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Upper class is a concept in sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class often have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... Sociology (from Latin: socius, companion; and the suffix -ology, the study of, from Greek λόγος, lógos, knowledge [1]) is the systematic and scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social action, and culture[2]. Areas studied in sociology can range from the analysis of brief contacts between anonymous... Social hierarchy is a multi-tiered pyramid-like social or functional structure having an apex as the centralization of power. ...

The phrase "upper class" has had a complex range of meanings and usages. In many traditional societies, membership of the upper class was hard or even impossible to acquire by any means other than being born into it. Despite this chance of upward mobility, the upper class is, according to many sociologists, unattainable to those not born into upper-class families.

Historical meaning

Historically, members of an upper class often did not have to work for a living, as they were supported by earned or inherited investments, although members of the upper class may have had less actual money than merchants. Upper-class status commonly derived from the social position of one's family and not from one's own achievements or wealth. Investment is a term with several closely related meanings in finance and economics. ...

In many countries the term "upper class" was intimately associated with hereditary land ownership and titles. Political power was often in the hands of the landowners in many pre-industrial societies (which was one of the causes of the French Revolution), despite there being no legal barriers to land ownership for other social classes. Power began to shift from upper-class landed families to the general population in the early modern age, leading to marital alliances between the two groups, providing the foundation for the modern upper classes in the West. Upper-class landowners in Europe were often also members of the titled nobility, though not necessarily: the prevalence of titles of nobility varied widely from country to country. Some upper classes (or noble classes) were almost entirely untitled, for example, the Szlachta of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Pre-industrial society refers to specific social attributes and forms of political and cultural organization that were prevalent before the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of Capitalism. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... Stanisław Antoni Szczuka, a Polish nobleman Szlachta ( ) was the noble class in Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the two countries that later jointly formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

United States

Main article: American upper class

In the United States the upper class, also referred to simply as the rich, is estimated to constitute less than 1% of the population. It consists of those with great influence and wealth. The main distinguishing feature of the American upper class is its ability to derive enormous incomes from wealth rather than work.^[1][2][3] CEOs, heirs to fortunes, successful venture capitalists, as well as celebrities, are considered members of this class by contemporary sociologists, such as James Henslin or Dennis Gilbert.^[1] There may be prestige differences between different upper-class households. Bruce Willis, for example, might not be accorded as much prestige as Bill Clinton.^[2] Yet, all members of this class are so influential and wealthy as to be considered members of the upper class.^[1] The American upper class described the sociological ideology concerning the status of the top layer of society in the United States. ... The percentage of households and individuals in each income bracket. ... Wealth in the United States is commonly measured in terms of net worth which is the sum of all assets, including home equity minus all liabilities. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a Golden Globe- and double Emmy-winning German-born American actor and singer. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

While most sociologists define the upper class as the wealthiest 1%, sociologist Leonard Beeghley classifies all households with a net worth of $1 million or more as "rich," while classifying the wealthiest 0.9% as the "super-rich." Since the 1970s income inequality in the United States has been increasing, with the top 1% experiencing significantly larger gains in income than the rest of society.^[4][5][6] Social scientists (such as Alan Greenspan) see it as a problem for society, with Greenspan calling it a "very disturbing trend."^[7][8] Leonard Beeghley is professor of sociology at the University of Florida since 1975. ... Millionairess redirects here. ... This graph shows the household income of the given percentiles from 1967 to 2003, in 2003 dollars. ... Squalltoonix (born March 6, 1926 in New York City) is an American economist and was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. ...

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, entry to the upper class is still considered difficult, if not impossible, to attain unless one is born into it. Marriage into upper-class families rarely results in complete integration, since many factors (to be outlined below) raise a challenging barrier between the upper, upper middle, and middle classes. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Middle Class. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ...

Titles, while often considered central to the upper class, are not always strictly so. Both Captain Mark Phillips and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, the respective first and second husbands of HRH The Princess Anne lacked any rank of peerage, yet could scarcely be considered to be anything other than upper class. The same is true of Francis Fulford, who memorably featured in Channel 4's documentary The F***ing Fulfords and whose family has owned estates in Devon for over 800 years. Mark Antony Peter Phillips (born September 22, 1948), former Olympic gold-medal-winning horseman, was the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal. ... Rear Admiral Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, MVO, ADC (born 1 March 1955) was Equerry to The Queen from 1986 to 1989 and is the second husband of Anne, Princess Royal. ... Princess Anne redirects here. ... For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... Francis Fulford (born 1953) is the 23rd Lord Fulford of Great Fulford since 1970. ... This article is about the British television station. ... The F***ing Fulfords is a documentary-style programme about Francis Fulford and his family. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ...

That being said, those in possession of an hereditary (as opposed, importantly, to a conferred) peerage - for example a Dukedom, an Earldom, or a Barony (though any of these may be conferred) - will, almost invariably be members of the upper class. The term duke is a title of nobility which refers to the sovereign male ruler of a Continental European duchy, to a nobleman of the highest grade of the British peerage, or to the highest rank of nobility in various other European countries, including Spain and France (in Italy, principe... An Earl as a member of the British peerage ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. ...

Where one was educated is often considered to be more important than the level of education attained. Traditionally, upper class children will be brought up - at home - by a Nanny for the first few years of life, until old enough to attend a well-established prep school or pre-preparatory school. Moving into secondary education, it is still commonplace for upper-class children to attend one of Britain's prestigious public schools (such as those in the Eton Group or Rugby Group) although it is not unheard of for certain families to send their children to Grammar schools.^[9] In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school (usually abbreviated to prep school) is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are called public schools. ... The term public school has two contrary meanings: In England, one of a small number of prestigious historic schools open to the public which normally charge fees and are financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts; here the word public is used much as in... The Eton Group consists of twelve leading independent schools (Eton College, Bryanston School, Dulwich College, Highgate School, Kings College School Wimbledon, Kings School, Canterbury, Marlborough College, St Pauls School, Sherborne School, Tonbridge School, University College School Hampstead, and Westminster School). ... The Rugby Group consists of well-known British independent schools. ... A grammar school is a school that may, depending on regional usage as exemplified below, provide either secondary education or, a much less common usage, primary education (also known as elementary). Grammar schools trace their origins back to medieval Europe, as schools in which university preparatory subjects, such as Latin...

Insofar as continuing education goes, this can vary from family to family; it may, in part, be based on the educational history of the family. In the past, both the British Army and Clergy have been the institutions of choice, but the same can equally apply to the Royal Navy, or work in the Diplomatic Corps. HRH Prince Harry of Wales, for instance, has recently completed his training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in preparation for entry into the Army. Otherwise, Oxbridge and other 'traditional' universities (such as Durham University and St Andrews University) are the most popular sources of higher education for the upper class, although a high academic standard is required and social class does not as readily secure entry as it once did. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... The diplomatic corps, or in French (formerly the lingua franca of diplomacy; hence the term is still used e. ... Prince Henry of Wales (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984), commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and his first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. ... New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst New Colours are presented to RMAS, June 2005. ... Oxbridge is a name used to refer to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world. ... Affiliations 1994 Group European University Association Association of MBAs EQUIS Universities UK N8 Group Association of Commonwealth Universities Website http://www. ... University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews was founded between 1410-1413 and is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the United Kingdom. ...

Sports - particularly those involving the outdoors - are a popular pastime, and are usually taken up from a school age or before, and improved upon throughout the educational years. Traditionally, at school, Rugby union is much more popular than Association Football: indeed, the two sports are often taken to represent the two extremes of social classes 'at play'. Other frequented sports include lawn tennis (which has a broad appeal and could hardly be considered to be dominated by any one class), croquet (quite the opposite) and cricket. For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... Soccer redirects here. ... This article is about the sport, tennis. ... For the Smalltalk based 3D software platform, see Croquet project. ... This article is about the sport. ...

Equestrian activities are also popular - with both sexes. There is a long-standing tradition of the upper class having close links to horses; indeed, one of the foremost example of three-day eventing prowess is Zara Philips, daughter of Princess Anne and recently-crowned Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. Men who ride will more often participate in Polo, as is the case with both HRH Prince Charles and his sons, Their Royal Highnesses Prince William and Prince Harry. Eventing, is an equestrian event which comprises dressage, show-jumping and cross-country. ... Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, MBE (born 15 May 1981) is the only daughter of Princess Anne, the Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. ... For other uses, see Polo (disambiguation). ... “Prince Charles” redirects here. ... Royal Highness (abbreviation HRH) is a style (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness); plural Royal Highnesses (abbreviation TRH, Their Royal Highnesses). ... Prince William redirects here. ... Prince Henry of Wales (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984), commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and his first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. ...

Hunting and shooting, too, are favoured pastimes. Some upper class families with large estates will run their own shoots (typically they would need 1,000 acres (4 km²), or more, though some shoots do operate on about half that), but many will know someone who keeps pheasants, or other game, and may instead shoot with them. Much as with horses, there is a particular affinity for dogs (especially Labradors and Spaniels) amongst the upper class - and, equally, sporting pursuits that involve them. It should, however, be noted that none of the aforementioned sports are, of course, exclusively upper-class. A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), otherwise known as the Ring-necked Pheasant or Chinese Pheasant is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated (such as venison). ... The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. ... The English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dog traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. ...

Language, pronunciation and writing style have been, consistently, one of the most reliable indicators of class. (Upper and otherwise.) The variations between the language employed by the upper classes and those not of the upper classes has, perhaps, been best documented by linguistic Professor Alan Ross's 1954 article on U and non-U English usage. The discussion was perhaps most famously furthered in Noblesse Oblige - and featured contributions from, among others, Nancy Mitford. Interestingly, the debate was revisited in the mid-seventies, in a publication by Debrett's called 'U and Non-U revisited'. Ross contributed to this volume too, and it is remarkable to notice how little the language (amongst other factors) changed in the passing of a quarter of a century. U and non-U English usage, with U standing for upper class, and non-U representing the rest, were part of the terminology of popular discourse of social dialects (sociolects) in 1950s Britain and the northeast United States. ...

With specific regard to pronunciation, much is made of the lower-class (albeit slightly regional) tendency towards dropped consonants - for instance, ‘li’lle’ for ‘little’ or ‘’ow are you?’ for ‘how are you?’. The upper class are also distinguishable, though from the absence of vowels in their speech - thus, ‘handkerchief’ becomes ‘hnkrchf‘, ‘venison’ becomes ‘vnsn‘ and 'Shropshire' becomes 'Shrpshr'.

Woburn Abbey, family seat of the Duke of Bedford

The choice of house ('home', to a non-U-speaker), too, is an important feature of the upper classes. While it is true that there are fewer upper class families nowadays that are able to maintain both the well-staffed town house and country house than in the past, there are still many families which have an hereditary 'seat' somewhere in the country that they have managed to retain: Woburn Abbey, for example, has been in the family of the Duke of Bedford for centuries. Many upper class country homes are now open to the public, or have been placed in the care of the National Trust to aid with the funding of much-needed repairs. (In some cases, both are true). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1536, 733 KB) Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire]], England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1536, 733 KB) Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire]], England. ... Leinster House, 18th century Dublin townhouse of the Duke of Leinster. ... A country house is a large dwelling, such as a mansion, located on a country estate. ... The layout of Woburn before partial demolition. ... The titles of Earl or Duke of Bedford were created several times in the peerage of England. ... The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a British preservation organization. ...

The inside of a house, however grand the façade, is equally indicative of class. Upper class homes (if privately owned, and not staffed) tend to be comparatively untidy composites of grand furniture - having been inherited - which may have become frayed and threadbare over time and vast piles of ancient books, papers and other old reading material for which there is now no home.

Many upper class families will be in possession of works of art by old masters, valuable sculpture or period furniture, having had said pieces handed down through several generations. Indeed, inheriting the vast majority of one's possessions is the traditional form in upper class families. On that point, there is a well-known derisory quotation from Conservative politician Michael Jopling, who referred to cabinet colleague Michael Heseltine as the kind of person who 'bought his own furniture'. (The former was then put down himself by a Baron as "the kind of person who bought his own castle".) Johannes Vermeer Milkmaid 1658-1660 The Dutch Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. ... The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... (Thomas) Michael Jopling, Baron Jopling, PC (born December 10, 1930) is a politician in the United Kingdom, and sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Conservative Party. ... This article is about the governmental body. ... Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (born 21 March 1933) is a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. ... For other uses, see Baron (disambiguation). ...

So too is the organisation (or lack thereof) of the garden an important upper class trait. Bedding plants, rockeries, hanging baskets and goldfish ponds will all have been banished in favour of box hedges, shrub roses, herbaceous borders and stone pathways. Upper class gardens will look more natural and unconstructed than artificially preened (although as with houses, this is not always true where staff are employed).^[10]

Money and material possessions are often thought of as a less important factor as regards the United Kingdom's upper class than those upper classes of other countries, but, although this allows for an upper class family to be impoverished, an upper class family is likely to have had wealth at some point in its history.

Vast financial prosperity (only slightly dependent on how it is earned) is the subject of derision and contempt - the nickname “fat cat”, encompassing more than just one's wages, is not one often levelled at members of the upper class. According to Kate Fox, the present-day anthropologist, the main difference between the English and American social system is that in the latter, the rich and powerful believe they deserve their wealth and power and are more complacent. In the former, they tend to have a greater sense of social responsibility and compassion for those less privileged than themselves.^[11]

Rest of the world

In Australia and the United Kingdom, the term "upper class" is now sometimes used pejoratively by the middle and lower classes, as in the stereotypical term, "upper-class twit", and Australian and British people may be more anxious to avoid being labelled "upper class" (or even "upper middle class") than their American or Canadian counterparts. For more on this phenomenon, see reverse snobbery, Australian mateship, and class consciousness. A word or phrase is pejorative or derogatory (sometimes misspelled perjorative) if it expresses contempt or disapproval; dyslogistic (noun: dyslogism) is used synonymously (antonyms: meliorative, eulogistic, noun eulogism). ... For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ... The Upper Class Twit of the Year is a classic sketch that was seen on the T.V. show Monty Pythons Flying Circus, and also in a modified format in the movie And Now For Something Completely Different. ... Reverse snobbery is the phenomenon of looking not up at a social elite, but unfavourably on them, and all distinctions of social class, in particular any but ones own class or subculture. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Class consciousness is a category of Marxist theory, referring to the self-awareness of a social class, its capacity to act in its own rational interests, or measuring the extent to which an individual is conscious of the historical tasks their class (or class allegiance) sets for them. ...

Social class in Canada, as an observable phenomenon, though more subtle perhaps than in the U.S., is also not as entrenched as in Europe nor as taboo a topic as it is in Britain and Australia, though it remains a matter of controversy (see for example, the debate over the granting of a life peerage to former Canadian citizen, Conrad Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, and the remarks of then Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien about creating an aristocracy in Canada, and his insistence on upholding the Nickle Resolution). This article is about cultural prohibitions in general, for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ... Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, PC, OC, KCSG (born 25 August 1944, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a former financier, newspaper magnate, and biographer. ... Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born August 25, 1944 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian-born British biographer, financier and newspaper magnate. ... Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, usually known as Jean Chrétien, PC, QC, BA, BCL, LLD (h. ... The Nickle Resolution, adopted by the Canadian House of Commons on 22 May 1919, marked the earliest attempt to establish a Canadian government policy forbidding the British, and, later, Canadian, Sovereign from granting knighthoods, baronetcies, and peerages to Canadians, and set the precedent for later policies prohibiting Canadians from accepting...

Social class in the Dominican Republic has remained relatively unchanged over the years. A social class system still exists, and it is popularly understood that the different classes do not mix, especially the first and third classes. The "first" class are the rich, powerful, and celebrated. They also have most control over the country.

See also

• Ruling class
• Upper middle class
• Professional class
• Managerial Class
• Gold-collar worker
• Political Donor Class
• Household income in the United States
• Affluence in the United States

The term ruling class refers to the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that societys political policy. ... Vacations to destinations such as Hawaii, shown above, may be seen as a hallmark of the Upper-middle class. ... Physicians are among the most commonly used examples of occupations which are part of the professional class. ... Persons of the managerial class are often stated to be more conservative then members in the professional class, reflecting in both their consumer tastes as well as political beliefs. ... Gold-collar worker (GCW) is rarely used compared to its blue-collar and white-collar counterparts. ... A term used in David Cay Johnstons book Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich - and Cheat Everybody Else, to describe wealthy individuals (the Upper class) or corporations who use political contributions to influence US Government fiscal policy. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... The percentage of households and individuals over the age of 25 with incomes exceeding $100,000 in the US.[1][2] Affluence in the United States refers to an individuals or households state of being in an economically favorable position in contrast to a given reference group. ...

References

• Number of households with net-worths over one million dollars
• Relationship between income and education
• "The Aristocracy – how the ruling class survives" on BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time featuring David Cannadine, Rosemary Sweet and Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

. old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... In Our Time is a discussion programme hosted by Melvyn Bragg on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom. ...

1. ^ ^{a b c} Gilbert, Dennis (1998). The American Class Structure. New York: Wadsworth Publishing. 0-534-50520-1. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Thompson, William; Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. 0-205-41365-X. 
3. ^ Williams, Brian; Stacey C. Sawyer, Carl M. Wahlstrom (2005). Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships. Boston, MA: Pearson. 0-205-36674-0. 
4. ^ Johnston, D. (29 March, 2007). Income Gap Is Widening, Data Shows. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
5. ^ Thomas, E. & Gross, D. (23 July, 2007). Taxing the Rich. Newsweek.
6. ^ Johnston, D. (5 June, 2005). Richest Are Leaving Even the Richest Far Behind. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
7. ^ Pizzigati, S. (7 November, 2005). Alan Greenspan, Egalitarian?. TomPaine.com.. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
8. ^ Greenspan, A. (28 August, 1998). Remarks by Chairman Alan Greenspan. The Federal Reserve Board.. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
9. ^ Douglas Sutherland, "The English Gentleman"
10. ^ Charles Quest-Ritson, "The English Garden"
11. ^ Kate Fox, "Watching the English"

^{^} The Sunday Times University Guide. The Times (2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-09. Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bold text social stratification is the division of people of a particular society on the basis if occupation, income, power, prestige, authority, status, dignity, education, class, castle, gender, race and ethnicity In sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of social classes, castes and strata within a society. ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The term ruling class refers to the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that societys political policy. ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... White-collar worker is an idiom referring to a salaried professional or a person whose job is clerical in nature, as opposed to a blue-collar worker whose job is more in line with manual labor. ... Petit-bourgeois (or petty bourgeois through folk etymology) is a French term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social-classes in the 18th and early 19th centuries. ... Vacations to destinations such as Hawaii, shown above, may be seen as a hallmark of the Upper-middle class. ... The creative class is a group of people that social scientist Dr. Richard Florida, Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, believes are a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial cities in the USA. The Creative Class concept is controversial, as is Floridas methodology. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. ... The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... For the band Nouveau Riche, see Nouveau Riche (band). ... This article needs to be wikified. ... A pink-collar worker works in a relatively clean, safe environment, in a job that is considered traditionally female (these traditions generally harking back to the first half of the twentieth century). ... The lumpenproletariat (German Lumpenproletariat, rabble-proletariat; raggedy proletariat) is a term originally defined by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in The German Ideology (1845), their famous second joint work, and later expounded upon in future works by Marx. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar social status. ... Old money refers in the United Kingdom to the pre-decimal currency of pounds, shillings (or bob) and pence. ... Gold-collar worker (GCW) is rarely used compared to its blue-collar and white-collar counterparts. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: in fact, hunger and harsh winters were realities for the average European in the... Serf redirects here. ... Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: slave Slave may refer to: Slavery, where people are owned by others, and live to serve their owners without pay Slave (BDSM), a form of sexual and consenual submission Slave clock, in technology, a clock or timer that synchrnonizes to a master clock... A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar social status. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... A monument to the working and supporting classes along Market Street in the heart of San Franciscos Financial District, home to tens of thousands of professional and managerial middle class workers each day. ... The American upper class described the sociological ideology concerning the status of the top layer of society in the United States. ... A monument to the working and supporting classes along Market Street in the heart of San Franciscos Financial District, home to tens-of-thousands of professional and managerial middle class workers each day. ... The socio-economic stratification of American society as outlined by Dennis Gilbert. ... The percentage of households and individuals in each income bracket. ... This graph shows the educational attainment since 1947. ...