middle class?

It may help if you tell us the other classes you have in mind. i.e Poor, working class, blue collar, rich, professional class, etc.

In any case, in the United States, it is almost always based on the amount of income one has beyond that of meeting basic needs. Basic needs being housing, food, transportation, and health care for one and one's family. Between the end of WWII and say the end of the 70s, the middle class has included almost anyone in the United States that worked a job. From approximately the end of the 70s to present day, this definition has changed as tens of millions of jobs are being shipped out of the country and are replaced by menial work that does not pay a living wage and the rest going to illegal help.

The purpose of globalization is to reduce costs for companies and that will brings the demise of the middle class in the USA which basically began when Henry Ford put people to work making the Model A. I predict that in another 25-50 years we won't have much of a middle class anymore. It will be replaced by a small number of people that we would define as rich, a very small professional class, and everyone else just getting by.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

It may help if you tell us the other classes you have in mind. i.e Poor, working class, blue collar, rich, professional class, etc.

It probably would have. Maybe a better topic would have been something along the lines of "How do you think class exists in America today" or "what class structures are in place in America today".

[monsoon]

Ahh, ok well then what I said above is my answer to that question.

[Cadeho]

It may help if you tell us the other classes you have in mind. i.e Poor, working class, blue collar, rich, professional class, etc.

In any case, in the United States, it is almost always based on the amount of income one has beyond that of meeting basic needs. Basic needs being housing, food, transportation, and health care for one and one's family. Between the end of WWII and say the end of the 70s, the middle class has included almost anyone in the United States that worked a job. From approximately the end of the 70s to present day, this definition has changed as tens of millions of jobs are being shipped out of the country and are replaced by menial work that does not pay a living wage and the rest going to illegal help.

The purpose of globalization is to reduce costs for companies and that will brings the demise of the middle class in the USA which basically began when Henry Ford put people to work making the Model A. I predict that in another 25-50 years we won't have much of a middle class anymore. It will be replaced by a small number of people that we would define as rich, a very small professional class, and everyone else just getting by.

Do you expect a huge underprivilidged population? Would that mean America as we know it would be dead, where eventually people will have enough and revolution sweeps the land?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I don't think so. If it were to pan out that way, it would be like it was before 1920s and like all history was before than. They would be peasants.

* I thought I put an 's' in the title of this thread. I guess not.

[Cadeho]

We've tasted something much different from what they had back then. We've seen better and it would probably anger people how bad things had gotten.

[Snowguy716]

Yes, something all blue blooded Republicans would love very much: To exercise complete dominance and power over the underlings.

Unfortunately, from a sociological perspective, that won't happen again.. unless we scrap education... Because education is what causes people to demand their rights... although scaring the crap out of them will keep them in line.

It's important, however, that we educate all people well beyond what is required for their jobs. But conservatives don't want to hear that. They want you to learn your maths out of the Bible "If Suzie throws 5 stones at the dirty adulterous liberal harlot, and Bobby 7, how many is that in total? Remember children, if you get it wrong, the terrorists will bomb your house!"

Oh well, we'll get rid of those types of politics before too long.

As far as the middle class:

Many more Americans describe themselves as middle class, than actually are. People making $150,000/yr identify themselves as middle class as does the single mother making $25,000/yr.

Middle class is equally state of mind, lifestyle, and income. If you can pay your bills, have a decent house, and still afford a modest vacations and "toys" I would say you're solid middle class.