I'm hearing lots about "the middle class" this election cycle, and I can't help thinking: Doesn't just about everyone in the States think they're middle class? Seriously. You could be making a just-above-the-poverty-line salary, living frugally and wisely, and feel middle class. Or you could be making a million or two a year in a high-cost-of-living area, and feel middle class. But the day-to-day options and margins in those two situations aren't anything close to the same thing.
Anyway. I don't buy "middle class" as a terribly useful economic term . . . but the solidarity implied by its frequency of use among people in such diverse situations might mean that its a terribly useful social term.
It says something about Americans that we all want to claim the term "middle class". I'm not sure what it says, but it says something.
Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell
5 comments:
AMEN. It is totally a social term because the middle class in America is a reflection of choices more than situation. Imho, if only people would realize this, then I wonder whether the economic crisis would be so bad..
I'm curious... what do you see as the social meaning of "middle class?"
Having moved to the UK I actually see this as a 'good' thing- People can choose a class and identify with what it entails, whereas here you are quite literally born into a class and there you stay, regardless of later affluence, education, etc etc. Social mobility is (still!) not a done thing. It is really bizarre to me.
Elena - I think when we all call ourselves "middle class" we can avoid feeling snobbish (if we're rich) or inferior (if we're poor). So I think the benefit of giving the term "middle class" so broad a definition is that it allows us to pretend we're all in the same boat, and thus avoid dealing with some really uncomfortable feelings (snobbishness and inferiority).
So if I'm hearing you correctly, middle class means all but the very margins of society; and the margins are defined loosely enough as to be roughly self-selecting.
So even though we don't consider ourselves middle class, with a different mindset, we probably could--and likewise with, say, Britney Spears.
Probably has something to do with that phrase "middle class values."
Hmmm...
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