[I. Cade]

Why do wealthy people routinely call themselves upper-middle class? There is no shame in being privileged. Just because a person doesn't own a jet and find his/her photo in the society pages or the cover of Forbes magazine does not mean he/she is middle class. For a reality check, consider that the lives of most TV and movie characters are about wealthy or upper-middle class people. Look at all the shows about young white yuppies in Manhattan.

User Detail :  

Name : I. Cade, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : graduate, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Rick29793]

Class is more than just income level. Most people consider the phrase 'upper class' to refer to hoity-toity, snooty aristocrats. If someone was raised middle-class, they will continue to consider themselves such, even if he or she is a billionaire.

User Detail :  

Name : Rick29793, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Springfield, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Patrick]

I drive my dads old bmw while he drives his new porsche, we live in a 2 million dollar home. We are upper middle class. The area I live in is one of the richest in the united states, despite what u may think, we do not live a lavish lifestyle, we dont buy things we dont need, cars just so happen to be a passion of mine and my fathers, and our house wasnt worth nearly what it is now when we acquired it. To me, money doesn't determine class, but lifestyle. I don't get waited on by anybody, my dad forced me to get a job when I turned 16 and got his 98 z3(I understand). People tell me I don't deserve what I got. Fuck you. when I grew up I put up with so much shit for being intelligent. plus my dad was away every other week on business. If you think for one minute I wouldn't trade my car and house for time with my dad when It really counted then your wrong. I don't hate my dad, he was working hard for me, doing what he had to do. But because of his and my sacrifice, im proud to consider myself part of the upper middle class.

User Detail :  

Name : Patrick, Gender : M, Race : Irish, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 18, City : Los Altos, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[ACC25048]

Ever read the science fiction book The Man Who Fell to Earth? The main character in it is an alien who comes to America and is very shocked to find out all Americans are not wealthy, white, young, and beautiful like he's always seen on the Earth's TV broadcasts. Plenty of people want to encourage unrealistic expectations and identification with the rich. If people who are not wealthy but are actually middle class are taught and conditioned to think of the wealthy as just like them, middle class people will be more likely to spend just to keep up with what they falsely think a middle class lifestyle is. That is what is wanted by advertisers, many industries that depend on over-consumption, wealthy elites themselves, and some people with conservative ideas. (Not conservatives driven by moral or religious concerns usually, but 'free market' ones or conservatives who are hostile to the poor and worshipful of the rich.) If the rich present themselves as 'just like you' (even though it's not true, the wealthy let their money work for them instead of working like the rest of us), it's because they know it will make people less likely to resent them.

User Detail :  

Name : ACC25048, Age : 36, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, Occupation : Grad student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Craig31895]

I think that everything is relative. I grew up in what would be a 'wealthy' suburb, but I would not have considered my family 'wealthy' (though outsiders probably would). You tend to frame your situation by what is around you, not in absolute terms. It has nothing to do with a stigma.

User Detail :  

Name : Craig31895, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 32, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Strategy Consultant, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[saltydog]

Sista listen up: where all da rich white folk go when da sun go down dey disappear behind da brownstone door or in the theee-ate-her they hidin from yo envy They ain't gonna cop to no Upper class scene babe they lookin over they shoulder watchin they behind fo all they know you be come up behind in amerika the myth is they all middle class from the middle on up they makin a livin off yo ass so Sista ima schoolin doan you be foolin the middle hype is hidin what they don want you see in salty

User Detail :  

Name : saltydog, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Catholic, Age : 25, City : NYC, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : student, poet, artist, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Rachel]

I agree. Class is about more than just income. While this attitude is more prevalent in Europe I'd say, we still have it here. Class is about family lines, how long your family has had money, how distinguished your family was, whether they came over on the Mayflower...lots of things which basically amount to snooty white folk who didn't do anything themselves, but our instead distinguished by their ancestors!!! Personally, I think it's kind of disgusting. I mean, be proud for what you've done, not what your ancestors have done before you! Besides, your accomplishments mean more if you've come from a background that didn't stress those things - you had to worker harder to achieve it. Here in Boston they're known as the Boston Brahmin. When I was sworn in as an attorney in one state, we had to have sponsors (attorneys who were already a member in good standing of the bar) speak on our behalf and make a motion before the court to admit us; I couldn't believe it but some sponsors actually stood up and said how many generations their admittee had been in the area, or even how many generations of lawyers had been in the family! It was quite outrageous. I am quite sorry, but my grandparents were illiterate so they just had no chance of being attorneys. G. William Domhoff wrote a book 'Who Rules America?' which argued that about 400 prominent families in the U.S. really controlled power and wealth, and they are informally cohesive by social organizations like Daughters of the American Revolution, the Skull and Bones club at Yale...basically organizations which virtually ensure by the membership standards that you are rich, white, and male. I'm going to stop now, this is getting too depressing.

User Detail :  

Name : Rachel, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 27, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Attorney, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[PAH]

Because wealth is relative. What might be rich to you may not be rich to someone else. Forbes magazine recently stated that to be rich you must make one million a year or more! Those are high standards. That would mean that someone making say half a million a year is only halfway to being rich. Most Americans however would say that person is rich. It is all relative.

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Name : PAH, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 25, City : Dallas, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Operations Manager, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Matt22009]

Rich people will tell you that you aren't rich unless you have a net worth of at least 4 million, and even then your just 'little rich.' There's just a totally different way of life out there. So I disagree. I think being rich is about things like owning (or at least having access to) a jet and having your picture on the society pages. There's the matter of financial independence too. It takes quite a bit of money before keeping a steady flow of paychecks isn't a very big concern.

User Detail :  

Name : Matt22009, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 25, City : Sacramento, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Software Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Linda]

To be rich is to not have to work.

User Detail :  

Name : Linda, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Jewish, Age : 40, City : Juneau, State : AK Country : United States, Occupation : Education, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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