Upper middle class
The upper middle class is a sub-label sometimes applied by sociologists to the social group of wealthier or more privileged members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term lower middle class used for the group at the other end of the middle class scale and regular middle class. There is considerable debate as to how the upper middle class might be defined. According to Max Weber the Upper middle class consist of well educated professionals with graduate degrees and comfortable income.
The American upper middle class is defined similarly using income, education and occupation as main indicators.[1] In the US the upper middle class is defined as mostly consisting of white collar professionals who not only have above average personal incomes and advanced educational degrees[1] but also high degree of autonomy in their work, leading to higher job statisfaction.[2] The main occupational tasks of upper middle class individuals tend to center around conceptualizing, consulting, and instruction.[3]
Professions
Certain professions can be judged as "upper middle class" though any such measurement remains somewhat subjective due to people's differing perception of class. Most people in the upper-middle class strata are highly educated white collar professionals such as physicians, lawyers, accountants, university professors, architects, scientists, engineers, writers, some artists, high-level civil servants and the intelligentsia or "chattering classes" of a society in general. Other common professions include corporate executive and business owner. Generally, people in these professions have an advanced post-secondary education and a comfortable standard of living.[1]
Values
Most people from this station in life have an enormously high regard for higher education, and probably more than any other socio-economic class strive for their children and themselves to obtain graduate or at least four year degrees. This emphasis placed on education should not come as a surprise considering that most people in the upper middle class are professionals who often hold graduate degrees.
They place a high value on foreign travel, the arts, and high culture in general. This value also binds into the emphasis placed on education as foreign travel increases a peoples' understanding of other cultures and helps them create a global perspective.
The majority regard themselves as liberal on social issues (such as feminism and gay rights), but some are conservative when it comes to financial matters (such as unionisation and social security), in other words they are libertarian. This is the reverse of how working class people often view the world, which explains why these two groups clash more than the lower middle class and the working class.
Education plays a major role in determining tastes and ideologies in this class. A graduate degree, and often even more higher education, is a prerequisite to work in one of the traditional "professions" and as a result this segment of the upper middle class is generally more liberal in their political ideologies and more urbane in their tastes. Corporate members of the upper middle class, on the other hand, may have a less advanced higher education (they may have worked their way up to their current social station from an entry-level corporate position). It should be noted, however, that some business persons do have advanced post-secondary education, most notably those with MBAs. Furthermore in some cases professionals such as chemists, physcologists or economists may be employed by private businesses and have managerial duties aside from their professional research duties.
The Upper Middle Class are usually also the group that shape society and bring social movements to the forefront. Movements such as the Peace Movement, The Anti-Nuclear Movement, Environmentalism, the Anti-Smoking movement, and even in the past with Blue Laws and the Temperance movement are all products of the upper middle class. Some claim this is because this is the largest class (and the lowest class) with any true political power for positive change, while others claim some of the more restrictive social movements (such as with smoking and drinking) are based upon "saving people from themselves."[3]
United Kingdom upper middle class
This is a very specific class in England and is, in many respects, peculiar to England as its characteristics do not fit easily into the social gradations of the other constituent nations of the United Kingdom.
In England this class of people is less easily defined, and personal wealth is not a necessary criterion. Frequently its members are members of professions (traditionally academia, law and medicine), although merchants too were able to penetrate its ranks. However, being a member of a profession does not automatically elevate a person to this class, and it is quite common for an upper middle class person not to work in a traditional profession.
Instead, accent, language, education (usually at a good public school), family background and understatement, in both behavior and taste, are defining characteristics of the upper middles. Although not of the landowning class, its members may aspire to the characteristics of, or be described as, gentlemen.
The character of Charles Ryder in Evelyn Waugh's novel, Brideshead Revisited is a fine example of an early twentieth-century upper middle class Englishman. His language, accent and manners are similar to an aristocrat's, but in place of the aristocrat's self-assuredness there is an air of slight uncertainty and diffidence. A more modern day example is Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral, played by Hugh Grant.
American upper middle class
See American Professional/Managerial middle class for a complete overview of the American middle classes.
In the United States the term middle class and its subdivisions are an extremely vague concept as neither economists nor sociologists have ever accurately defined the term.[4] There are several perceptions of the upper middle class and what the term means. Recent publications and studies have shown that the statistical middle class cannot actually afford the lifestyle indicative of the middle class. Considering these recent economic trends and findings one might come to the conclusion that the upper middle class consists of those households able to afford a quite comfortable lifestyle.[5] The terms is most commonly used in reference to the professionals and managers with above middle incomes, also called the professional and managerial middle class. Upper middle class individuals, who tend to almost exclusively be white collar professionals, commonly hold advanced educational degrees[1] and enjoy a high degree of autonomy in their work which often centers around the task of conceptualization.[3]
In additional to having large amounts of autonomy in their self-directed work, above average incomes, and advanced educations, the upper middle class also tends to be very influential setting many of society's trend and largely shaping public opinion.[3] Overall members of this class are also secure from economic down-turns and unlike their counterparts in the statistical middle class do not need to fear downsizing, corporate cost-cutting, or outsourcing. An economic benefit that can largely be attributed to the graduate degrees and comfortable incomes, likely in the top income quintile or top third.[1] Typical professions for this class include: Professors,Accountants, Architects, Engineers, Economists, Political Scientists, Physicians and Lawyers.[3][6][7]
Income
While many Americans see income as the prime determinant of class, occupational status and educational attainment are equally as important. One needs to remember that income is merely a result of class status and is determined by the scarcity of certain skill sets.[1] As a result an occupation that requires a scarce skill, the attainment of which is often documented through an educational degree, and entrusts its occupant with a high degree of influence will feature high economic compensation. The high income is meant to ensure that individuals obtain the neccesary skills (e.g. medical or graduate school) and complete their tasks with the neccessary valor.[8] One must also consider the differences between household and individual income. In 2005, 42% of US households (76% among the top quintile) had two or more income earners; as a result, 18% of households but only 5% of individuals had six figure incomes.[9] Today, two nurses, each making $55,000 each, can easily outearn a single attorney who makes the median of $95,000 annually.[10][11]
| Data | Top third | Top quarter | Top quintile | Top 15% | Top 10% | Top 5% | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income[12] | |||||||||
| Lower threshold (annual gross income) | $65,000 | $80,000 | $91,705 | $100,000 | $118,200 | $166,200 | |||
| Exact Percentage of households | 34.72% | 25.60% | 20.00% | 17.80% | 10.00% | 5.00% | |||
| Personal income (age 25+)[13] | |||||||||
| Lower threshold (annual gross income) | $37,500 | $47,500 | $52,500 | $62,500 | $75,000 | $100,000 | |||
| Exact Percentage of individuals | 33.55% | 24.03% | 19.74 | 14.47% | 10.29% | 5.63% | |||
SOURCE: US Census Bureau, 2006[13][12]
See also
=US-specific
- Affluence in the United States
- American middle class
- Educational attainment in the United States
- Household income in the United States
- Personal income in the United States
- Six figure income
- Social structure of the United States
References
- ^ a b c d e f Thompson, William (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. 0-205-41365-X.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Society in Focus" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 0-313-26111-3.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) Cite error: The named reference "The Inner Life of the Middle Class" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy". Retrieved 2006-07-25.
- ^ "Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle". Retrieved 2006-07-25.
- ^ "Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor". Retrieved 2006-07-26.
- ^ Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Levine, Rhonda (1998). Social Class and Stratification. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 0-8476-8543-8.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "US Census Bureau, income quintile and top 5% [[Household income in the United States|household income distribution]] and demographic characteristics, 2006".
{{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help); Unknown parameter|acessdate=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "US Department of Labor, median income of registered nurses". Retrieved 2007-01-02.
- ^ "Bureau of Labor statistics data published by Monster.com, 20 highest paying jobs". Retrieved 2006-12-27.
- ^ a b "US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006". Retrieved 2006-12-28.
- ^ a b "US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006". Retrieved 2006-12-28.
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