DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - What is your image of each social class ?

**Gasfghj** · 09-01-2012, 12:48 PM

Another good model of social classes is the one proposed by William Lloyd Warner in his 1949 book "Social classes in America". It is still very valid nowadays. The Warnerian division of society comprises 7 classes :

* Upper-upper class. "Old money." People who have been born into and raised with wealth; mostly consits of old noble or prestigious families (e.g. Vanderbilt, Rockerfeller, Hilton).
* Lower-upper class. "New money." Individuals who have become rich within their own lifetimes (e.g. entrepreneurs, movie stars, as well as some prominent professionals).
* Upper-middle class. High-salaried professionals (e.g. doctors, lawyers, higher rung (were in the corporate market, yet left for a reason such as family time) professors, corporate executives).
* True-middle class. Professional with salaries and educational attainment higher than those found among lower-middle class workers (e.g. bottom rung professors, managerial office workers, architects)
* Lower-middle class. Lower-paid professionals, but not manual laborers (e.g. police officers, non-management office workers, small business owners).
* Upper-lower class. Blue-collar workers and manual labourers. Also known as the "working class."
* Lower-lower class. The homeless and permanently unemployed, as well as the "working poor."

I mostly agree, but I insist that class is still more a matter of values, manners and mindset (i.e. education in its broadest sense) than job description or salary. IMHO, this classification is too much salary-based, as the "lower-upper-class" category suggests.

Another American, Paul Fussell classifies Americans according to the following classes:

1. Top out-of-sight: the super-rich, heirs to huge fortunes
2. Upper Class: rich CEOs, diplomats, people who can afford full-time domestic staff, and some high salaried, prominent professionals (examples include surgeons and some highly-paid types of lawyers)
3. Upper-Middle Class: self-made well-educated professionals
4. Middle Class: office workers
5. High Prole: skilled blue-collar workers
6. Mid Prole: workers in factories and the service industry
7. Low Prole: manual laborers
8. Destitute: the homeless and the disreputable (but still free)
9. Bottom out-of-sight: those incarcerated in prisons and institutions

I agree, atlthough there is not much necessity dividing the already tiny number of people making up 1 and 2. Another thing I find strange is that manual workers are divided in 3 categories, but the more varied middle class only makes one category. 8 and 9 is what I call the underclass.

Based on these two models, I will attempt a new model with as many strata as necessary to describe society, although they do not really match what I consider to be classes. Let's just call it a division of the socio-economic strata, regardless of people's education.

1. Top Upper Class : "Old money." People who have been born into and raised with (extreme) wealth; mostly consits of old noble or prestigious families.
2. Upper Class : rich CEOs, diplomats, people who can afford full-time domestic staff. Mostly "new money", but with high education as well as power in society.
3. Nouveau riches : all the celebrities who have become rich and famous thanks to the arts or sports, make extravagent disply of their money, but lack the economic or political power of the above.
4. Upper-Middle Class : well-educated professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers, bank managers, accountants, professors, interpreters, airline pilots...)
5. Middle Class : skilled non-manual workers (non-management office workers, nurses, school teachers, flight attendants, etc.) as well as shop assistants, sales people and other less specialised job requiring a good presentation.
6. Lower Middle Class : skilled manual workers (plumbers, carpenters, electricians, mecanics, farmers, taxi/bus/truck drivers, etc.), as well as fire-fighters, sports trainers/teachers, etc. All the messy or sweaty job which require skills and have reasonable (or even very good) salaries.
7. Upper Lower Class : low-skilled, low-paid jobs (supermarket cashier, cleaner, low-rank police officer, waste collector, etc.)
8. Lower Class : low-skilled, low-paid and tough manual jobs (low-skilled factory workers, peasants in poor countries, etc.), and the other working poor.
9. Underclass : the destitutes (homeless, beggars...)
10. The outclassed : the criminals (murderers, rapists, gangsters, robbers...)

09-01-2012, 12:48 PM	#19
Gasfghj Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 491 Senior Member	Another good model of social classes is the one proposed by William Lloyd Warner in his 1949 book "Social classes in America". It is still very valid nowadays. The Warnerian division of society comprises 7 classes : * Upper-upper class. "Old money." People who have been born into and raised with wealth; mostly consits of old noble or prestigious families (e.g. Vanderbilt, Rockerfeller, Hilton). * Lower-upper class. "New money." Individuals who have become rich within their own lifetimes (e.g. entrepreneurs, movie stars, as well as some prominent professionals). * Upper-middle class. High-salaried professionals (e.g. doctors, lawyers, higher rung (were in the corporate market, yet left for a reason such as family time) professors, corporate executives). * True-middle class. Professional with salaries and educational attainment higher than those found among lower-middle class workers (e.g. bottom rung professors, managerial office workers, architects) * Lower-middle class. Lower-paid professionals, but not manual laborers (e.g. police officers, non-management office workers, small business owners). * Upper-lower class. Blue-collar workers and manual labourers. Also known as the "working class." * Lower-lower class. The homeless and permanently unemployed, as well as the "working poor." I mostly agree, but I insist that class is still more a matter of values, manners and mindset (i.e. education in its broadest sense) than job description or salary. IMHO, this classification is too much salary-based, as the "lower-upper-class" category suggests. Another American, Paul Fussell classifies Americans according to the following classes: 1. Top out-of-sight: the super-rich, heirs to huge fortunes 2. Upper Class: rich CEOs, diplomats, people who can afford full-time domestic staff, and some high salaried, prominent professionals (examples include surgeons and some highly-paid types of lawyers) 3. Upper-Middle Class: self-made well-educated professionals 4. Middle Class: office workers 5. High Prole: skilled blue-collar workers 6. Mid Prole: workers in factories and the service industry 7. Low Prole: manual laborers 8. Destitute: the homeless and the disreputable (but still free) 9. Bottom out-of-sight: those incarcerated in prisons and institutions I agree, atlthough there is not much necessity dividing the already tiny number of people making up 1 and 2. Another thing I find strange is that manual workers are divided in 3 categories, but the more varied middle class only makes one category. 8 and 9 is what I call the underclass. Based on these two models, I will attempt a new model with as many strata as necessary to describe society, although they do not really match what I consider to be classes. Let's just call it a division of the socio-economic strata, regardless of people's education. 1. Top Upper Class : "Old money." People who have been born into and raised with (extreme) wealth; mostly consits of old noble or prestigious families. 2. Upper Class : rich CEOs, diplomats, people who can afford full-time domestic staff. Mostly "new money", but with high education as well as power in society. 3. Nouveau riches : all the celebrities who have become rich and famous thanks to the arts or sports, make extravagent disply of their money, but lack the economic or political power of the above. 4. Upper-Middle Class : well-educated professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers, bank managers, accountants, professors, interpreters, airline pilots...) 5. Middle Class : skilled non-manual workers (non-management office workers, nurses, school teachers, flight attendants, etc.) as well as shop assistants, sales people and other less specialised job requiring a good presentation. 6. Lower Middle Class : skilled manual workers (plumbers, carpenters, electricians, mecanics, farmers, taxi/bus/truck drivers, etc.), as well as fire-fighters, sports trainers/teachers, etc. All the messy or sweaty job which require skills and have reasonable (or even very good) salaries. 7. Upper Lower Class : low-skilled, low-paid jobs (supermarket cashier, cleaner, low-rank police officer, waste collector, etc.) 8. Lower Class : low-skilled, low-paid and tough manual jobs (low-skilled factory workers, peasants in poor countries, etc.), and the other working poor. 9. Underclass : the destitutes (homeless, beggars...) 10. The outclassed : the criminals (murderers, rapists, gangsters, robbers...)
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