Original post by sydney_wattsRemember that while the British upper middle-class and the upper-class are two different kettles of fish, there are some similarities. For instance, Oxbridge and a handful of top tier universities such as Durham, Bristol, UCL, Kings, Imperial, and Exeter are the major universities of choice for both groups. One or two of the Scottish universities might qualify in this category too.
Both groups tend to dominate certain departments, particularly within the arts and humanities. Reading History, of course, immediately comes to mind as the typical top pick amongst the posh. History, English, Philosophy, Art History, French, etc. are normally dominated by affluent people of old-line wealth. Most lecturers in these disciplines, you will find, are usually themselves the sons and daughters of rather wealthy parents. Even in the lesser rated universities this is true to some degree, as many starting lecturers and even those with some reputation within their field will often choose to teach in provincial locations, particularly if these locales are their home base.
The major difference, of course, between the upper-class and the upper-middle-class is that the upper class may choose to work for a living, whereas the upper-middle-class must work for a living in order to maintain their lifestyle. Nevertheless, both are usually educated at the same usual list of public schools and universities. Both are virtually guaranteed secure, well-paid employment upon graduation, generally with the help of extensive family connections, and both have the means to establish themselves independently well before they reach their 30s. Therefore, this element of society reproduces itself from one generation to the next.
The typical upper-middle class girl would come from the Home Counties, most notably Surrey, Berks, or Bucks. Her father might be a barrister in the City and her mother a lecturer of English Literature at a posh university like, say Kings. She would attend an independent all-girls school (some parents would even have the means for her to board) like say, St Swithun's or St Paul's if she is a London girl. She invariable would take a gap year somewhere abroad, but nothing too extravagant, and then once she is through saving the planet she would start reading History at let's say, Magadalen College, Oxford. After graduation with a First she would most probably either go down the route toward academia or get a job with a City firm with the help of her father. Before this age of austerity she probably would have found a high profile career at the BBC or the Foreign Office.
Now, let's compare her to a upper-class girl. Daddy would be a director of a multi-national corporation where he earns millions of pounds a year to 'manage'. Mummy would be engaged in charity work. They would all live happily in a very large manse in the country, let's say Devon, Cornwall, or Gloucester. She would, of course, board at somewhere like St Swithun's or maybe one or two notches up like one of the real expensive boarding schools in Switzerland. Wherever she attends, it is automatically assumed she will board. Only upper-middle-class girls are 'Day Girls'. After graduation would come the Grand Tour around the world. If she does have any smarts she would go on to study Art History at Oxford and just bide her time till some double-barrelled chinless wonder asks for her hand in marriage. At which time she would resume the work free life of her mother, and the chinless wonder husband would take a position in one of the banks in the City.
That is your major differences between these two groups, but as I said in the beginning: there is not a hell of a lot of difference. Nevertheless, you can bet each knows their place and where they fit in.