I don't believe class structure is based on income but more on how that income is derived. I would consider some high level doctors and lawyers upper class even though they have to work. I mean getting hundreds of thousands a year or even a million a year doesn't mean you don't have to work. Instead of looking at salaries of jobs why not look at the types of jobs? How many were labor jobs compared to thinking jobs?

I dont really rank jobs above or below each other, I dont care whether they are contributing with LABOR or THINKING,,its all a valuable contribution in my eyes

if a doctor has to work , they are not upper class in my opinion, because nine times out of ten that work is REQUIRED To sustain their wealth or income and the hours they work leave them very little time to ENJOY the income/wealth they acquire (I have close family that is a doctor and I KNOW how hard he works,, thats not UPPER CLASS to me)


the income isnt what makes the class, in my opinion, so much as the use and source of the income

Class Description...

The Super-Rich (est. 0.9%) Multi-millionaires whose incomes commonly exceed $350,000; includes celebrities and powerful executives/politicians. Ivy League education common.
The Rich (est. 5%) Households with net worth of $1 million or more; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees.
Middle Class (Majority; est. 46%) College educated workers with incomes considerably above-average incomes and compensation; a man making $57,000 and a woman making $40,000 may be typical.
Working Class (est. 40%-45%) Blue collar workers and those whose jobs are highly routinized with low economic security; a man making $40,000 and a woman making $26,000 may be typical. High school education.
The Poor (est. 12%) Those living below the poverty line with limited to no participation in the labor force; a household income of $18,000 may be typical. Some high school education.

thats another interesting perception

although I think education is not as big a factor as that perception indicates,,,since many many college educated folks are still in working class and amongst the poor

and many who barely got through high school go on to be rich and superrich or to inherit wealth from family or family connections

Who are the 'masters' Harmony, I'm curious...

Either way you look at the amount of jobs requiring a college degree is continuously rising. The average salary for a job with a college degree is in the middle class range. Thus the middle class must be increasing.

That's a very good point Chaz...and one that has not only been happening for decades, but in and of itself is changing in the respect that where once a BA was sufficient, now it takes a Masters to land the same job for the same money...

But things like education and social level play important roles. A high school dropout who lives in a trailer park and then wins the lottery isn't suddenly the upper class. He would have lots of money but he wouldn't really fit with high society. Yet Someone who Maybe didn't finish school but built his own business and is self educated and good people skills can find himself in that spot. It's a mix of income, education, and social status.

the 'masters' are those who control their 'slaves'

mentally, emotionally, and financially

the ones who set the political agendas, the one who set the cultural trends (through media), the ones who keep 'slaves' grateful to be working for them and maintaining their wealth,,,


the elitists who own media, politics, and who run the banks and corporations,,,,

Im not discussins SOCIAL class, Im speaking of class as it relates to economics

and ,economically, although education gives you one less thing to be discriminated against,

I dont believe it is playing the significant factor in economic 'class' that some believe it does

as I said, many people are going to school and getting degrees and working right along side the people who finished high school,,,,

its highly competitive and factors such as education probably really matter most in HIGH TECH positions

in other positions, education is just another way that people can be legally discriminated against

for a rare few , its what they know
for the majority, its WHO They know that can spin what they know for them

No to be rude, but in the working world, education does matter and it plays a significant, no a major role in securing a job in many, many more fields than technology...Teaching, finance, economics, child care, health care, engineering, advertising, business management, retail, food service, food preparation, commercial transportation, real estate development, and more...Education or lack of it is not used as a way to discriminate against anyone!!...For the MAJORITY it's what you know based on a combination of education and experience and how well you can demonstrate that knowledge, NOT WHO YOU KNOW...

Statistic even show the salary differences based on education. So Yea even if you look at strictly economical it matters. Oh and our versions are used be economists to doctor the class structures in the US. Just saying.

It's tied together...and always has been...

I never said education didnt 'matter', I said it doesnt play as significant a factor as other things

like networking, financial status, and 'experience'

there are people with no degree at all making more than scores of people who obtained an associates or bachelors in a field that is highly competitive or rarely needed


there are people who have that associates and the right REFERENCE Who are obtaining the job before those who have a bachelors but dont have as impressive a reference or personal connection(also labeled 'experience'),,,


the EDUCATION doesnt create the class,, the opportunities do

whether those opportunities arise from knowing the right people, or resources, or choosing the right degree amongst the MILLIONS offered which do close to nothing to actually increase ones chance to rise out of their financial class,,,

economists dont even all agree on the definitions,,just saying,,,

thats what you believe,,

I have been on the other end to know different,,,


WHO you know gets you into those doors, so others who know WHAT you know or more lose out,, and because of what you know COMBINED With who you know,, the door is opened and the opportunity becomes yours

education didnt make the opportunity NEARLY as much as the right resources and connections did,, IN MOST CASES,,,

Are you talking about a specific job skill in a specific industry, like entertainment for example?

nope


Im speaking the job network in general

since only 1 in 5 job openings are PUBLICLY Advertised, that means 4 out of 5 jobs filled are done so through KNOWING THE RIGHT PEOPLE


having a degree wont help if there is not much demand for it in that 20percent of published openings, but if you are NETWORKED with someone within that 80percent you have the OPPORTUNITY for a position that others outside the network do not

likewise if you have access to that 4 out of 5 openings because of being in a network and knowing the right sources and resources, you can also be more likely to find loopholes around 'education' specifically,, like the right 'experience' or the right references,,,

The vast majority of land in the West is socialized. The monetary system is socialized. Not surprisingly, the right-wingers who like to ***** and moan about it now helped bring it about; especially the neo-conservative Right.