The Student Room Group

What is the difference between Middle and working class?

Can anyone compare the two and say how they differ please?

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middle class earn more than working class
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymous1502
Can anyone compare the two and say how they differ please?


I've found the answer
Middle class shop in waitrose. Working class shop in asda.
Original post by EtherealNymph22
Middle class shop in waitrose. Working class shop in asda.


Don't get me wrong, some middle class people I know shop in Aldi :-:

How the richer stay richer?

Also, Costco
Original post by enaayrah
Don't get me wrong, some middle class people I know shop in Aldi :-:

How the richer stay richer?

Also, Costco


Ha yeah it was slightly tongue in cheek. I think upper class people shop in aldi and Lidl but the middle class tend to be more concerned about representing their wealth through things like waitrose shopping. I'm definitely working class but lots of my uni friends were comfortably middle and a lot of their parents did the waitrose shopping with the special hand held device where you do it as you're going round. :wink:


Fair enough but you could put that on so many TSR posts. its good to get discussions going rather than just googling and getting very crude definitions. Knowing what people think and how differently people think is interesting.
Original post by EtherealNymph22
Ha yeah it was slightly tongue in cheek. I think upper class people shop in aldi and Lidl but the middle class tend to be more concerned about representing their wealth through things like waitrose shopping. I'm definitely working class but lots of my uni friends were comfortably middle and a lot of their parents did the waitrose shopping with the special hand held device where you do it as you're going round. :wink:


Yeah, I was more referring to the upper middle :wink:

I've been to Waitrose actually, don't think there's one in my town :tongue:

Sainsbury's is as gilded as it gets :teehee:
Reply 8
Original post by Anonymous1502
Can anyone compare the two and say how they differ please?


There is a financial difference between middle class and the working class, but it is also based around ones occupation, norms and values. For example, an accountant would be classified as a middle class whereas a builder would be classified as working class. This is because manual labour based jobs are seen as a job that requires very little skill. Therefore it can not be classified as a profession. On the other hand accountancy is classified as highly skilled, requiring wealth's of knowledge. Therefore it is classified as a profession. As well as this, there are cultural aspects added to the mix as well. So for example, on a general scale the working class favour instant gratification, hence a lot of them leave school and instantly go straight into paid labour. On the other hand, the middle class favour distant gratification. Therefore many middle class adolescents go from six-form to university, in hopes of achieving professionalism. This obviously does not apply to everyone though. I'm working class, but possess middle class values.
Reply 9
Original post by EtherealNymph22
Fair enough but you could put that on so many TSR posts. its good to get discussions going rather than just googling and getting very crude definitions. Knowing what people think and how differently people think is interesting.


Most people looking for discussion offer an opinion themselves in the OP.

This type of thread is usually just someone too lazy to research something themselves.
Cheese, wine and quinoa salads.
Reply 11
Original post by Reue
Most people looking for discussion offer an opinion themselves in the OP.

This type of thread is usually just someone too lazy to research something themselves.


And pray tell what is your opinion?
Reply 12
Original post by jgjog3
And pray tell what is your opinion?


I have no opinion on it, I offered an answer to the question asked.
Really simple.

Working Class = Kellogg's Cornflakes
Middle Class = Dorset Cereals Muesli
Original post by enaayrah
Yeah, I was more referring to the upper middle :wink:

I've been to Waitrose actually, don't think there's one in my town :tongue:

Sainsbury's is as gilded as it gets :teehee:


Lol you heard Stephen fry's quote? ''The good thing about sainsbury's is it keeps the scum out of waitrose''

Wonder if there is a waitrose in Cambridge :wink:
Original post by EtherealNymph22
Lol you heard Stephen fry's quote? ''The good thing about sainsbury's is it keeps the scum out of waitrose''

Wonder if there is a waitrose in Cambridge :wink:

Lool Tescos is my frequent so I guess I wouldn't really know :dontknow:

Probably is :/
Original post by tailred
There is a financial difference between middle class and the working class, but it is also based around ones occupation, norms and values. For example, an accountant would be classified as a middle class whereas a builder would be classified as working class. This is because manual labour based jobs are seen as a job that requires very little skill. Therefore it can not be classified as a profession. On the other hand accountancy is classified as highly skilled, requiring wealth's of knowledge. Therefore it is classified as a profession. As well as this, there are cultural aspects added to the mix as well. So for example, on a general scale the working class favour instant gratification, hence a lot of them leave school and instantly go straight into paid labour. On the other hand, the middle class favour distant gratification. Therefore many middle class adolescents go from six-form to university, in hopes of achieving professionalism. This obviously does not apply to everyone though. I'm working class, but possess middle class values.


I know many builders who earn way more then accountant also a builder needs to be smart it is a hard job an idiot cannot put a house together.They may not design it or do the things like plumbing and electricity in a house but building definitely is a high skill in my opinion.
Original post by stefano865
Really simple.

Working Class = Kellogg's Cornflakes
Middle Class = Dorset Cereals Muesli


So this means I am middle class then?Also how much would a middle class compared to a working class person earn?Not all high skilled jobs earn a better salary then what you would consider a low skilled job.
Many people who you'd call 'working class' are self-employed and can earn more than what you'd call 'Middle class', so how can you categorise by earnings?

I think if you use a class system to categorise people to create a sort of hierarchy is quite pretentious imo.
Original post by EtherealNymph22
Middle class shop in waitrose. Working class shop in asda.


This. :laugh:

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