I have to disagree with the comment that suggests that socio-economic status “by definition” involves the social status that results from the amount of money you have/earn. Status derives from both social and economic inputs. If you earn $120K a year driving a truck in Fort Mac, or selling dope, you’re *probably* working class, and *probably* have a cluster of behaviours that go with it: attitudes toward money/education/food/gender, accent, purchasing patterns, media choices, leisure time activities, number of books in the house, voting patterns… even favourite colours. On the other hand, if you earn $80K a year from investments and spend your spare time volunteering on museum boards, you probably have a very different cluster of behaviours. (Immigrants blur these distinctions a lot, which is what makes being in Canada so cool!)

Now, a logical response to my post might be, “Who cares? This is a site about making/saving money, not abstractly defined class.” This stuff does matter, though, if you’re interested in what makes people tick, why they make the choices they make. Class has a huge influence there.

Till then,

Jean

It might be a ‘grass is always greener’ thing, but I sometimes feel jealous of people who can walk around in bland homogonized cities but, when they need to, go back to their homes with their families and shared traditions and customs and feel like they actually belong to something.

THIS is the reason that I like learning about other cultures – because they invariably have more of that sense of culture and community than I ever have and it’s always great to see.

Personally although I was born and raised in Canada, I don’t feel like I belong to any socioeconomic class here. My parents arrived in Canada from a village in South Asia, but did not settle in a predominately South Asian or even immigrant area. So I grew up in a lily white/wasp neighborhood that was an odd mix of both the very wealthy and those living off of government assistance. Also my parents weren’t typical of either the professional class of immigrants nor the working class immigrants that arrived in Canada from South Asia, so we were oddballs even amongst those that you’d superficially consider our people. My father was educated but my mother had never gone to school and both came from a dirt poor rural upbringing and so had nothing in common with the professional class of scientists, doctors, etc. that came here and were largely from urban and middle class backgrounds in the home country. And with me growing up in Canada and almost always being the only immigrant and child of colour in the neighborhood, I had no frame of reference for what my socioeconomic class was. Economically we were middle class but socially we were cut off and my parents ties were to their extended family in the home country who lived in a totally different world than we did (literally back then, a village with no running water, electricity, etc.) where most of their generation had never been to school or could read/write. So what do I measure myself against? My friends and collegues here whose culture is completely alien to mine at home or my cousins back in the home country who are herding goats?

I’m an engineer to make ends meet but it’s nothing I’m proud about like that, and I don’t think it says much about me. I’m Canadian but not really…I’m brown but not really…you know. I fall into some economic category according to my income and net worth…but can I really identify with people that have the same numbers as me in any other meaningful way? i don’t know …So what am I?

And as you write “social class really about our perceptions and where we place ourselves and others in a hierarchy of importance.” but when you have nowhere to place yourself, what then?

IMO we are increasingly a society of alienated people, there is no community so what meaning does class have? and I think what I am describing isn’t that abnormal or is it?

I’d love to hear from any readers who weren’t born in the country they’re currently living on on how they feel about being asked this question, and whether they think they’re being judged by their answer.

Interesting point though, about society automatically putting “lettered” individuals (eg. Dr.) in a higher class. A hold over from the days when doctors and lawyers still made way more than every other job? A hold over from immigrants wanting their children to become doctors and lawyers (because of the former statement)?

How many people would put a banker or car salesman or politician at the top of their “class” list? Why not? They probably all make a ton o money!

And, just for the sake of it…how would Jesus rank? What with His poverty and long hair and hanging around lepers and such. Ew.

See, “class”, as it were, is nothing more than a non-real perception people use to make themselves feel secure — birds of a feather. Rubbish is what I call it.

Sco: “In the eyes of the rich, 99.5 of Canadian are poor.”

In the eyes of the developing world, 100% of Canadians are rich. It’s all a matter of perspective.

new money wants to make sure middle class folks can see they have it now.

old money would prefer the middle class not know how much they have.

I’m with Lulu, class is how you comport yourself. My father (the classiest person I know) was raised by a single mom and he didn’t finish high school. In other words, he was economically low class. But you could put him at the same table as the Queen for dinner and not know it.

To me, higher class people pay attention to the details – speaking correctly, dressing appropriately, even table manners. Traditionally these things were linked with wealth because poor people were too busy working for subsistence to have time learning ‘etiquette’. But in this day and age, anyone can educate themselves in these simple things. And it’s taking the time to get (and maintain) that education that defines class to me.

I recently attended a speed dating event and out of the 15 girls I “dated” 10 first asked “what do you do” I hate when people ask me this question, I usually lie or give a vague response, because when I say I’m an accountant (which I am) people immediately make judgements; most people don’t like accountants; I barely do.

I like asking where you come from, or what is your background, but not for determining their class but rather using their motherland as a conversation piece. Having travelled extensively, I know that people are generally proud of where they come from. Living in Toronto; the second highest foreign born population (Miami # 1) although Toronto is the most diverse, has taught me to get to know something about every culture, however small.

As someone who lives in Toronto I have to say that’s a really sad way of looking at things. The beauty of living here is that it’s probably one of the most diverse cities in the world. Meeting someone from another part of the world is a great experience and a chance to learn about a way of life and culture you’ve never seen before. Certainly a more interesting conversation than “I work in an office”.

I met a girl on a bus a few weeks ago who was asking me about my job since she was looking for work for her brother. She was from Somalia, and told me a fascinating story about moving here, her struggles, her dreams. I’ve never met a Somali person before (that I know of), and I’m glad I had that experience. You could argue that it doesn’t matter where she’s from, but I don’t think the question should be taken immediately as offensive.

Canadian – maybe approach this type of question with a mind of sharing your culture with someone who is genuinely interested, and not who simply wants to feel better about themselves because your answer is anything other than “Here”.

I here mostly in Toronto is ‘”where you come from?” I don’t understand everybody is an immigrant at some point of time in histroy what makes a difference? but they want to remind the people that I am before you and my skin is different and I have a CLASS.

When I moved to the U.S. the other black people there kept saying that I am ‘acting white’ because I speak (British) English. I think it is silly but that is the way that some people think.

I am a teacher now and I have had students tell me that black people and mexicans are supposed to act a certain way and that only white people have class. I am hoping this is just native to the part of the country that I live in but it is sad to think they believe just because you are born in the ghetto you have to remain there all your life.

Sources:
OECD study: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/17/42/44566315.pdf (Warning: 15 pages long)
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/02/11-5 (a good summary of key points of the OECD study)