So, What’s Wrong With Being Working Class, Anyway?

[SidneyCarton]

While listening to the Vice-Presidential debates in rerun this morning, a co-worker of mine exploded in wrath. No, it wasn’t Sarah Palin’s answers, or Joe Biden’s unwillingness to rip into her on them that earned his ire, it was the use of a particular term to which we have all become accustomed to this year… Middle Class. We have heard numerous mentions of the middle class this year, we have heard that they are endangered, that they are the engine that drives our economy, that a stable middle class is a key element in ensuring the continued existence of Democracy, et cetera, ad nauseaum…

My co-worker’s question, which I find both important and compelling, is “What’s the big deal about the middle class?” and further “Why doesn’t any mention the working class?” His question touches on a key paradox in the American psyche, no one wants to admit to being working class themselves. Sure, we boast about “working class parents” or “growing up in a blue-collar household,” but ask many Americans where they put themselves, and you will get answers that range from “lower middle class” to “middle class” to “upper middle class” those who claim to be “working class” are few and far between.

I believe that the reasons for these answers have a lot to do with ingrained prejudices in our national culture. The Puritans believed that God’s “elect” were so distinguished by the worldly riches that he had allowed them to gain in this life, an idea that continues down through the generations to the “prosperity gospel” of today. On the other hand, only the truly rich, who are either unwilling or unable to hide their wealth actually admit to being in the privileged classes, the rest try to hold on, as carefully as possible to the title of “upper middle class” in the interests of avoiding charges of elitism. Also present here is the influence of the post-1945 rise of middle class homeowners, courtesy of the GI Bill. There was something seemingly wholesome, patriotic, moral and industrious about the rising middle class of the suburbs. These people were portrayed as the backbone of the nation, the stable and trustworthy demographic (Nixon’s “silent majority” anyone?) in comparison to the dissolute and elitist rich and the crime-ridden and volatile urban poor. Hence being middle class was more authentically “American” than being rich, but still respectable enough to be aspired to.

As to class identity, much of this depends on the way we measure class. My co-worker, who has read many of the works of Marx, identifies class in accordance with a person’s relation to production. This is an excellent yardstick, but also an involved one. Most people react better to numbers, hence we come up with a scale of earnings to determine where we fall on the social hierarchy. The current absolute floor for the lower middle class hovers at an approximately $32,000 yearly income. My gross income puts me just barely over that mark, but I really can’t consider myself middle class, after all I own no home, and live paycheck-to-paycheck. Sadly, many of those in this country who do consider themselves middle class live no better than I, and many find themselves in serious straits regarding debt. Perhaps it is time for us to reconsider our class identities, for there is truly nothing either dishonorable, nor pejorative in being working class. Indeed, it is a canon of scripture that ” The laborer is worthy of his hire.” If they are worthy of their hire, then they are worthy of respect, and we had better learn that respect soon, for even if we don’t want to admit it, most of us are working class.

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. Nothing.

But there's nothing admirable about being a bigot, or a xenophobe, or a jingo, or any of the other things for which 'working class' is used as a convenient synecdoche.

Not fair, but that's what the term 'working class' means in practice.

And people instinctively know that. So they claim 'middle class' instead.

It's actually a good thing that people recoil from the attitudes and behaviors imputed to the 'working class', but it's probably too late to save the term itself.

[elocs]

5. Although I have a bachelor's degree I have always been working class, will always be working class,

and feel no need to place myself in the middle class category when I am not middle class. I believe the biggest percentage of Americans probably fall into the working class category if they were honest with themselves, but too many of them self identify themselves as being middle class.

[SidneyCarton]

7. Would class then be a state of mind to some degree?

I agree with your point, just curious what you might think of that question.

[elocs]

11. I think a lot of that depends up you life experiences and how you were raised.

For instance, if in school you were put down for not having as much as others or being able to do what others did you might aspire to identify yourself as being middle class. As an adult (or this could still happen as a kid) if you associated or worked with people who were actually in a higher class than you, such as being upper middle class or even wealthy, you might aspire to place yourself in their category and maybe even financially hurt yourself by trying to "keep up with the Joneses" so to speak. Some people cannot bear to think of themselves as they really are whether they are working class who consider themselves to be middle class in their minds or basic middle class people who consider themselves to actually be more upper middle class than they really are.

I believe there are levels of working class also and many who actually are basic working class people cannot bear to think of themselves as being in the same category that also includes those who are living in poverty or even homeless (there are those who are homeless who do work 40 hours a week). So they have to consider themselves to be middle class.

[bread_and_roses]

10. I'm with you. And the Oligarchs don't like the term because it reminds people of what "class" is

all about. They would rather get rid of the "class" word alltogether, but in the interim, calling everyone not in deep poverty "middle class" blurs reality. It alters the meaning to refer to patterns of consumption. Like you, I marvel at the multitudes who are a paycheck or two away from destitution but call themselves "middle-class."

[SidneyCarton]

6. You make a good argument here.

Yes, when they talked in the primaries about "White, working class voters" we all knew what they meant, sadly.

I personally am sorry that the term has been so usurped, because the working people of this nation are its skeleton. Our constitution is its soul and our democracy its heart, we must protect our heart and soul, but without bones, we will collapse.

[ogneopasno]

2. When good union jobs were plentiful,

the working class was middle class.

[SidneyCarton]

8. Words more true have rarely been spoken.

[Clovis Sangrail]

3. I don't know that the premise is really accurate

I'd have to look but I think Michelle Obama has claimed to be from a "working" class background... Edwards definitely used the term.
Maybe it's because I don't consider it a pejorative but it seems to be pretty commonly used and without negative connotations.

"Middle Class" is definitely used more... but I think that simply for marketing reasons.
It encompasses more than "working class" and doesn't have that nasty word we love to hate on Monday mornings.

[AndyTiedye]

19. Working Class is Something Everybody Wants to Say They are FROM

and nobody wants to say they are IN. "Working class", "middle class" are just words, largely devoid of meaning.

The OP referred to Marx's definition of "working class". It would be useful if someone would post that here.

Just going by income doesn't work very well given the widely varying cost of living in different parts of the country.

About the only thing we can sort of agree on is that "working class" people work for a living,
and that middle class people are neither rich nor poor.

Seems to me that a very large percentage of us would fit into both categories.

We can waste a lot of energy trying to decide who is in what class but all that does is divide us.

[Clovis Sangrail]

25. I was very proud to say I was "working class"

in some respects I guess I'm still working class ... it just no longer feels as apt since I'm no longer blue collar.
:shrug:

[Quantess]

4. Middle class people are the working class.

As the vast majority of Americans get poorer, the brackets have shifted down, accordingly.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. I've always seen them as different stratifications.

Middle-class being, generally, low paid professionals, small business owners, teachers, (once upon a time) doctors, etc.; while the working class were those who labored for the middle class - tradesmen, cops, firefighters, office workers, nurses, service workers. The difference is in the ownership role. The guy who owns the plumbing company - though a plumber himself - would be middle class. The plumber who works for him, making $40/hr, is working class. The teacher, making $20/hr, is kind of honorary middle class, though he makes half what the working class plumber makes.

The difference is, it takes a certain amount of money to move from working class to middle class - enough to get that college education, start that business, etc., but some in the working class can live better than some in the middle class, even if they don't get the social respect that the middle class get.

[Quantess]

15. Yes, but do you at least agree that the middle class has shrunk to near extinction?

Someone help me out with the definition of "working class".

The definition of working class is, if I remember correctly, 2 paychecks away from being in financial trouble. That's most of us! But, as long as we aren't relying on food stamps or living in a broken down trailer park, most of us can't admit that we aren't "middle class" anymore.

So when Obama & Biden talk about "middle class Americans", they are addressing the working class Americans, as well.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. Exactly...

and it pisses me off.

Why shouldn't the working class be paid a living wage?

I challenge anybody who thinks they aren't worthy of it to spend one month living as a working class person and trying to survive. Let them take on as many part-time jobs as they like, as long as they don't pay more than $10/hr.

I bet they wouldn't last a week.

[democrat2thecore]

9. You make a very good point...however...

The lexicon has changed. "Working Class" has blue-collar and industrial jobs written all over it because of its use in the last hundred years. In reality, "working class" is everyone who takes a paycheck from an employer and lives on that paycheck week to week. Whether you work in an auto factory or an office in a cubicle - "working class" is what defines you economically. However, because of its usage over the years, using "working class" is not relatable to too many people who are, in fact, just that!

Good post.

[freestyle]

14. Everyone who needs to work is working class.

The portion of Americans below retirement age who can live off of their investments is quite small. The charts say that my partner and I are a middle class family, but we would damn sure have to collect unemployment if we lost our jobs. If you can't sustain your basic expenses without working, you are working class. By that definition, almost everyone is working class.

[crazy_vanilla]

16. how insightful

I personally only distinguish between the thinking and non-thinking classes, and, for better or worse, the latter roots for John McTurd.

Give them gossip, fear, and spoon-feed them what they should think, and they are happy.

Income level is not an indicator of progressiveness or acceptance of new, loftier ideas. I wish the pundits would shut up about "the middle class".

[NashVegas]

17. "Working Class" Was Never Used Much In the US

More the UK - where social class was more stagnant. Working class, leisure class. Here in the US, people making in the hundreds of thousands tend to spend so much of it, instead of putting it to work for them, that they still aren't leisure class.

UK measures class by what people do to earn their money, the US measures class by how much of it you make.



When union and well-paying skilled labor jobs were plentiful, there was little difference between the trappings of blue collar and the *average* white collar success. And this was America - as long as you were successful, you had respect.

It's used more now because more middle class people pulling in $150k-$250k a year or more are starting to feel guilty about the lack of affordable housing in low-crime neighborhoods for people making $40k a year - as school teachers, fire-fighters, and police ("service sector"). People making $40k in other jobs they and their families don't depend on, they don't care so much. So yeah, I'm seeing "working class" more and more now as polite code for "trash."

[democrat2thecore]

18. "Working Class" was a MUCH used term 1865-1980 -- nt

[KoKo]

20. That "Class" is even a point of discussion kind of goes against our US Democracy

and the point of the "Constitution" doesn't it?

I know the US Constitution was written by "Entitled White Men" but they really had a good idea of about Religious and Monetary Oppression...given what they came to America to escape. Yeah...I know...Jefferson and others were always over there in France trying to ramp up support from what would be the "IMF" these days in these times. And that their loyalties were always with the "entitled white guys," but...they put the Constitution and the following "Bill of Rights" into place because of PUSH BACK and some kind of understanding that it wouldn't always BE..."Entitled White Guys" who would RULE.

There was some foresight there.... And, it's what we have, today, that we've Amended through the years.

[KoKo]

21. BTW....we are now in another battle over "Puritans and Reformers."

History "Rhyming" and not repeating? But, it's a good thing even if it's gonna' be HELL for us living through this new "Realignment" between the Dems and Repugs and the "factions" that run both parties.

Obama is not for "Far Right or Far Left"....he's for "Getting Along."

I'm not sure I go with that...because of what we've been through on the "Left" but we gotta get a Dem in there to make some changes. :shrug:

[SmokingJacket]

22. There used to be a difference between working and middle.

Now it's a bigger tent, which is good. When people say "middle class" they don't mean just the white collar office workers; they mean everyone from laborers to community college teachers -- everyone who doesn't make quite enough money to have a second house but who doesn't rely on government programs, either.

[ecstatic]

23. IMO, one's class is as much psychological as it is financial

But as far as the term "working class" being left out most of the time in discussions, I think everyone does better when the so called "middle class" does better. I could be wrong though.

[stillcool]

24. I think it's a psychological thing..

no one wants to identify themselves as poor. I don't know why, but I tend to think of 'working class' as a Marxist/Socialist term. 'Blue collar workers' is an all encompassing phrase that is acceptable. They can't call us slaves.