Status Symbols of the British Upper Middle Class
Amongst the upper middle class of Britain (defined as those of the higher professions--eg. law, medicine, academia--as well as those engaged in of upper managerial positions), what are some of the more prominent status symbols viewed by these people?
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Exotic holidays, often a few times a year.
Having parents who make you get a job not for the money, but for the moral work ethic development.
Original post by OmnipotentOmelette
Exotic holidays, often a few times a year.
Nice house and pretentious eloquence.
Unfortunately, speaking properly seems to be the preserve of the upper-middle class and above these days... 
A Chelsea Tractor to take their children to school.
A lot of things that are regarded middle class are very much working class aswell. i.e I'm probably working class, but i go on exotic holidays. One of my parents has a degree, the other is in a managerial posistion. I live in a nice area but in a small 3 bed semi (and the surrounding areas are pretty rough). I think what makes me working class is that i live in a one parent house (my mum). And despite having a degree, doesn't make a huge amount of money. She also has a crap car and can't really afford loads of nice things. But our habbits are middle class or "cultured"(apart from her excessive drinking). However i think it's only because she grew up in a fairly well off family.
My dad on the other hand is fairly middle class, but i don't live with him permanently.
My dad on the other hand is fairly middle class, but i don't live with him permanently.
Original post by barnetlad
A Chelsea Tractor to take their children to school.
S'got to be a nice house and perhaps a company car. Something like a saloon, BMW, and the like. They rarely walk through the towns, but prefer to shop in the city. They sometimes believe that you should step aside for them, and they sometimes disregard your presence and look down at you.
For women:
Bugaboo cameleon (sic) pushchair, Classic Mulberry handbag, Jo Malone candles, Molton Brown room spray, Paula Pryke flowers, Landrover Discovery 4, crystalised sugar on a stick (instead of lumps or granulated), Cowshed soap, Miller Harris Tea and perfume, afternoon tea at the Palm Court at the Langham.
For men:
Depends what matters to them. Some will get cars, some will go shooting, some will go on holiday, some will get Savile Row jackets and Emma Willis shirts, some will have trophy wives that buy the things above.
Bugaboo cameleon (sic) pushchair, Classic Mulberry handbag, Jo Malone candles, Molton Brown room spray, Paula Pryke flowers, Landrover Discovery 4, crystalised sugar on a stick (instead of lumps or granulated), Cowshed soap, Miller Harris Tea and perfume, afternoon tea at the Palm Court at the Langham.
For men:
Depends what matters to them. Some will get cars, some will go shooting, some will go on holiday, some will get Savile Row jackets and Emma Willis shirts, some will have trophy wives that buy the things above.
Original post by JRGC
Detached/semi detatched house in a nice area in the suburbs, one or two cars, well educated children?
I think that's more applicable to the lower middle class.
I would say you're upper middle class when you have spare rooms, a second property, privately educated children etc.
Meh i don't think many people on here really understand what social classes are.
The amount of money you earn dosen't dictate what social class you are part off. It's dictated mainly by your occupation.
You could be a plumber or a builder and earn £100,000 a year but you would still be a working class person, whereas you could be computer technician and earn £25,000, yet you would be part of the middle classes.
Working class means you work a manual job: Builder, plumber, miner, cleaner, fisherman etc...
Middle class jobs require academic qualifications: Docters, lawyers, soliciters, accountants, computer developers, basically any office job is considered a middle class job.
Now obviously if you take an average, the middle classes earn much more than the working classes, but this is not always the case.
Anyhow, most of the above hallmarks have really been based on the amount of money you earn, which isn't really indicative of the social class you are part off. (i.e foreign holidays and private schools etc..)
I'd say something like Cricket is a better hallmark of the middle classes.
The amount of money you earn dosen't dictate what social class you are part off. It's dictated mainly by your occupation.
You could be a plumber or a builder and earn £100,000 a year but you would still be a working class person, whereas you could be computer technician and earn £25,000, yet you would be part of the middle classes.
Working class means you work a manual job: Builder, plumber, miner, cleaner, fisherman etc...
Middle class jobs require academic qualifications: Docters, lawyers, soliciters, accountants, computer developers, basically any office job is considered a middle class job.
Now obviously if you take an average, the middle classes earn much more than the working classes, but this is not always the case.
Anyhow, most of the above hallmarks have really been based on the amount of money you earn, which isn't really indicative of the social class you are part off. (i.e foreign holidays and private schools etc..)
I'd say something like Cricket is a better hallmark of the middle classes.
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by sete
Meh i don't think many people on here really understand what social classes are.
The amount of money you earn dosen't dictate what social class you are part off. It's dictated by mainly by your occupation.
You could be a plumber or a builder and earn £100,000 a year but you would still be a working class person, whereas you could be computer technician and earn £25,000, yet you would be part of the middle classes.
Working class means you work a manual job: Builder, plumber, miner, cleaner, fisherman etc...
Middle class jobs require academic qualifications: Docters, lawyers, soliciters, accountants, computer developers, basically any office job is considered a middle class job.
The amount of money you earn dosen't dictate what social class you are part off. It's dictated by mainly by your occupation.
You could be a plumber or a builder and earn £100,000 a year but you would still be a working class person, whereas you could be computer technician and earn £25,000, yet you would be part of the middle classes.
Working class means you work a manual job: Builder, plumber, miner, cleaner, fisherman etc...
Middle class jobs require academic qualifications: Docters, lawyers, soliciters, accountants, computer developers, basically any office job is considered a middle class job.
Sure the most basic definition of class involves only type of occupation, but that is shallow without additional connotations of culture and attitude towards government and education. The old definitions of the mid 20th century have far less meaning with the rise of the service industry.
Surely by any meaningful definition people in those occupations are the new working class? They're far more likely to have working class characteristics than a skilled manual labourer. Even within one profession, I would consider a fast food chef to be working class but that's certainly not true of Heston Blumenthal.
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