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Image:DSC07505.JPG The American middle class is a term whose definition is especially vague.<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref><ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> There are several ideological and economic theories attempting to define the concept that is the middle class. One may define the middle class as consisting of all those who are neither "poor" nor "rich" or one may define the middle class as being a relative elite of professionals and managers, defined by lifestyle and influence. Both theories vary in exactly how many individuals and households they identify as middle class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> Alongside with differing definitions of the middle class, comes a considerable amount of diversity among the defining features of middle class. Typical occupations, influence as well as income and wealth of middle class households vary with the chosen ideology, thus further complicating any attempts at defining the middle class. At all times, should one keep in mind that the concept of class in the United States is highly subjective and consists of many sociological and economic concepts which may contradict each other.<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

Current surveys results indicate that the vast majority of Americans consider themselves to be members of the middle class;<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> thus indicating that the term middle class is often used to describe those at neither end of the socio-economic strata.<ref name="The Drum Major Institute with one perspective on the middle class">The Drum Major Institute with one perspective on the middle class. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.</ref> The problem that arises from the three class system in which the middle class constitutes the majority of the population is that the vast economic and cultural fragmentation among those in the extended middle of the social strata is ignored. The term middle class may thus be applied to a professional in the top quintile of society as well as a worker in the mid quintile, rendering the term uselessly vague.<ref name="Christian Science Monitor on What is Middle Class">Christian Science Monitor on What is Middle Class. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.</ref> Despite the vast economic and social differences, both persons can be identified as being "Middle class." In response to rising awareness of the inequities among middle class individuals, the American middle class is often divided into three sub-sets. The more financially better compensated, higher educated members of the middle class who may derive a certain degree of prestige from their occupations are commonly classified as being "Upper middle class." Workers who are most commonly not professionals and whose financial compensation is closer to the middle of the income strata may identified as middle-middle class, while those who fall below the average may be identified as being "Lower middle class."<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref>

"Everyone wants to believe they are middle class... But this eagerness... has led the definition to be stretched like a bungee cord - used to defend/attack/describe everything... Ah yes, there's a group of people bound to run into each other while house-hunting." -Dante Chinni, The Christian Science Monitor. 2005.

As mentioned above another theory attempting to define the vague intellectual concept that is the middle class, states that only professionals and those who would otherwise be considered upper middle class are actually middle class. According to this theory the vast majority of Americans are identified as being working class while the middle class is seen as a modern petite bourgeoisie.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> Today many experts and writers state that the middle class or at least those with lifestyles indicative of the American middle class constitutes only a minority of the population,<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref><ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> and is in terms of privilege and influence closer to the top of society than the bottom or the working class majority. In this case the middle class consists of professionals who are largely paid to conceptualize, create, and manage and therefore have some degree of influence of the workings of society and their organizations.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> These professionals usually have incomes that rank considerable above the average wage and have had the benefit of an advanced post-secondary education, which also entitles them to a high degree of economic security.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> This theory defines the middle class as being in the middle between the top and the working class majority in terms of power, education, and wealth. Recent studies indicating that the actual middle of the income strata cannot afford the lifestyle indicative of the middle class has lend support to the notion of the middle class as a quasi-elite.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

Contents 1 Definitions 1.1 The Professional/Managerial middle class 1.2 Education and income 1.3 Working class majority 1.4 Statistical middle class 1.5 Weberian definition 1.6 Class at a glance 2 Income distribution 2.1 Double income controversy 2.2 Income at a glance 3 Influence 4 Defining attributes 4.1 Typical occupations 4.2 Consumption 4.3 Education 5 Middle class squeeze 6 Subdividing of the middle class 6.1 Paul Fussel 7 See also 7.1 US related articles 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Definitions

Image:American Society.jpg The two most common definitions of the middle class are either an economically and culturally highly fragmented group including all those who are neither rich nor poor or that of those individuals with the lifestyle associated with the term middle class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> According to this definition the modern middle class if defined as the center of society would be a group so culturally and economically diverse the term middle class would be rendered useless,<ref name="US Census Bureau, income quintilea and Top 5 Percent, 2004">US Census Bureau, income quintilea and Top 5 Percent, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.</ref><ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref><ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> including clerical and blue color workers as well as professionals and management in the same class. Thus the group containing professionals and management, which renowned author and social critic Barbara Ehrenreich dubbed the "Professional middle class," is the definition most commonly used by sociologist and political analysts when using lifestyle to define the term middle class. The professional middle class or true middle class is also the class most commonly addressed by the media and general public when using the term, "middle class."<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> Another theory to deal with the fuzzy nature of the great undefined middle class is to subdivide it into three categories.<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> The subcategories are the upper middle, which is interchangeable with the term professional middle class, the middle and lower middle class, which is the same as the working class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> In modern day America an economic drift, also referred to as the "Middle class squeeze" has been creating a clearer distinction between the better off professional middle class and those in the actual center of the wealth spectrum who are now fearing cost-cutting, outsourcing related lay-offs.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref><ref name="Washington Post on the Middle class squeeze">Washington Post on the Middle class squeeze. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

[edit] The Professional/Managerial middle class

The professional middle class, as defined by lifestyle, also often referred to as the upper middle class,<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> most of whom are well-paid salaried employees, who enjoy a great deal of autonomy in their work<ref name="Occupation and Class Consciousness in America">Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 0-313-26111-3.</ref> and hold college, often graduate degrees, and earn salaries considerably above the national median.<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income by education">US Census Bureau, personal income by education. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref> While this class is also sometimes referred to as the upper middle class it should be noted that its members do not possess the same wealth or income as those of the top 5%. The educational attainment among the members of this class is perhaps its most important defining feature, as it lends the professional middle class its immunity against economic downturns, above-average lifestyle and also serves as the main entrance barrier into this class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> This class, partially due its occupations does have a great influence on American society and is often seen as social standard despite its relatively small size.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> In terms of financial wealth and income the professional middle class fits in the top third, deducting the top 5% of American society.<ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref>

Overall households in this group had incomes that were above the average, mostly in the top quintile of society. Many of the professions which require a four-year college degree and whose members commonly have a graduate degree feature median salaries above the median income for a two-income household. In other words many professions feature salaries above $67,348, which was the median household income for a household with two income earners in 2003.<ref name="List of Professions and their attributes, US Departement of Labor">List of Professions and their attributes, US Departement of Labor. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref><ref name="Median household income by size of household, US Census Bureau">Median household income by size of household, US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref> For example, the median salary for economists was $72,780, meaning that the majority of economists outearn the majority of two-income households with their single salary alone.<ref name="Income of economists, US Department of Labor">Income of economists, US Departement of Labor. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref> Overall the median household income of a household whose householder had a Bachelor's degree or higher $77,179. The median household income for those with Master's degree was $81,023, while those with a Doctorate or Professionals degree had a median income above $100,000 annually.<ref name="Household income according to the educational attainment of householder">Household income according to the educational attainment of householder. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref>

[edit] Education and income

Educational attainment is one of the most prominent determinants of class status. As educational attainment represents expertise, which is a necessary component of the capitalistic market system, its ownership may be seen as the ownership of one of the factors of production.<ref name="Occupation and Class Consciousness in America">Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 0-313-26111-3.</ref> In other words, those with advanced degrees already own one of the essential buttresses of the economy: expertise. Additionally educational attainment is basis for occupational selection. Those with higher educational attainment tend to be positioned in occupations with greater autonomy, influence over the organizational process, and better financial compensation. While economic compensation is merely the result of scarcity, educational attainment may be related to that very economic principle as well. The attainment of a graduate degree represent the acquisition of expertise, a factor of production, that in itself may be scarce; thus leading to better financial compensation for the owner.<ref name="Occupation and Class Consciousness in America">Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 0-313-26111-3.</ref> As stated above the upper middle class features a strong reliance on educational attainment (the ownership of expertise) for much of its social and economic well-being.<ref name="Household income according to the educational attainment of householder">Household income according to the educational attainment of householder. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref><ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref><ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> The following chart further explains the strong correlation between educational attainment and personal as well as household income.<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income by education">US Census Bureau, personal income by education. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref>

Criteria		Overall	Less than 9th grade	High school drop-out	High school graduate	Some college	Associates degree	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree or more	Master's degree	Professional degree	Doctorate degree
Median individual income	Male, age 25+	$33,517	$15,461	$18,990	$28,763	$35,073	$39,015	$50,916	$55,751	$61,698	$88,530	$73,853
	Female, age 25+	$19,679	$9,296	$10,786	$15,962	$21,007	$24,808	$31,309	$35,125	$41,334	$48,536	$53,003
Median household income		$45,016	$18,787	$22,718	$36,835	$45,854	$51,970	$68,728	$73,446	$78,541	$100,000	$96,830

SOURCE: US Census Bureau, 2003<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income by education">US Census Bureau, personal income by education. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref>

[edit] Working class majority

Image:Income Strata 2005.jpg According to some, the majority of Americans may also be correctly be referred to as being members of the working class.<ref name="The American Perception of Class">Vanneman, Reeve, Lynn Weber Cannon (1988). The American Perception of Class. New York, NY: Temple University Press. 0877225931.</ref> This use of term "Working class" is largely applicable if the nature of work becomes the main determinant of social class. After all, social class is the distribution of individuals among positions within society whose influence and importance differs. Thus the nature of a person's work and the associated degrees of influence, responsibility, and complexity determine, to a large degree, a person's social class. The more influence, responsibility a person has and the more complex his or her work, the higher his or her status in society.<ref name="Social Class and Stratification">Levine, Rhonda (1998). Social Class and Stratification. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 0-8476-8543-8.</ref> As qualified personnel for relatively important, responsible, and complex occupations is scarce, income increases as well, following the economic principle of scarcity resulting in value. According to this approach, occupation becomes more essential in determining class than income.<ref name="Social Class and Stratification">Levine, Rhonda (1998). Social Class and Stratification. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 0-8476-8543-8.</ref> Whereas professionals tend to create, conceptualize, consult and instruct, most Americans do not enjoy a high degree of independence in their work as they merely follow set instructions.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref><ref name="The American Perception of Class">Vanneman, Reeve, Lynn Weber Cannon (1988). The American Perception of Class. New York, NY: Temple University Press. 0877225931.</ref> Of course many of these, working class workers, are most commonly, due to their income called middle-middle or statistical middle class.

It is the nature of their work and lack of influence that leads some to come to the conclusion that most Americans are working class. The majority of workers are not paid to share their thoughts and ideas as much as professionals. The are commonly closely supervised and do not enjoy a great deals of independence on their job. They are also not commonly paid to think and their thoughts are not often sought by their employer organization or a client which leads to a lack of influence. A dentists office, offers itself as an example.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> In May 2004, dentists had a median income of $129,920, indicating a high degree of scarcity for qualified personnel. The opinion and thoughts of dentists, much like those of other professionals, are sought after by their organization and clients. The Dentist creates a diagnosis, consults the patient, and conceptualizes a treatment.<ref name="Income and nature of work of dentists">Income and nature of work of dentists.</ref> Dental hygienists made roughly $28 an hour, about $56,000 annually or $36,000 as many do not work forty hours a week. Unlike the dentist, dental hygienists do not have much influence over the treatment of the patient.<ref name="Income and nature of work of dental hygienists">Income and nature of work of dental hygenists.</ref> They merely carry out routine procedures and follow the dentists' instructions. As result dental hygienists may be referred to as being working class, even though two successful dental hygienists could outearn one dentist. Similar relationships can be observed in other occupations, such as between professors, journalists, economists and their researchers.

[edit] Statistical middle class

The statistical middle class is a term encompassing all those individuals who might at one point or another be identified as middle class, as they are neither extreme of the socio-economic strata. The term can also be used to describe those at the actual center of the income strata, who may also be referred to as the middle-middle class. There many different theories on the middle-middle class. The middle-middle class may be composed of those households with an annual income of 80% to 120% of the national median household income. Persons in this income range could be, in accordance to solely economic reasoning be referred to as the American average. Such households would boast annual incomes ranging from $35,200 to $52,800, and thus be located in the middle of the income range.<ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> Such households, while actually being in the middle and thus sometimes referred to as being middle class, cannot, however, afford the middle class lifestyle.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> Yet another definition states that the statistical middle class includes all those households with income ranging from $25,000 to $100,000.<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> This is however a very vague definition as it includes persons from all but the lowest quintile. Using this definition creates a class so economically fragmented that it would lump together those who are struggling to make ends meet with two incomes and those who are able to live the iconic middle class lifestyle with just one income and are highly educated.

[edit] Weberian definition

Some modern theories of political economy consider a large middle class to be a beneficial, stabilizing influence on society, because it has neither the possibly explosive revolutionary tendencies of the lower class, nor the absolutist tendencies of an entrenched upper class. Most sociological definitions of middle class follow Max Weber. Here the middle class is defined by a constituting of professionals or business owners; by a shared culture of domesticity and sub-urbanity; and by a level of relative security against social crisis in the form of socially desired skill or wealth. Thus the theory on the middle class by Max Weber can be cited as one that supports the notion of the middle class being composed of a quasi-elite of professionals and managers, who are largely immune to economic down turns and trends such as out-sourcing which affect the statistical middle class.<ref name="Washington Post on the Middle class squeeze">Washington Post on the Middle class squeeze. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

[edit] Class at a glance

Image:America Class.jpg

[edit] Income distribution

While there is no one coherent definition of middle class and the incomes of those to whom the term is applied will likely vary depending on how one defines middle class, certain income trends may be helpful. Depending on whether the middle class is defined as consisting of professionals or of those in the middle of the income strata the following income trend may or may not be helpful in determining what is middle class. In 2004, the middle fifty percent of households had annual gross incomes between $22,500 and $75,000. The top quarter (26.8%) of households earned more than $75,000 while the bottom quarter earned (25.24%) earned less than $22,500 annually.<ref name="US Census Bureau, overall income distribution among households">US Census Bureau, overall income distribution among households. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.</ref> Overall the median personal income of a male, age 25 or older was $33,517, while that for a female was $19,679. The median income for a similar male with a college degree was $55,751; $73,853 for those with a PhD.<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution by educational attainment and gender">US Census Bureau, personal income distribution by educational attainment and gender. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.</ref> The median household income for a household with two income earners was $67,348, roughly twice the overall median personal income of an American male over the age of 25. The overall median household income in the country was $43,318.<ref name="US Census Bureau, Income distribution by the number of income earners">US Census Bureau, Income distribution by the number of income earners. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.</ref>

[edit] Double income controversy

Image:Distribution of Two income plus households.jpg Income is one of the most commonly used attributes of a household to determine its class status. The relationship between income, which mostly arises from the scarcity of a certain skill, and class status may, however, prove to be more complex than initially perceived.<ref name="Social Class and Stratification">Levine, Rhonda (1998). Social Class and Stratification. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 0-8476-8543-8.</ref> While the idea is that income reflects status by reflecting educational attainment and occupation, household income may just be the product of two or more incomes combined. In 2005, 42% of all American households had two income earners. The vast majority of households in the top quintile had two or more income earners. This means that most households with an annual gross income of over $88,000 annually would not boast such incomes if it were not for them having two income earners. As a result the perceived affluence of many households is merely the result of the combination of two incomes.<ref name="US Census Bureau, Income earners by quintile">US Census Bureau, Income earners by quintile. Retrieved on 2006-10-25.</ref>Therefore, the question of whether or not the combination of incomes results in higher social status arises. Of course, there is no definite answer as class is a vague sociological concept.<ref name="Society in Focus">Thompson, William, Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. 0-205-41365-X.</ref> For example, according to the US Department of Labor, two registered nurses could quite easily command a household income of $126,000 annually,<ref name="US Department of Labor, Median income of registered nurses">US Department of Labor, registered nurses. Retrieved on 2006-10-25.</ref> while the median income for a lawyer was $94,930.<ref name="US Department of Labor, Median income of lawyers">US Department of Labor, Median income of lawyers. Retrieved on 2006-10-25.</ref> Thus, a household consisting of two nurses could quite possibly outearn a household with one attorney as income earner. The question of whether or not the two nurses actually achieve the same status level as the lawyer remains unanswered. The combination of two or more incomes, allow for households to increase their income substantially without moving higher on the occupational latter or attaining higher educational degrees. Thus it is important to remember that the seemingly favorable economic position of households in the top two quintiles is in most cases merely the result of two or more combined incomes.<ref name="US Census Bureau, Income earners by quintile">US Census Bureau, Income earners by quintile. Retrieved on 2006-10-25.</ref>

[edit] Income at a glance

[edit] Influence

Even though Alan Greenspan was a member of America's top 5%, economists are mostly members of the professional middle class. Economists like many other members of the professional middle class enjoy a large amount of autonomy in their work with their counsel and ideas guiding the economic policy and strategy of both, private companies as well as that of government agencies such as the Federal Reserve.

The influence of the middle class depends on which theory one utilizes. If the middle class is defined as a modern bourgeoisie, the "middle class" has great influence. If middle class is used in a manner that it includes all persons who are at neither extreme of the social strata, it might still be influential as such definition may include the "professional middle class" which is then commonly referred to as the "upper middle class." Despite the fact that the professional (upper) middle class is a privileged minority, the professional middle class is the perhaps the most influential class in the United States.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref>

"Most ideas that find their way into the cultural mainstream... are crafted by a relative elite: people who are well educated, reasonably well-paid, and who overlap, socially and through family ties, with at least the middling levels of the business community—in short, the professional middle class." -Barbara Ehrenreich

Several reasons can be cited as to why the professional middle class is so influential. One is that journalists, commentators, writers, professors, economists and political scientists, who are essential in shaping public opinion, are almost exclusively members of the professional middle class. Considering the overwhelming presence of professional middle class persons in post secondary education, another essential instrument in regards to shaping public opinion, it should come as no surprise that the lifestyle exclusive to this quasi-elite has become indicative of the American mainstream itself. In addition to setting trends, the professional middle class also holds occupations which include managerial duties, meaning that middle class professionals spend much of their work-life directing others and conceptualizing the workday for the average worker.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> Yet another reason is the economic cloud generated by this class. In 2005, according to US Census statistics, the top third of society, excluding the top 5% controlled the largest share of income in the United States.<ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> Although some in the statistical middle class, (for example, police officers and fire fighters in the more affluent suburbs in the San Francisco Bay Area) may have lifestyle as comfortable as those found among the ranks of the professional middle class, only few have the same degree of autonomy and influence over society as those in the professional middle class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> Other white collar members of the statistical middle class may not only be unable to afford the middle class lifestyle<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> but also lack the influence found in the professional middle class.<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref>

[edit] Defining attributes

Image:Campus Spring.jpg Identifying those attributes that are indicative of the middle class is again a difficult endeavor, as one is either forced to define the middle class by the means of lifestyle or using the statistical middle. As the term "middle class" is commonly associated with the professional middle class instead of the statistical middle, one is well advised to look at this particular group. In the United States, class overall is largely defined through income, occupation, and educational attainment. Households in the Professional and Managerial middle class have a relatively wide range of income, ranging from modest incomes for some educators to very high incomes for physicians and lawyers, who may also very well be members of the top 5%. A common attribute is that members of this class have a large amount of autonomy in their work, which tends to be largely self-directed and often includes managerial duties.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> While some more affluent members of this class such as physicians, attorneys and psycho-therapists may be self-employed, most members of this class are salaried employees of large organizations. Due to their nature of work however, the opinions, thoughts and ideas of this class' members are influential and are essential to directing the way in which their organization, be it a small consulting firm or the federal government, functions. Yet another difference between the professional middle class and the white collar worker in the statistical middle class is the education of professional middle class persons who most likely possess graduate degrees. Education among members of this class is likely to continue life-long as many professionals and managers publish essays in their professional journals and attend seminars and workshops. The life-long learning is necessary for professionals and managers as their work often includes directing others and visualizing new ideas and concepts.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref>

As for the statistical middle class, the defining attributes vary with each person's perception of middle class. While the statistical middle class, if defined loosely enough, would include the professional middle class, large parts of it could not afford the lifestyle indicative of the middle class.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> Homeownership, the sufficient economic means to afford necessities such as health care including regular dental visits, and some luxuries such as one motor vehicle per licensed driver. While more severe problems such as overcrowding are rare among the statistical middle (80% to 120% of the median), its relatively low educational attainment causes it to be very prone to fluctuations in the economy. Overall job security tends to be relatively low, with the average American changing jobs roughly every two years. Most households in the statistical middle rely on two incomes in order to make ends meet and cannot bear to lose even one income for an extended period of time.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

[edit] Typical occupations

Image:Salinas Office.jpg Note that according to the many different ways of sub-diving the middle class, some of the occupations indicative of the professional middle class might be categorized as upper-middle, true middle, or middle-middle. It is important to remember that there is no accurate economic or sociological definition of what is middle class.<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

As mentioned above typical occupations for members of the middle class are those identified as being part of "The professions" and often include managerial duties as well with all being white collar. There is great diversity among the occupations found among those living the middle class lifestyle and the appropriateness of some occupations being placed on this will depend on each individual’s different outlook. The following is a list of occupations one might expect to find among this class:<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref><ref name="Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor">Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.</ref> Professors (Post-secondary educators), Journalists, Writers, Engineers, Mid-level corporate managers, Architects, Economists, Political Scientists, Physicians, Lawyers, Urban planners, High-school teachers, Financial managers and analysts, etc... Autonomy is often seen as one of the greatest measurement of person's class status. Even though some working class employees might also enjoy largely self-directed work, large degrees of autonomy in the work place as well as influence over the organizational process, which are commonly the results of obtained expertise, can still be seen as hallmarks of upper middle class or professional middle class professions.<ref name="Occupation and Class Consciousness in America">Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 0-313-26111-3.</ref>

As for the statistical middle class other less prestigious occupations such as real estate agents, many less-paid sales positions, entry-level management, higher paying blue collar, etc... would be part of the statistical middle class. <ref name="New York Times, guidelines for determining class in America">New York Times, guidelines for determining class in America. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.</ref> In addition to professionals whose work is largely self-directed and includes managerial duties, many other less privileged members of the statistical middle class would find themselves in white collar positions without much influence and with somewhat strict supervision. Many of those in statistical middle class might work in what are called the professional support fields. These fields include occupations such as researchers, dental hygienists, and other clerical work. While the majority of the statistical middle class would have at least some form of college-degree, especially when counting the members of the professional middle class, many would have no degree. As stated above a large proportion of jobs in the statistical middle class, outside of the professions and management would feature relatively low job security. Families often to rely on two incomes to make ends meet.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>

[edit] Consumption

Image:DSC06601.JPG The American middle class, at least those living the lifestyle, has become known around the world for conspicuous consumption. To this day, the professional middle class in the United States holds the world record for having the largest homes, most appliances and automobiles. In 2005 the average new home had a square footage of 2,434 square feet (roughly 243 square meters) with 58% of these homes having ceilings with a height in excess of nine feet on the first floor. As new homes only represent a small portion of the housing stock in the US, with most suburban homes having been built in the 1970s when the average square footage was only a mere 1,600,<ref name="Realty Times, the increasing size of American homes">Realty Times, the increasing size of American homes. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.</ref> it is fair to assume that these large new suburban homes will be inhabited by members of the professional middle class. Overall many social critics and intellectuals, most of whom are members of the professional middle class themselves, have commented on the extravagant consumption habits of the professional middle class. It is also often pointed out that the suburban lifestyle of American professional middle class is a major reason for its record consumption. Many members of this class have feared that this consumption will lead to a gradual erosion of moral and ethical values. The increasing materialism, even among such a highly-educated class, is also often claimed to be connected to the notion of rugged individualism which gained popularity among the ranks of the professional middle class in the 1970s and 80s.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref><ref name="Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor">Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.</ref>

[edit] Education

The relevance of education in regards to defining the middle class depends largely on whether one is looking at the statistical middle or just the professional middle class. As the statistical middle class is an extremely vague concept lumping together professionals such as professors and political scientists who hold doctorate degrees with clerical workers who may or may not hold a four-year college degree, the importance and prevalence of higher education varies. Overall persons with four-year college degrees made up a sizable minority of the statistical middle class while the majority had attended college.<ref name="US Census Bureau, Educational attainment in the United States, 2000 Census">US Census Bureau, Educational attainment in the United States, 2000 Census. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.</ref> Only a small minority had graduate degrees. This contradicts greatly to the role education plays among the professional middle class. Here education is one of the dearest core values with institutions of higher education being a rite of passage for professional middle class youth. Earning a college degree also represents the main entrance hurdle faced by those wishing to rise up into the professional middle class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> As one might imagine a large percentage of professionals and managers have graduate degrees, spending six to eight years in post-secondary education.

[edit] Middle class squeeze

In the 1990s and 2000s, many feared that the spreading wealth gap would lead to a "collapse of the middle" in American society. A modern threat to the statistical middle class is downsizing in many sectors of the American economy, competition from lower-paid foreign workers and contractors, and the systematic elimination of unionized labor. The scenario most commonly reordered currently by the country's top news publications is that the statistical middle is splitting into two, a well-off, high-income middle class -the professional middle class- and a lower-income middle class. The high-income middle class is commonly defined as those out-earning those at the center of society. A change in the income distribution of American cities may serve as an example of the statistical middle class splitting into the well-paid professional and managerial middle class and the statistical middle of society.<ref name="Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods">Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> In recent years many American cities with home prices near the national median have seen their middle income neighborhoods, those in which the median income is between 80% and 120% of the metropolitan median income, dissolve with the more affluent members of the professional middle class leaving for newer developments in more exclusive suburbs.<ref name="Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods">Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> In more expensive areas such as in California and Hawaii, many former middle income neighborhoods have now become upper-middle professional middle class neighborhoods with the statistical middle class and those below the median being displaced. Thus many American cities have become more segregated between the professional and managerial middle class living the iconic middle class lifestyle and the statistical middle of American society which has either been displaced or left behind in the former statistical middle income neighborhoods.<ref name="Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods">Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> This middle class squeeze has made the divide between the statistical middle, those who are neither rich nor poor, and the professional middle class starker as the median income has overall decreased despite an increase among the top two quintiles.<ref name="Washington Post, Income gap widens">Washington Post, Income gap widenes. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.</ref>

[edit] Subdividing of the middle class

Image:NYTimes Class.jpg Image:LM housing.JPG As the vast majority of persons in the industrialized world and especially in the United States are identifying themselves as middle class, sociologists have noticed there are many significant differences among persons identifying as being "middle class" with the statistical middle class not actually being able to afford the middle class lifestyle.<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> In contrast to the ideology which states that the middle class is only a small minority (counting only those living the middle class lifestyle),<ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref>, there are those who define use the statistical middle class, those who constitute the center of society. This class, partially due its occupations does have a great influence on American society and is often seen as social standard despite its relatively small size.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> there is also an ideology according to which the middle class is indeed a majority, but a divided one. Here the term middle class is applied to all those in between the extremes of wealth and poverty.<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> In order to deal with the severe resulting fragmentation Sociologist have divided the middle class into several sub-groups. These vast differences range from wealth, income, and occupational prestige, to educational attainment.<ref name="US Census Bureau, income quintilea and Top 5 Percent, 2004">US Census Bureau, income quintilea and Top 5 Percent, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.</ref>

According to economic surveys, such as the 2004 US Census Economic Survey in the United States, there are many significantly different degrees of wealth and educational attainment among the members of the statistical middle class,<ref name="US Census Bureau, income quintilea and Top 5 Percent, 2004">US Census Bureau, income quintilea and Top 5 Percent, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.</ref> those earning $25,000 to $95,000 annually. At the bottom of the middle class, one may find persons who have some college education and no degree, or only have an AA and whose household income lies in the $30k-$40k/year range. At the upper end of the middle class one may find highly educated professionals such as physicians, lawyers, architects and engineers who hold graduate degrees, PhDs and professional degrees, and whose household income may very well exceed $100k/year.

The most common subdivision states that there are three middle classes as follows:<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> It should be noted that there are no clear guidelines for the below categorization and that the edges of each sub-group are extremely "fuzzy."<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref>

• Upper-middle class or Professional Middle class; Persons with a graduate degree, PhD., or professional degree, who are well-paid and are immune to economic downturns and other economic forces threatening the statistical middle class such as downsizing. This particular sub-group is also referred to as the professional and managerial middle class and is composed of those households whose lifestyle is the one most closely associated with the term "Middle class."<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.</ref> As recent studies and publications have shown that those living the middle class lifestyle are a relatively privileged minority, this class has become the iconic middle class with the security and affluence most Americans would expect to find in a middle class home.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> This group is also sometimes divided into the professional and managerial class according to taste preferences, with the former being more liberal and urban and the latter more conservative and suburban. It should be noted however that many persons in the professional or upper middle class fall into both categories as many professionals are also managers.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331.</ref> In the Weberian system this class is also divided into the true middle class and upper class as there is some economic fragmentation in this sub-class.
• Middle-middle class This sub-division constitutes the statistical middle of American society but is according to many recent publications not able to live the middle class lifestyle, especially as it is lacking economic security. Many families in this class need two incomes in order to make ends meet, living pay check to pay check. While it might be difficult to tell a middle class home from a professional middle class home the differences become clearer when directing one's attention to the type of vacations, decor of the home, and last but certainly not least, job security. The vast majority of persons in this class hold four year college degrees with some having AAs.
• Lower middle class or Working class; Persons with relatively low educational attainment including some college or even no college education at all. These persons usually occupy positions of low prestige and tend to be very susceptible to economic downturns. Examples of professions in this particular class include unionized blue collar workers, unionized custodians, entry-level retail managers, as well as some lesser-successful small business owners.

[edit] Paul Fussel

Yet another manner of subdividing the middle class is acknowledging the existence of a working or proletarian class.<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref> Here the proletarian classes are not actually part of the middle class but rather replace the "lower middle class" used in the more common system above. While financial assets, educational attainment, and income are commonly the main determinants of class in the US they become less important in the eyes of some authors such as Paul Fussell prefer to follow the system below in their writings. The following is yet another way of defining the middle classes:<ref name="Class, A Guide through the American status system">Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. 0-671-79225-3.</ref>

• Upper middle class, graduate degree holding professionals and mid to high level managements. Here these individuals might be as wealthy as members of the upper class but lack family history. This class features a high degree of economic fragmentation, ranging from college professors to the presidents of law firms which would according to income fit into the top 5%.
• Middle class, college educated, semi-professional and white collar workers including high-school teachers and military officers.
• High proletarian, some white collar workers and high-level blue collar workers such as Police Officers and registered nurses.
• Mid proletarian, usually no college education- perhaps an AA, secretaries, construction workers and clerical staff.
• Low proletarian, high school, or GED. Low-level blue collar workers such as garbage disposal workers, restaurant servers and cab drivers.

[edit] See also

Demographics of the United States <td style="vertical-align: middle; width: 1px" rowspan="2"> </td>

Demographics of the United States • Demographic history Economic - Social Educational attainment • Household income • Homeownership • Immigration • Income quintiles • Language • Middle classes • poverty • Religion • Social structure • Unemployment by state • Wealth Race - Ethnicity - Ancestry Race • Ethnicity on the US Census • Maps of American ancestries • 2000 Census • Race on the US Census • Racism Asian Americans • African Americans • Mexican Americans • Native Americans • Pacific Islander American White Americans • Caucasian Americans • European Americans • Middle Eastern Americans

• Household income in the United States
• American upper middle class
• Middle class
• Lower middle class
• Educational attainment in the United States
• Wealth in the United States
• Poverty in the United States
• Income quintiles
• Mass affluent in the United States
• Social structure of the United States
• Social class
• American dream

[edit] US related articles

History	Timeline ( Colonial Era | American Revolution | Westward Expansion | Civil War | World War I | Great Depression | World War II | Cold War | Vietnam War | Civil Rights) | Foreign relations | Military | Demographic and Postal history
Politics	Law ( Constitution and Bill of Rights | Declaration of Independence) | Political parties ( Democrats & Republicans) | Elections (Electoral College) | Political scandals | Political divisions | Red state vs. blue state divide
Government	Federal agencies | Legislative branch (Congress: House | Senate) Executive branch ( President & Vice-President | Cabinet | Attorney-General | Secretary of State) | Law enforcement ( FBI | Intelligence:CIA | DIA | NIMA | NRO | NSA) | Judicial branch ( Supreme Court) | Military ( Army | Navy | Marines | Air Force | Coast Guard )
Geography	Appalachian Mtns. | Rocky Mtns. | Grand Canyon | Great Plains | Midwest | The South | Mississippi River | New England | Mid-Atlantic | Northwest | Mountains | Valleys | Islands | Rivers | States | Cities | Counties | Regions | Extreme points | National Park System
Economy	Banking | Companies | Standard of living | U.S. Dollar | Wall Street | Household income | Homeownership | Poverty | Federal Reserve
Society	Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau | Languages | Religion | Social structure | Standard of living | Media | Education | Holidays | Folklore | Middle class | Educational attainment | Professional and working class conflict | Crime
Arts	Music ( Classical | Folk | Popular) | Film & TV (Hollywood) | Literature ( Poetry | Transcendentalism | Harlem Renaissance | Beat Generation) | Visual arts ( Abstract expressionism) | Cuisine | Dance | Architecture
Other	United States territory | Communications | Transportation ( Highways and Interstates | Railroads) | Uncle Sam | Flag | American Dream | Media | Education | Tourism | Social issues ( Immigration | Affirmative action | Racial profiling | Human rights | War on Drugs | Pornography | Same-sex marriage | Prisons | Capital punishment) | Anti-Americanism | American exceptionalism | American Folklore | American English | United States Mexico barrier | Passenger vehicle transport

[edit] References

<references />

Social stratification: Social class
Bourgeoisie	Upper class	Ruling class	Nobility	White-collar
Petite bourgeoisie	Upper middle class	Creative class	Gentry	Blue-collar
Proletariat	Middle class	Working class	Nouveau riche	Pink-collar
Lumpenproletariat	Lower middle class	Lower class	Old Money	Gold-collar
	Slave class	Underclass		Classlessness
Social class in the United States
Middle classes	Upper classes	Social structure	Income	Educational attainment

[edit] External links

• What's (Not) the Matter With the Middle Class?, The American Prospect
• Lou Dobbs discusses "The War on the Middle Class" on 10/17/2006
• A SUPERPOWER IN DECLINE: America's Middle Class Has Become Globalization's Loser by Gabor Steingart (spiegel online) October 24, 2006
• American Middle Class: Endangered Species by Pete Fisher (newmediajournal.us) March 1, 2006