Do you consider yourself middle class cos of your parents?

[Sifjar]

Do you consider yourself middle class cos of your parents?

[Lutiferre]

My parents arent middle-class, so no.
However, if one is poor, one is poor. I dont think there is a such thing as ancestral class(icism). But supposedly in neoliberal societies, social legacy becomes ancestral class (like the U.S). In Denmark, everything is up to the individual - because all education is free, and anyone with the right educational qualifications can get a good income.

[Sifjar]

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

My parents arent middle-class, so no.
However, if one is poor, one is poor. I dont think there is a such thing as ancestral class(icism). But supposedly in neoliberal societies, social legacy becomes ancestral class (like the U.S). In Denmark, everything is up to the individual - because all education is free, and anyone with the right educational qualifications can get a good income.

Well I am, but, I'm an individualist kicking myself hard to finding my own way out, because I'm a self made person.

[Susi]

I don't see what is the problem with being "middle class".

My parents were lower class and still are, in my opinion, despite having more money (possibly upper middle in terms of economics, i have no bloody clue how much they make.. ,-,?). Class is not just money, it's more so mannerisms. I'd say I would be the same as my parents.

[Menydh]

I am my own class.

[Exeter]

I believe that can be a good attitude to have but is there a way to escape the social class system?

Originally Posted by Mynydd

I am my own class.

[Exeter]

What would you say make your parents lower class?

You are right it is about mannerisms as well. That is probably even the case in USA if you acknowledge there's a difference between the established old money families of the northeast and the nouveau riche.

Originally Posted by Susi

My parents were lower class and still are, in my opinion, despite having more money (possibly upper middle in terms of economics, i have no bloody clue how much they make.. ,-,?). Class is not just money, it's more so mannerisms. I'd say I would be the same as my parents.

[Susi]

Well my parents are just lower class. It's hard to explain. It's in their mannerisms entirely. Like I said, economically, I think they are upper middle or so, but in my opinion this has not much to do with actual "class".

For example, I was in Toronto with my mum (before I lived here) in the posh district of Yorkville. We walked by Prada and I wanted to look at a bag that I had seen from the window. So I asked the man "How much is this bag?". I was told, and I said, "Thank you" and we left. My mother expressed great surprise at my questioning and said that she was proud because she'd never be able to do that. My parents very much still have the meat and two veg diet that they had when growing up (i would say also a feature of the lower to middle classes). Also in their vocabulary one can see a use of lower class expressions.

I don't view lower class as an insult.

[Marcus Marulus]

Nowadays almost everybody is theoretically considered to be "middle class", whatever that means.

[Sergius]

Yes, my family is middle class, but Denmark is essentially a middle class country with a middle class population.
I don't consider myself as anything like that. Perhaps, if I may, an Aristocrat of the Soul?

[Berrocscir]

Class is both economic and cultural. I've always hovered between upper-working and lower-middle. My parents both grew up on council estates (mostly working class) and took working class jobs when they left school. However my father moved from mechanic to middle manager then he went to self-employed car salesman (more middle-class) I suppose now mum & dad are lower-middle - they own their own home and are 'doing OK' . But culturally they are still working class - it's the football, not the opera...the pub, not the fancy restaurant. Their accents haven't changed.

As for me, I'm low-level white collar, educated to degree standard. But I can't see me ever owning my own place. For years I was blue-collar, but liked gonig to museums! So where am I?!

Class is important in how society functions but there is no black/white definitions. It's a very gray area.

[Susi]

Originally Posted by Ferran

I find your comment very feminist. Why should the importance of marrying and having children reduced exclusively to women? We also have these children, and in no way they would mean less for us. In fact, many men consider the day their first children were born as the most important day of their entire lives.

I liked Waarnemer's comment in as much as that it's true to an extent.

I don't want my entire life to revolve around having children. Yes, children are very important to me, but I have to do other things also. I've still got several years until I have children and the children don't even have to take up every single waking minute of my time.

Originally Posted by Berrocscir

I suppose now mum & dad are lower-middle - they own their own home and are 'doing OK' . But culturally they are still working class - it's the football, not the opera...the pub, not the fancy restaurant. Their accents haven't changed.

Exactly what I meant before. My father and mother went up economically but not really so much culturally (a little more of a change, I suppose, but still, basically the same concept).

For years I was blue-collar, but liked gonig to museums! So where am I?!

*shrug* Museums are for everyone. My father loves art and architecture. But I still don't consider it to be him as "upper class".

Class is important in how society functions but there is no black/white definitions. It's a very gray area.

Yes, though sometimes one can just tell "upper class" or "lower class" right away. It's really an instinct, isn't it?

[meadhbh]

I would say my family is lower to middle class. I agree with the people who said its a cultural thing as much as it is anything. My friends, my family, and myself are all in the same class. When your around people in the same place as you it because normal and you tend to except things for the way they are.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Exeter

I believe that can be a good attitude to have but is there a way to escape the social class system?

I'm not sure if I can answer to that, objectively.

I've had this good old friend around during the weekend, with whom I feel united by a very strong bond. Incidentally, we were talking about related issues at lunch, with my mother. She enjoys his visits as much as I do. What we share is much, despite both being from different nationalities. And it is not only inheritance, which would not have provided a bond as strong if it was not because we also share very similar personality characters and life values.

Now you'll probably think that these shared character and values come precisely from the fact that we both come from a same or similar family background (class here?). But you will be wrong if you do. As it happens, we met long years ago through one common friend very close to our hearts who came from a very different class background to ours. Someone who learned by himself what we had learned through family education. And who was no less than us of a class of his own. If something, I would argue that he was more than we are.

[Kernunnos]

Whatever my parents were, I'm getting poorer and poorer along with most of the italian white collar class.

Our wages are already among the worst in Europe and it is going to become worst.

Since the introduction of the euro average italian workers have lost plus than two thousands euros of 2007 a year in real income.

taxing is getting up to more than 60% if one includes also the increase of prices in water supply and heating, all such gods being distributed by municipalities, as well as municipality's and regional taxes.

[Carnyx]

Middle to upper-middle class. Not any more though. That's social plummeting.