[lucasisking]

I'm not one for pigeon-holing people, but I have often wondered where I fit into the class system in this country. People talk about working class, middle class etc, and i haven't got a clue where I fit into that.

I work in insurance, am reasonably well educated, love intelligent conversation (I'd sooner discuss world affairs than football) and come from a stable background, and sometimes find i have little in common with more 'working class' people, even though I have nothing against them (I do dislike 'chavvy' types though- for lack of a better term).

By the same token, I have a low income, few assets and come from a family of grafters. All of my AV kit was paid for through saving, selling other things and hard work. In my line of work I often deal with 'middle class' types, many of which are insufferably snobbish and hard to relate to. I feel even less at home with them. As for the 'upper' class, i guess that means the realm of lords & ladies.

So what does that make me? Lower middle class? Upper working class?
Has the whole class system become blurred to the point of not existing? And isn't that a good thing?

Would like to hear some thoughts.

[IanW]

Me . . . . . . pure class!!!

[lucasisking]

Originally Posted by IanW

Me . . . . . . pure class!!!

Great answer, mate

[Synax_Injector]

I'd say I'm about the same as you mate, I see many people at work, and not in a snobby way (well lol) I can't help but look down on them.
If they swear alot, dress badly, look sloppy etc.

I try not to swear to much, I try to dress smart, but at the same time, I only work in a store, my mum and sister both work too.

It's a tough one, because for example, if you stuck me next to a builder, I'd seem middle class.
They might like being loud down the pub, where as I never go to the pub.
My idea of a good night is to dress smart and go see a show such as Jimmy Carr

[nwgarratt]

IMO, if someone has a job then that person is working class regardless of their lifestyle or how much they earn.

[kopchoir]

your working class trying to be middle class

Im working class im no chav i have no debt and im on a real low income at the moment being a student,educated but you would nto of thought it.
Family again like yourself are grafters i really fall pretty much into your bracket, my children are brought up with manners and dont go without anything i try to give them a healthy balanced diet no rubbish and thats about it

[Dony]

I appreciate that it's difficult to define the class system, but I seem to remember my sociology teacher saying that if you owned your own business you are middle class, whilst a director for your company is working class.

No idea how true this is.

[Crocodile]

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

[lucasisking]

Cheers for all your replies- it seems the class system such as it is is badly named, outdated and misrepresented. I don't wish to sound prejudiced in either direction. I respect decency and hard work above all, and despise lowlifes and snobs in equal measure. Sounds like I'm in good company here

The Two Ronnies sketch brings up another question: is 'class' to do with profession, money, behavioural traits or upbringing?

[JagoPlasma]

sod knows. all i know is i earn a good wage for working and have a mortgage on a 2 bedroom house with lots of tax to pay for my sins of getting out of bed every morning and going to work.

i look down on the chavs of society for being utter scumbags, yet forced to look up at them in their rent free 4 bedroom house, 2 cats in the yard car and ability to raise income without lifting a finger

Originally Posted by lucasisking

The Two Ronnies sketch brings up another question: is 'class' to do with profession, money, behavioural traits or upbringing?

wasnt it obvious? height

[MikeTV]

Originally Posted by lucasisking

I work in insurance

There's your answer - you have no class!

[lucasisking]

Originally Posted by MikeTV

There's your answer - you have no class!

You can forget about your cheap car quote for that remark!

[Bill Hicks]

Working class and proud!

[MikeTV]

Originally Posted by lucasisking

You can forget about your cheap car quote for that remark!

You are not posh even if you are privileged.

[Perceval]

Originally Posted by Bill Hicks

Working class and proud!

Posh, upper middle class and proud.

[UPLOADER]

This test will tell you what class you are in

Has your house got:

a A name and number?
b A name of your choosing?
c A name from time immemorial?

2 Sitting over drinks, do you:

a Say "Cheers"?
b Say "Cheers" and clink glasses?
c Say nothing?

3 Are you more likely to take a seaside holiday in:

a Cancun?
b Scotland?
c The Maldives?

4 Would you follow the hunt:

a At a distance by car?
b With an anti-hunt placard?
c On your own horse?

5 At breakfast do you like:

a Bio yogurt?
b Pop-Tarts?
c Porridge?

6 Have you got:

a A patio?
b Decking?
c A terrace?

7 At your children's weddings, will male guests wear:

a Morning dress?
b Dinner jackets?
c Lounge suits?

8 Do you ask for the:

a Lavatory?
b Bathroom?
c Toilet?

9 Do you send your children to:

a An old public school?
b A church school near which you have moved?
c The local school?

10 After dinner, do you:

a Leave your napkin loosely on the table?
b Fold your napkin neatly?
c Roll your napkin and put it in a ring?

11 Do your children have:

a PlayStation 3?
b A dressing-up box?
c Trivial Pursuit?

12 If you can't hear a remark, do you say:

a What?
b Say again?
c Pardon?

13 If you want butter with your roll at dinner, do you:

a Cut it in half and butter it?
b Break it in half and butter it?
c Break it up and butter bits as you eat them?

14 Would you prefer to read:

a Heat?
b The Field?
c The World of Interiors?

15 Do you associate Jordan with:

a Breakfast cereal?
b Petra?
c Peter André?



THE ANSWERS
1 a 10, b 20, c 30;
2 a 20, b 10, c 30;
3 a 10, b 30, c 20;
4 a 10, b 20, c 30;
5 a 20, b 10, c 30;
6 a 20, b 10, c 30;
7 a 30, b 10, c 20;
8 a 30, b 20, c 10;
9 a 30, b 20, c 10;
10 a 30, b 10, c 20;
11 a 10, b 30, c 20;
12 a 30, b 10, c 20;
13 a 10, b 20, c 30;
14 a 10, b 30, c 20;
15 a 20, b 30, c 10.
If you scored:
Below 200 You are cheerfully lower-class.
200 to 300 You are uneasily middle-class.
300 to 440 You probably have a coat of arms.
450 You are the Duke of Devonshire.

[wellladida]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

IMO, if someone has a job then that person is working class regardless of their lifestyle or how much they earn.

Agreed it slightly annoying when people consider themselves an average middle class family when there not, they're working class as they have a job I think its fair enough if people want to starting making more classes like "lower middle class" and "upper working class" as their is a huge difference between some one just doing some work in a shop compared to say a lawyer.

[Ethics Gradient]

Originally Posted by wellladida

Agreed it slightly annoying when people consider themselves an average middle class family when there not, they're working class as they have a job I think its fair enough if people want to starting making more classes like "lower middle class" and "upper working class" as their is a huge difference between some one just doing some work in a shop compared to say a lawyer.

That's not true.

You are working class if you are in a non professional or low skilled job.
You are middle class if you are a manager of company, a professional or highly skilled.
You are upper class if you don't have to work for a living, as you live of an inheritance, investments etc... but then again that could describe someone on the dole

There definately are social distinctions that divide the nation into catogories that still could be seen as class boundaries.

It's often easy to catogories certain groups purely down to their tastes in enterainment, food and holidays ..... and very easy to spot those trying too hard with the 'Hyacinth Bucket' syndrome.

Find what you like and what makes you happy and sod the rest

[oakie]

if you get out of the bath to have a wee your not working class.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by lucasisking

is 'class' to do with profession, money, behavioural traits or upbringing?

Yes

I think that boundaries have been blurred over the years as in previous generations we had blue collar workers, white collar workers and the landowners and as in the Two Ronnies sketch everybody "knew their place"

[Tempest]

I have never associated class with money.

I might see some very classy person without a bean to their name, and a millionarie who's the lowest class piece of scum on the planet.

To me class is how you are as a person.
Nothing to do with items you own or money in the bank.

Anyone who has to buy things to show how rich they are are instantly not classy im my book, they just have a lot of money.

If you had class you would not feel the need to do that in the 1st place.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Tempest

I have never associated class with money.

To me class is how you are as a person.
Nothing to do with items you own or money in the bank.

I don't think that anyone has associated class with money otherwise Alan Sugar and David Beckham would both be upper class for starters

[dieeasysteve]

We're missing the "No Class" option for people (most of Belfast) that are poorly educated and live on benefits, but drive BMW's as they encourage there children into crime to make money without any risk of ever being in jail (too young).

I take it the rest of the UK is like this too! As England seams to have more Knife crime a violence that NI and they call us Troubled.

By the way I would consider myself Upper Working/Lower Middle Class as I'm well educated from uni and working in a skill professional job and plan to own my on house soon.

[Hitby]

I'm uni educated and work at a skilled professional job, own my own home and I'm working class. The same as everyone else in the same position. There's no such thing as 'upper working class' or 'lower middle class'. If you have to work to pay the bills then you're working class. It's nothing to be ashamed of - get over it

[Crocodile]

Originally Posted by Dony

I appreciate that it's difficult to define the class system, but I seem to remember my sociology teacher saying that if you owned your own business you are middle class, whilst a director for your company is working class.

No idea how true this is.

I seem to recall mine saying that the primary deciding factor was your father's profession. But then that was only a few years after the Frost Report sketch I posted.

That would rule out the Nouveau Riche footballer & lottery winner. It would also distinguish between self-made men such as Peter Jones & Alan Sugar.

Then again, I think it's all ********!

[Hakagure]

Originally Posted by wellladida

Agreed it slightly annoying when people consider themselves an average middle class family when there not, they're working class as they have a job I think its fair enough if people want to starting making more classes like "lower middle class" and "upper working class" as their is a huge difference between some one just doing some work in a shop compared to say a lawyer.

Wow talk about snobbish.

Do you have a bungalow, a Volvo and constantly try to turn the conversation to how much your house is worth ?? .. I bet you do. And your right in saying that there is a big difference between a shop worker and a lawyer. One is providing an essential service and the other one is a money grabbing vampire with morals lower than a snakes privates who is living proof that the gene pool has a shallow end.

I am on early 50k a year, debt free and own everything in my flat outright. I dont see myself as anything other than someone who worked hard, got a break and made the most of it. I am working class. I dont wear designer labels (is North Face a designer label ??) and enjoy a pint with my mates. I swear, break wind and make non-PC jokes. I dont work as hard as some who earn less than me and that makes me feel admiration for them not smugness.

Theres a lesson there somewhere.

[la gran siete]

oh i know which class my sister insists i am in! She who likes to tell the world which polo event and which holiday destination she went to( last time Vienna) like we all care.Ohn she detests football and the "Yobs" who go and watch it .She also likes to remind me i went to a private school of which my father (an Oxford grad) was a head master and that i was taught mannersI then remind her that most of my friends came from very modest backgrounds and that we use to hang around street corners playing and footie swearing loads and gobbing on the street( Argentine working class custom )I also remind her that my last two years education were spent at an English comp where further swearing and "ill mannered" behaviour took place (although no gobbing).I then remind that was expelled from school , never went to uni and spent several years working in factories amongst the working classes nad had absolutely no desire to climb the social or jobs ladder.
Goodness knows which class I belong to as I tend to rebel against pigeon holing anyway.I suppose two things come to mind which define middle class One is aspirational( which I havent indulged in much) the other -life style choice and customs although one would then have to define the middle and non middle class ones are.For eg the upper classes NEVER eat milk chocolate as its considered very vulgar

[KhalJimbo]

I got 310

[la gran siete]

Originally Posted by Hakagure

Wow talk about snobbish.

. And your right in saying that there is a big difference between a shop worker and a lawyer. One is providing an essential service and the other one is a money grabbing vampire with morals lower than a snakes privates who is living proof that the gene pool has a shallow end.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Hakagure

your right in saying that there is a big difference between a shop worker and a lawyer. One is providing an essential service and the other one is a money grabbing vampire with morals lower than a snakes privates who is living proof that the gene pool has a shallow end.

Would you find it acceptable if a lawyer were to suggest that all Scots were tight fisted, ill educated drunks who were good for nothing but the most menial tasks