What defines "middle-class" as opposed to "working class"?

Question

What defines "middle-class" as opposed to "working class"?

Answer 1

Back in the day, and I mean historically, in the English Feudal system, Middle Class people were people such as doctors. They were people who could not heavily influence society, but also people that had some kind of importance. They were above the peasants and below the nobles.

Presently, I think it is the same thing. The working class in Marxism would be "the proles" or "the mass" of the people. And in a more liberated society, those who work in jobs requiring alot of labour (ie not an office job) would be classified as the working class. The Middle Class are the "office" type people, but I think (and this is I think, so may want some background checks) that you can even further classify middle class. Because people who own business's, I don't perceive them to be the wroking class, I see them as middle class, but at the same time I see doctors, accountants and engineers as middle class, therefore you can say that there is a spectrum of middle class where owning the business could be nearer to "0" and office jobs are nearer to a level "10" middle class type thing. And then you got the high class, who are people who are fairly wealthy (own mansions, companies etc)  and would be near to the "0" of the High Class Spectrum but people like Presidents, Prime Ministers, leaders, or people with great influence on their present world are nearer to the "10". (note: not all people who have great influence are higher class, mainly philosophers eg:socrates, or martyrs, priests etc)

Answer 2

I cannot elaborate as the previous answerer. So as experienced in the middle of the US in my lifetime I would simply say;middle class has been a mixture of white and blue collar workers(educated and medium to highly trained). Working class would probably be more rigidly defined in say the UK. Here the US it is not often used. That being said it could apply to untrained to semi-trained workers.

Answer 3

I always thought they were about the same

Answer 4

Middle class are in the middle of the class spectrum and working class are those who work hard but are still poor and under the middle class.

Answer 5

Politicians trying to create class distintion as they

PIMP for your vote.

They are leaches upon society and should be

recognized as such.

There is no difference and people of ALL income levels "work". Including my own boss.