“Old Money” To No Money: America’s Social Class Structure, Explained
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- In America, the concept of social class deviates starkly from the centuries - or even millennia-long genetic lineages of European aristocracy.
There are no familial hierarchies dictated by the grandeur of ancestral castles here, no echoes of monarchs or tribal chiefs.
Instead, the United States, this colossal experiment in meritocracy, has fashioned its own version of the social pecking order.
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Old Money vs. New Money Behavior: 3 Signs That Tell EVERYTHING: • Video
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The Psychology of “Old Money”: 5 Behaviors That Say Culture and Elegance: • The Psychology of “Old...
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
1:31 Introduction - “The Horseshoe Theory of Class”
3:15 #1 “Top Out-of-Sight”
4:46 #2 Upper Class
6:36 #3 Upper Middle Class
8:10 #4 Middle Class
11:10 #5 High Proletarian
13:20 #6 Mid-Proletarian
14:57 #7 Low Proletarian
16:23 #8 Destitute
17:46 #9 Bottom Out-of-Sight
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COMMENT: Tell us one story from your life involving a meeting with someone from one of these social classes. What was it like?
In my early 20s right out of college, I attended the same church as a first generation wealthy industrialist in a small town in the Midwest. He and his family were almost embarrassed by their wealth, so I never brought it up. He and his family were very private but seemed to be down to earth people. I always wanted to pick their brains over to get advice when I was in my early 20s but didn't want to pry too much. I also grew up in a small farming community where we had lots of farmers who were cash poor but land and resource rich. Some of those farms have been in the same family since the late 1800s. What they didn't have in massive amounts of money, they made up for with land, livestock, farm equipment, and food crops. Some of those farmers may not have had a lot of disposable income, but a few owned several thousand acres of prime farmland that they could rent out. Even my own family owned 40 acres of pasture land that we rented to the neighbors to run livestock on. That income more than covered the taxes and expenses on the land. I myself grew up in an upper middle class family of mostly self employed people, medical professionals, and engineers
Wow! Thanks for sharing your story, Zach! Fascinating
I come from Italy and I live in a small town near an important university city. I'm not rich, my parents worked as nurses, no extravagant luxury but I didn't miss anything: holidays, a car, school, friends etc ... When I went to university I met city girls and boys who at first sight I thought they were rich from their way of acting: not enriched but mostly belonging to an intellectually high and well-connected class. I felt a bit at a disadvantage, a country boy. Over the years I got to know them better and realized that they were neither wealthy nor connected with people of the city's elite. They were the sons of simple clerks but they dreamed, like their parents, literally with eyes open: oceans of gossip... Nothing wrong with that but I believe that certain unrequited desires corrode one's spirit in the long run. A few years later and by pure chance I had to deal with a person from high society: even if he is originally from my city he is living in Switzerland by decades but I understood which family he comes by his double family name: in addition to being a noble (count ) is one of the heirs of an industrial group that has been present in the city for decades, even if it was sold for a lot of millions to a beverage multinational. Well, with this person I had the opportunity to talk about everything : history, science, politics etc…but never about luxury and money. An exquisite and highly cultured person and very down to earth. I never said to him I understood which family he came from , it seemed to me that would be a matter of bad taste. I can say that I understand that the elites and aristocracies do not need to show themselves because they do not have feelings of social revenge.
It seems they understand people who shows their money and status to everyone are the dumbest of the social pyramid!
All social classes will be going to the same place when they are DEAD.
Absolutely Horrendous! Ha Ha Haaaagh!
Funny thing was. I met someone who was wealthy long ago when I was working at a car dealership. I was having a conversation with another employee about of you were given a million dollars what would you do with it. We both said several things but this lady expression on her face didn't agree on what anything we said. And I'll never forget this wealthy woman pulled me to the side and said. If you ever get that lump some of money. Put it in a interest account where your money will make money for you and don't touch the principal use the interest and make sure the interest goes into a second account to pay yourself. And the always stuck with me. And she was from old money. Her last name was the same name of famous street name in my hometown. Everyone I've met from old money has been really kind to me. Funny thing is the new money people always treated me like crap. 😊
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
That women was spot on. I hope you followed it. The Clintons are new money and yes, they treat folks just like you said folks with new money treat others. Surprised?
Yep! I’m not old money but I learned this years ago. I’m always shocked at the number of people who would spend it on all sorts of things
US upper middle class grandparents. He was a CEO of a private company and also president of a utility company for a medium size city. My parents were middle class. My father was a military officer and my mother came from a working class family in another country. She was college educated in her country, is bilingual, and had relatively good employment in the US. She continues to invest in the stock market and has been pretty successful. I guess my husband and I would be called professional upper middle class, but we're not ostentatious, that's for sure.
My 21 year old son is a skilled proletarian. He was at the top of his class in trade school and works as a welder. He often works 6 days a week and earns much money. He's now saved enough to buy a small house, and he's writing a sci-fi, fantasy book. I'm really proud of him.
In the US, class is based mainly on income, and I think people who build their own wealth are admired more than those who inherit. In the US, it seems to be easier to climb the social ladder, based on skills, talents, and motivation.
Enjoyed the video.
I’m smack in the middle as a retired civil servant with a BA degree. After retiring I moved into a upper middle class neighborhood. Although my new friends are also retired they discuss their prior work and education in every conversation. Heard: when I was in law school, when I taught engineering before starting my own company, when I bought a shipping company…. I do enjoy conversations with them as they are well read, knowledgeable in their field, without being pompous.
Thanks for viewing and sharing your story, Iris!
As a non-American, the way the upper middle class manages to drop their university into every conversation sets my teeth on edge. Nothing makes me dislike someone quicker.
I think I am one of those people you speak about. Most of us come from middle class backgrounds, and learned to pull our way up through hard work and determination. There was nothing given to us. So, maybe I have some money more than most, I still live a middle class existence (retired), and everything I own is paid for. You just know you have to sacrifice to get ahead, nothing is given to you. Just like my mother used to tell me. Money is your friend, don't spend it. When it is gone, it is gone forever. So, I live frugally.
There is no middle
@@zwatwashdc You're not wrong. We Americans put a lot of stock into where we attended university. College degrees are seen as indicators of both economic and social status in the United States, especially among the middle classes. It's a huge reason why Americans are willing to go into such outrageous amounts of debt to get a college degree that they may never actually use.
Have you ever addressed the issue of people who were raised to be a part of the social class they weren’t born into? Both of my parents were working class, however my paternal grandfather was a professional musician during the Depression, and my maternal grandfather was a landowner in Puerto Rico where he sold tobacco on his seven acre farm, and was the “mayor” of his community in PR. Because of his upbringing, we listened to classical music, went to museums, and interestingly my mother used to make my sisters and me practice walking with a dictionary on our heads so we’d stand without slouching. I was expected to go college, which I did later in life and got my Bachelors degree, and later became a social worker. One of my sisters became an interior designer the other went into the Army and later became a nurse. We were raised to be Middle Class despite my parents being factory workers.
At that time, they had every reason to expect that you would rise to the middle and upper middle class. Upward mobility 40-50 years ago was very widespread. Not so much today.
8:15
16:34
Everyone thinks that this is broken down by politics when it actually broken down by class. When the first immigrants came over from Europe they just used the old system instead of coming up with something new.
I don’t know that everyone thinks this is politically delineated. Most people, that I know anyway, would recognize that these rungs on the ladder are actually fairly fluid (except for the top most privilege and the bottommost desperation), AND that they have only nominal crossover with political allegiances.
@@jasonmitchell432 From my experience truly old money know that they stand on their family members’ previous achievements.
@@tygressblade I tend to agree- many do. Some do not. That, of course, boils down to how much of a moral compass they were raised with, and how self aware they are…
@@jasonmitchell432 Manners are becoming passé.
@@grahamgbalmforth5229 I will only speak about the US system. I do admit that I hail from the Southeastern part of the US known as the South. But my father is from MS…he isn’t considered being from an “old southern family”. His grandfather came down with his brothers from Indiana. And yes, old southern families make that distinction. We may have been here since 1624, but we go where the money is.
Your treatment of social class is excellent, especially the horseshoe theory. Thank you.
Thanks Orletta!
I agree~ that was so interesting.
My extended family includes #7 through #3. I've never really known anyone above or below that.
This classification system is becoming confused with top end blue collar jobs paying more than low end white collar, mainly through an under and over supply of each.
it is not confusg n the sense of social value people look at white collar as more high lass and get more respect then the craftman. I know because i did both (office work, was treated better then working as a baker) in the social value sense
I think plumbers, electricians, and skilled laborers in the specialty trades have recently jumped a class. I’m am a self employed plumber making over 200,000. Next year probably closer to 250,000.
I agree. I think the skilled high income trades are definitely "Middle Class" now in America considering that many of them pay more than the white collar professions that require a college degree.
If you have something to lose:
- A company
- A property
- A position
- A license
You are middle class
@@tangosmurfen2376So according to your metrics Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are middle class. That’s interesting. Never heard it put like that before.
Good job. That is very cool. An example of the Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley.
Before I retired I had my own electrical company. I did work for several families that were millionaires and one family that was billionaires. They were all very nice and friendly. Never argued about what I charged. I had rather work for someone rich than someone that's just getting by.
Same here.
@@riyadougla539same
They never argued because they could afford whatever you told them lol
One of my favorite books and this is quickly becoming my favorite channel.Bravo! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks so much! Let us know if you’d like us to cover more books / topics
Insightful video. In addition to Fussell, Stephen Birmingham wrote a number of books about the American wealthy. He was also a college professor but he segmented his books into varied groups: Irish ( lace curtain Irish (Fords, Buckley's)), American Jewish class, and he also wrote a separate one just on California and its elite groups. It's interesting to read his, since he wrote primarily in the 1970's- 2000, so there is an interesting commentary on society.
A perfect example of the out of sight elite was the late Bunny Mellon. Bunny was married to Paul Mellon, vastly wealthy with an impressive art collection. Bunny had a passion for designing landscapes and Jackie Kennedy persuaded her to design the Rose garden at the White House. This was the only time in her life that she had a public profile and after she left the WH, she only gave 1 interview in the 40+ years after leaving it. On her death, she bequeath her notable art collection worth around 300 million dollars to one of the Ivy League universities. The rest of her estate was undocumented to its wealth.
Yes, I saw some books as he wrote about African American elite ‘Certain people’ and Lawrence Otis graham our ‘kind of people’. But stephen birmingham books are very interesting to understand.
We should do a video on Bunny Mellon!
@@oldmoneyluxuryyes!!!! ❤
@mtngrl5859
Mrs. Paul Mellon was indeed a part of the 'Top Out of Sight' class. There's an old saying that a real lady should only be known to the general public and mentioned on three occasions: her birth, her wedding and her death! And certainly that is very true in the lives of most ladies of that social class. How many of the older generation of women in the top echelon of society can you identify unless you have been personally introduced?
This study is spot on. Well done and thank you very much for your research.🌺🌺🌺
@@jklmnoqr You're welcome, thank you for your lovely comment! I remember when I was growing up in the 1970's, there was always a society page. I grew up in the SF Bay area and one would always read about some social gala/fundraiser and the Hearst family was always featured. This was before the Patty Hearst abduction, which created great damage to that family. One would always see the Getty family as well at certain functions.
This helped me understand how poor I really am lol thanks very helpful
😂
@@oldmoneyluxuryi share in the laughter! 🤭
Great video, I think I bridge multiple social classes. I grew up with a middle class lifestyle but housing, healthcare, education and my parents' retirement were mostly funded by an inheritance left by my father's grandfather. Until I was born, they had modest jobs & my mother grew up working class, though my dad had a graduate degree and heavily emphasized education. I grew up in a middle class suburb, socialized with the upper middle class through school & my parents' network, and started my job in corporate America after I finished graduate school. It feels as if my social group encompasses the peripheral descendants of privilege, where many benefited from a distant affluent ancestor but not enough to be immediately free from professional life.
Thank you for sharing Brian!
Fussell wrote a brillant analysis of the social impact of WWI, The Great War and Modern Memory. It's truly illuminating.
WOW! What an extra-ordinary and powerful film / video! Would love you to do one of the UK, tho susect thety won't be to dis-similar! I worked with the 'homeless, in the back streets of Manchester, back in '79 and my journey, working with and supporting folks, call it coaching, working on a 1 2 1 with folks, since then, and now part of the Tony Robbins family, helping folks to move for ward! Love you all x
Cheers mate!
my life fits the middle proletariat but I find myself in a seemingly uphill battle to keep myself from slipping into the lower proletariat class. The whole experience has left me disenfranchised with the American way of life, I am now distrustful of all American institutions , and no long have the dreams of working hard and moving up in the world as I did as a child as I have awoken to a harsh reality that none of those dreams were ever really possible.
I completely understand where you’re coming from. Im starting to believe that the modern American definition of success is maintaining the lifestyle your parents had. The “class hill” has become so steep that merely holding onto your footing is a feat.
Right now I would be considered in the upper middle class, however, my parents had NOTHING when I was a toddler and worked their way into the middle class by the time I graduated high school. My grandmother on my mother's side picked cotton so she could eat as a child and her family was homeless for a portion of her childhood. My great grandmother on my father's side was an Italian immigrant who was wealthy in the old country, but didn't have much when she came here. It's pretty incredible what's possible in America.
I fell out of the upper middle class. My parents were both college graduates, I went to law school, but couldn't get a job after graduating in 2009. (Bad recession, terrible job market). I ended up moving back home with my parents and getting a hourly wage job at a factory. I'm on my own now, and my student loans are paid, but my worthless degrees haven't been much of an asset.
Your degrees aren't worthless. You have an education that no one can ever take away from you, and that achievement is worth something. Also, you may still use your education someday. Sometimes in life it feels like things will never change, and then all at once, everything changes.
@@silencedogood9747 We have evolved from education for education ‘s sake to education for career advancement. Who would attend a university to earn a degree in art history and incur a $30,000 student loan debt?
I come from a working class background. My father was a taxi driver and mother a secretary. With the help of scholarships, work study jobs, and my parents paying the rest of the costs I was able to earn a BA in political science. What a useless degree.
I had an ambition to be an administrator in a college or university. Earned a masters degree in the field and never found a job in higher education. After fumbling around I attended a community college and earned a RN license. That made the difference in my life.
I have earned a comfortable living and can afford to retire. I would say I’m lower middle class. I never desired to become upper middle class or higher. My chances of reaching that strata were small. If I had a child they might continue the rise in social status with the firm educational and economic basis I achieved. Childless, there is nowhere for my assets to go to improve my family social status.
Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
Health and addiction issues can have a significant impact. I'm reminded of the executive who had a comfortable, middle class life with a home, a wife and children who became alcoholic. He was told by his superior that he could either give up drink or his job. He chose drink, and ended up losing his home and his family. He ended up living rough as a homeless person; people would leave bottles and cans out for him in back alleys for him to collect for small amounts of money. No one likely knew he had a profession at one time; all they could see was a homeless man with a drinking problem.
I like how the social classes are explained in this video.❤
A couple of years ago I took an Uber to come home, and the driver was a young black man. He was obviously upset, and I asked if everything was alright. He said a white woman who had been his previous customer made some rude comments to him, and how racist she was. We talked a bit about that, and I asked if he thought it could also be systemic classism as well as systemic racism. He seemed surprised by that idea at first but said yes, he believed it was a combination of both. It was a very interesting conversation.
Too many _isms_ in your take, it's not complicated or systemic. Everybody has prejudice, even you; it's simply a matter of those that live their lives by their prejudices, and those of us that don't.
Reminds me of the class warfare and racism in South Africa that targets white farmers who are disproportionately murdered and raped and targeted because they own property.
The US and Africa both have black billionaires. One of the most successful groups in America are the Nigerian immigrants. They don't make excuses, they value hard work, opening a business and studying hard. Per capita they make more than most white people. Africans see opportunity, while others see victimhood. it's all a choice.
I drove for Uber for a total of 8 years, It blew my mind how some people assumed that all African Americans were poor and uneducated. Uber was a great way to network and extra holiday money. My gentleman friend is an attorney and hated me doing it.
I am college educated, but when I was unemployed and living with my parents, I got a job on an assembly line. The other workers used to joke, "I guess they don't teach that in Hammering 101!" I would describe myself as middle class. My dad might be high proletarian because he was an electrician and belonged to a union. The people I interacted with might be mid-proletarian in nature or society. I am currently a public school teacher in an urban school district, but mostly grew up in rural or suburban areas most of my life.
I went to a private school in Berkeley, California, and while the education was first rate, I quickly found myself snubbed and worse by the students, who were pretty much all from the Upper Class--I was a struggling Middle Class kid myself, and I didn't go to their church--and did they make that clear! While I admired the cultural preservation (the joke was that my school was the last holdout of Queen Victoria--and that may not have been much of a joke!), I also learned that money doesn't make you nice.
Next time: Include the income and educational background levels for each of these classes to give people a better idea.
Great prompt for comments. I think this is the first youtube video I’ve ever seen where I actually wanted and enjoyed reading the comments
In the 70's, I graduated from college with a business degree. I could get work as a clerk but never into the professional level. I was never helped by Affirmative Action.
I bounced around from job to job. Eventually I got divorced. I knew I could do electrical work, because my dad taught me the fundamentals, but I was paying child support and couldn't take time off to go to trade school.
So I got work as a truck driver. I did heavy truck driving work, meat, beverages, and office supplies (paper is heavy).
I couldn't go to night trade school, because I was too tired after work.
I also had a bad back, which would freeze up for days. This didn't help my employment as a truck driver.
In the 80's, Pittsburgh's industrial base collapse dropped.
I was at the bottom. I was on welfare, and then thrown off welfare.
I was at the bottom. I entered into a program run by some Do-gooder charity organization.
They ask me to fill out some paperwork. One question was my Social Security. (This was before Identity theft had become popular. )
I said no. The do-good sat me down like a school kid, and scolded me.
I was of half a mind to attack him, but I knew he'd call the cops, and I'd be wrong. So I left.
I was going to a Community College to learn Cobot programming.
I got an A in Cobol I & 2. I met my 2nd wife there we got married. I continue to bounce from job to job.
My daughter graduated from high school, and I was able to go to trade school.
The people at the agency wanted me to pay child support if my daughter went to college, but that didn't happen.
I went to trade school as to become an Electrician.
I knew wiring from my dad. I had to learn the code book, which wasn't hard because I was a college graduate.
After 1 year, I graduated.
It cost me $145. in tuition.
I still had to bounce around Electrical helper jobs because in order to be registered, you needed a registered Electrician to sign for you. After about 5 years I got an Electrician to sign for me, and got registered.
I thought that I could make it in the Electrical business, but I'm not a businessman.
I went to work for a government housing.
I was forced to retire at age 73. I had 19 1/2 years with housing. My Soc. Security is healthy, and I have a 401k, no debt, own my house and car.
The reason that I think he wanted my Social Security # is the when I got a job, even if it was from no effort of the do-gooder organization, then they would take credit for it.
I stumbled through the employment years. I knew that I could be an Electrician.
Great video! I’m currently between high proletariat and middle class. A lot of my work circles are upper middle.
Are you able to do a video on how to transplant between classes and what it looks like when ppl fall from each class? Maybe even how they are effected by it.
You got a new sub here too
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
I like this channel. Interesting thoughts. Just picked me up as a new subscriber
Thanks and welcome!
Great and insightful video. I myself am not used to thinking in terms of "class" as it's un-American. I see things in terms of meritocracy in which i firmly believe that you can be anything you want to be in America.
Myself, upper middle as your video depicts....self made business owner in aluminum manufacturing and financially retired at 54 on perpetual growth passive income.
We've all had hard times and all uf us has had to roll up our sleeves from time to time.
I really believe meritocracy is what sets America apart from the rest of the world.
Meritocracy is BS because hard work alone is not enough to make your rich.
This helps me formalize what I had already internalized. I have moved through all of these classes except of two, a quite unique experience I find, most people are not that mobile. I am still trying to figure out how to use it to my advantage, but one may be the ability to achieve top rung results with bottom rung resource availability.
Well, lets see. I was raised middle class. But became one of the educated upper middle class. Part of that was based on my upbringing. Even though my parents had jobs during the depression, the money supply was tight. Then came the hardships of WW2. I was born after WW2. My father was smart and industrious, but did not complete college. Both my parents taught me the value of saving money. My mother used to hammer on me, that money was my friend, and it would work for me if I would not spend it. My father impressed upon me that debit is evil, and should be avoided at all costs. Because of that I am in the position I am now. When I was in college I was in ROTC and got a monthly paycheck. So, I did not have to "work" as a lot of college students do, then in the summer I was required to attend ROTC training camps. We were paid half the pay of a second Lt., which was not bad pay for a college student, plus I got a monthly check for being in ROTC. Now I understand that ROTC will pay you (I think this is right) an extra $500.00 a month to take language courses such as: Chinese, Arabic, Russian etc. That was not an option for me, but would have done so if offered. Plus I retired out of the Army Reserves after 20 years, making extra money that way also. I tell young people about all of this but I find they are not interested in listening. Oh well. Those of use who do pay attention usually get ahead. The rest fall by the wayside.
My experience is unsolicited advice is not valued and seldom followed.
Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
C. Wright Mills The Power Elite is a good book to read on the subject as well. I grew up with kids from a similar backgrounds of the low proletarian, so rarely did I encounter people from higher social economic status background, but when I did it was always two response I was either beneath them and they thought very little of my existence or I was some kind of charity case so they can feel good about themselves.
You have it down to a science. Perhaps I was blessed or lucky as there has been and is association with those of great wealth, the affluent, upper, middle and lower classes yet respect for and involved conversations with the “homeless.” Gives balance. Thank you.
There’s another 1-2 class layers between the upper class and the middle class besides just the upper middle class. I think the upper middle class describe here is really more a lower upper class. These people do have generational family money and might be highly educated successful doctors lawyers, bankers, investors, executive types. They live in luxurious homes, but not to the level of the Kennedys or Vanderbilts. They serve on boards and might be philanthropic. Then the actual upper middle class are more self made successful business owners, or carry advanced degrees, such as MBA types or engineers. These are your upper management, top sales people, I tech consultants. Often dual incomes bringing in $300,000 - 1,000,000 year. They live in big suburban houses, drive nice cars, own a vacation home and take nice vacations
These video are excellent. Very eloquent, well informed and interesting. The commentator must hold a doctorate at the least.
Cheers and thank you!
Choices. It all comes down to choices no matter how you slice it.
The Obamas and Clintons had no money before politics.The Bushes werent exactly old money but at least the father was a traditional New Englander. The Kennedys were not old money but a crime family...the father made his money bootlegging during prohibition smuggling in Canadian based imported Scotch from the UK etc in small boats to New England beaches and distributing it to illegal speakeasies...it was the family business, the equivalent in those days to a cocaine etc smuggling family in recent times. Certainly NOT old money or upper class. Even the Cabots and Lodges considered old money, made their money owning slave trade vessels.
😬
This channel really deserves more views
Haha thanks! Plenty more on the way😎
Holy crap, I'm a low proletariat. Who knew! I thought I was destitute for sure! 😅😢
Pick up or borrow a copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad. You can make your life better!
Being from Michigan some of my family members are wealthy management of General Motors and some others are drug addicted mentally ill people living in run down old school busses with no running water or electricity. I've lived with and interacted with every American social class most of my young life. I pretty much just stay in the upper middle class now as an adult. I moved about a lot when I was young for safety reasons it is necessary to leave when drug addicts get aggressive.
I can think of a member of my own family that fits every social class America contains, and being a curious person I got to know them all intimately, from their desires to their fears, to why they actually voted against their own interest.
The way GM was run in the 1980s were the drug addicts embarrassed by the managers, assuming they weren’t the same people
Thanks for sharing!
Vote against their own interest? As if you know it and they don’t? I am assuming you mean they don’t vote democrat. Democrats are firmly the party of the upper middle class, Hollywood and BS over educated liberal arts jobs. They are the party of the asset owning classes, as the wealth transfer from very poor to upper middle class over the last few years shows. They have figured out that to rule you need to appease the upper middle non-ruling classes, manufacture their consent. They are not helping the poor or middle classes with their money printing. They are devaluing the currency, shifting the costs onto those who can least afford inflated prices and putting home ownership out of reach for them. Stop drinking the kool-aid.
Being from Michigan, I'm assuming you are familiar with the Van Andels and DeVoses?
The collapse of a society begins with the differential difference between the wealth gap of a few and the misery of the many, it was taught in my history class , and that is my history lesson for today
There was a book on the Bottom Out of Sight people of the subway tunnels, called after their name for themselves: The Mole People.
Love this channel!
Thank you!
Paul Fussell's book on the American social class system is so viciously funny. I remember actually being in pain from laughing so hard!!!
This was great keep it up 👍🏿
Thank you! Will do!
I’m a laborer my great grandmothers family name comes from transport. I was introduced to American class thru building materials and garment construction and labor politics
Suggest to read a book called The Sum of Small Things by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett. There's a class called "The aspiration class". An interesting read.
Yes, Peter Turchin’s “aspirant elites” theory ties in nice
Cool and cruel facts. We should build ladders to help those who act to climb the ladder, not just dream to have equal result.
I believe the wealth need generations to accumulate.
People need Finacial education for that and learn to control they impulses. I do not belive, that we should handicap some people so others could rise. But what i support is govermental wealth redistribution. Basically Governmenttaxes people and then use that money to hire some wealthy companys to complete projects and often thouse contracts are very lucrative so few company owners get realy rich on expense on rest people. Another think is money and money printing. It creates inflation and by that it eat away people wealth, especially hurtful it is for middleclass who have saved up some money and need financialsecurity. It dosent much hurt thouse who live fro msalary to salary and dont much impact thouse who have alot money to use high grade investing like reaestate of Startup companys to keep ahead of inflation.
@@asjaosaline5987 Don't trust government too much. What it is doing is not transparent, is not approved by people.
We need to build more than one ladder. Kids need to learn something (not financial planning, they do not understand), teenage for some thing else (at least need to know they need to be responsible for they are doing, at least not be a single mother), colledge student probably need to learn financial planning.
(one more thing, you'd better read what you write before submit.)
@@TonyLinSh Autocorrect is bitch, especially if it is configured my native language. Or you hinted some certain point what i should look over.
Amazing video.. The Breakdown was perfect
Appreciate it!
Powerful and insightful documentary.
Thanks Joseph!
You did not go into the fact that it is extremely difficult for a person to rise up from a lower social class to a higher social class.
Isn’t college an easier way ? If they have the right backing and guidance it’s possible.
Great breakdown of social class. You forgot new money consider lower upper class. Subdivided between rich vs wealthy, could be a different video. Or even the lower middle class 30k until 50k which is different between the upper working class.
It is a dame shape that America divided ppl in to these social classes. I am a struggling working class single Mom it isn't easy. I feel bad for the mentally ill homeless at times. It's now 2023 and NYC just leaves these ppl for dead. NYC the most overpriced city as money but couldn't care less to help these ppl. Rather help illegals with everything it makes me sick
😢
Great video
Thanks!
Very effective. Thank you.
You bet!
..... I have been in several of these classes at various stages of my life from 3 to 7. If there is one thing I have seen with my own eyes it's the existence of a "Govt. class" of people who are not mentioned in this film. That would make for an even more interesting story. It is also the story of a protected class not unlike your #2 (private sector).
Yes the Professional Managerial Class / Bureaucratic Class should be added, along with the “Tech Bro” sector. Probably will do another video on those. Thanks for watching and commenting!
This is so true. Am a govt worker and what you have said is true. We over protect our selves and interests.😂😂😂😂😂
@@oldmoneyluxuryI don't think it will neatly fit into this ordered system.
I'd say, based on wealth, government is a mix of classes. Presidents, governers and notable congress and senate members are upper class or the one above if they happen to come from an old money family.
Leaders on a more local level are upper middle class folks. And then government itself as an institution basically has employees coming from nearly all classes mentioned, from the janitor at the municipality building to the police officer to the mayor and up to the president.
Protected? Well that really depends on the job you do for the government, and what level government. There has been more job security (but lower wages) so long as you are a low level worker who repairs things or organizes information, but that is changing.
Or did you mean elected officials?
@@dekippiesipI think the first comment was about the people who work FOR whatever level of government or government administration (rangers, bus drivers, records managers) not people who work DOING government and administration (politicians, judges, sheriffs, elected office holders in general).
Another point that helps mark the difference between the American "Upper Middle Class" and the "Middle Class" is the type of universities they attend. More often than not the children of the Upper Middle Class will attend elite private universities like Stanford, Harvard, and Yale. Middle Class children will usually attend state public universities like the University of Missouri or Ohio State University.
Even with the public universities there is still a subtle class distinction in that a state "flagship" public university is considered to be more elite than a less prestigious regional or "directional" university. For example, obtaining a degree from the flagship University of Texas at Austin is considered to be more prestigious than getting degree from the University of Texas at El Paso or the University of North Texas. Middle Class people who aspire to state political office or to move up the professional ranks in their own state will often try to attend the state flagship university.
Great points! There is also - as you know - a hierarchy of state schools, with the so-called "Public Ivies" at the top (UCLA, UC Berkeley, Michigan, UNC, etc.) at the top, highly-regarded state flagships (Texas, Madison, etc.) and then the middle tier state schools (often more known for their sports than academics) such as Nebraska, Georgia, etc.
One of my frustration living in most Black Communities is that the Middle Class, The High and Middle Proletarians all live in the same neighborhood. You can have a Middle Class Mitchell Lama Co-Op across the street from a Housing Project.
Interesting
Though this classification makes sense for civilisation in the 80s...I do wonder it's still relevant in today's world.
It is in the top
Intersting video. It offered analysis via Sociology, which field figured in my degree.
I never would have clicked on anything named "Old Money Luxury" otherwise. It's off-putting for someone who is a member of the Middle Proletariat at best!
I’ve had a friend from the out-of-sight upper class, I believe his family had up to 6 billion USD and was connected with Clintons, Buffett, and other influential people. His brother died from alcoholism and he was struggling with alcohol as well. Wealthy, handsome, educated and with all the connections imaginable, there is something deep dark on his mind, something really painful. This always made me think a lot.
You sure he was from the "top out-of-sight" class? Because usually the billionaire families that you can meet are more likely to be from the upper class.
Class in America:
Extreme Rich, Celebrity Rich, Political Rich, Working Class and Poor.
I'm not American, but I feel like the three classes on the middle. I have a strong interest in culture, but at the same time everyday life is a permanent battle for stability
Went from working class to upper middle class down to working poor.
America is unique in that the majority of the population classes itself as middle class, thereby making this label meaningless, given the dilution of the definition of the term 'middle class'. Another unique factor about America is the sheer high number of rich people there - the US has far more millionaires than any other country on earth, probably because of the relatively non-redistributive nature of US taxation system. The rich strata of American society is most probably not even aware of its wealth, considering homes and other assets worth millions as a typical middle class feature when it most certainly is not. In my view there is a substantial and growing upper-middle class element in America, declining middle and lower middle class elements, and a rising working class element.
Informative, easy to understand narration and examples. But I do think that the photos and video imagery should stick to American scenes if it's about American social classes.
As to "class status" I refer to Groucho Marx who sent the following wire to a Hollywood club he had joined: "Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.”
Classic line!
I read the book in college. I'm surprised this vidio didn't mention category X.
And I’m pretty certain Jerry Seinfeld who is currently worth $950,000,000.00 - is considered to be more than moderately successful by most thinkers on this topic.
Did he just say Mark Zuckerberg is upper-middle-class?🤔
Yeah that just made no sense at all. Clearly Mark is upper class, but not upper out of reach. Maybe he meant that he culturally resembles an upper middle class guy, and he would have been one had it not been for facebook.
Mark Zuckerberg was raised by a dentist and a psychiatrist, very upper middle class. His behaviors and values as an adult are upper middle class. The only thing about him that is not upper middle class is his bank account
Whats the name of the book fussell wrote that you Talkin about?
Something to think about with the High Proletarian: Using the two more infamous examples; it can indicate that those who take advantage of either technology, or have connections to the entertainment industry can do better financially than the average High Proletarian. I am of the opinion that those who do physical labour are just as important as those who do more 'intellectual' jobs. Sometimes it feels that these are the people that gets the lowest paid - just because it's physical labour. Physical labour can be hard work, and it is an area that I feel should be paid better.
I catch a glimpse of the bottom out of sight on a weekly basis - usually either on my way to work or back from work. There's two or three I give a friendly nod to.
I consider myself middle class, and work in animal welfare doing the finances. On the one hand, I understand I need to earn a salary and be able to support myself, on the other, I also want to be able to help where I can to try and assist with the betterment of humanity/society - though I prefer doing this behind the scenes rather 'publicly'.
Great points about how technology / Internet / social media can instantly raise people up a class if they leverage it
I think their economic situation is sometimes underestimated too. Wages are fundamentally determined by supply and demand and not ideological considerations of what is 'better'.
Especially well trained artisans can often earn more than some white collar workers in the 'higher' middle class. A good plumber can easily make more money than, say, a bank clerk. Or a 'soft IT' office guy working mostly with excel.
There is definately some overlap between the classes presented in this vid when it comes to income. What is more significant is the cultural differences. A relatively low payed middle class guy can more easily relate to another higher earning middle class guy then a with a high proletarian that earns roughly the same.
And significantly AI is now threatening the job security of the middle class itself, where previous mechanizations only threatened those of high proletariat and below. This is going to be an interesting development in the coming years.
I feel like there could be some overlap with some of these categories, especially with the lower tier ones. You can still be homeless and have a job (or even two jobs), as an example.
at 5.05 I ask what an image of French "Vichy" Petain has to do with this report on US class system ?
it's crazy how he does not mention the role that unregulated capitalism has played in this. Especially as it relates to the two lowest classes at the end of vid. for the past 44 years the wealthy in the United Staes have been waging all out economic warfare on the middle class, working class, and the poor.
You need to do a video on the current system where educated people middle class and upper middle class being moved into the out of sight class. We want those people quickly erased so it won't be necessary to talk about how they were erased despite the family they were born into and the education and job performance they achieved but as they aged were forced out of society due to the current system of society pivoting it's population.
What aboutn the 'EXTRA TERRESTRIALS'? Yeh !where are they in this catalogue of hierarchies !?
How Unfortunate (@9.05 mins into this doc!) the 'Twin Towers' Image looms over the dialogue about "middle class" aspiration synthesis, could be classified as prescience ?!
Interesting video, I think there are more classes (compering to Europe) so outsidet may not see classes as elsewhere.
By the way, when you described lower classes (below 7th) you showed many videos which clearly are not from America but f.ex from Africa and there was at least one BBC. Please, if you talk about certain country, use videos from that particular country.
So true! I was wondering why all those video clips were from Africa? We have plenty of crummy neighborhoods here in America, but I don't think they're as bad as the foreign clips shown here.
@@kevinrussell6530 I am not American but I totally believe that not even the crummiest area is even close to refugee camps f.ex in Sudan. Bet people would much better live in US, even in the crummy area.
Very pertinent analysis… I was brought up in communism, which had a much simpler social structure: intellectuals, the official apparatus, workers and farmers. There were many possibilities of advancement . I was fortunate to be the daughter of intellectuals , received best education available and made the best of it. My grandparents were simple farmers, lost everything they had, made a huge effort to put their children through college. So a interesting rise from farmers to intellectuals , middle upper class in 1 generation, simply through sheer determination. The values in my family are a good mix : work hard, be ambitious, reach for the stars, but also try to refine yourself , get the best education possible, improve yourself every day. Sometimes very demanding and grinding. With the underlying idea that you are never good enough.. the essence of the capitalist mindset: more, more, more. I am sick of it. Let me tell you, in communism life was not so rich from the Material point of view, but much simpler and , dare I say, happier and healthier. We did not have the extremes: very wealthy or very poor, Homeless did not exist, people were not depressed and burnt out… the only downside was lack of freedom of expression. But in the light of the knowledge that I now have , that was a small Price to pay in comparison of the constant worries and struggles of the middle and lower classes in the capitalist world. I am Not an advocate of communism, but I see that the current political and social structures are very flawed and not very sustainable. Time for a change of paradigm again, redefining a vision and new values for humanity. Very interesting times ahead ..
Ah yes! Communist life where farmers are slaves to the state - brilliant! Then no one wants to farm.. industrialization, boom! Urbanization. It’s just been lovely working for others and losing our land and heritage!
Thanks for sharing your story; which country did you grow up in?
However much we may deny it...its inevitable that humanity will ultimately move towards socialism. USSR and others were societies ahead of their time and struggled to survive in a capitalism dominated world. But they showed where the future lay. In a rapidly resource depleting world...co-operation and not competition will ultimately prevail.
Well said 👏
@@oldmoneyluxury Romania
Plumbers and sparkies earn upper class wages in Australia
Interesting. My background is Upper Middle Class, sounds familiar.
Do a video on the Phipps Family
Dr. Robert Coles of Harvard University, and a seasoned expert on youth, shook up a pta meeting of wealthy parents in Cambridge, Mass.
around 1978 whose children attended the most elite school in town. He asserted that the children of the nearby protects had a much
better chance of making it in life, because all they knew was hardship, deprivation, disappointment and broken families. He contrasted that
with the wealthy children, most from broken homes as well, who were protected by their families' wealth, and were denied the chance
to strive for themselves, solve their own problems, and seek creative solutions to their problems without misguided, guilty and
interfering parents.
Interesting
I started at bottom know education or stills the fictional character jobe the lawnmower man probably closest character to me but turned it around figured thing out and went past the people how where smarter and better educated.worked harder and wanted it more
I think about how the evolution of Freemasonry reflects the difference in class structure in the US and the UK (and other Commonwealth Realms).
In the 19th century, Freemasonry still served as the fraternal clique of American Bourgeoisies, but social changes gradually eroded its influences; from the Anti-Masonic Party to the establishment of other social fraternal groups for the professional and the middle class, Freemasonry eventually lost its exclusivity. In the 21st century US, it is usually mocked as an elder social club without younger membership. Its legacy lives on in US private insurance (and occasionally as a boogeyman for conspiracy theories.)
I watched a few documentaries on Freemasonry in the UK. The Masonic order still resembles the Orange Order or other social cliques that dominated certain social categories and statuses and managed to balance the myth and exclusivity. When the Guardian occasionally reported Masonic ties with authority, even Alan Moore once wrote his comic book that associated Jack the Ripper with the Masonic order.
This class system doesn't really properly classify levels above level 3 very well. In fact I would move everyone other than the untouchable old money down a level. A successful partner at a prominent law firm ,medical director , mid-high level academic, floor manager on wall street are lower middle class. They are at the mercy of everyone. edit: if they were actually middle upper class life would be much easier. In addition CEO of a forbe 300 (ranked) company isn't as rich as you might think. Based on the needs and wants listed in the video I would argue the worries of the 3rd level is akin to those of the 5-6th level. Everyone that is ranked 4th level and below are basically the same as a the average level 6 to 8 if not 9. I am saying this a elitist but rather based on the priorities listed in the video...
I do feel like putting well paid and educated professionals in the same category as billionaires in the upper middle feels odd. Should have been upper old money vs upper new money IMO
Do a video of the social register
Great idea!
I have either met or brushed up against the "New Money" types at jobs and at one social setting via an in laws club. The club ones are nicer, interested in art and culture, those met in the job context, demanding, entitled, pushy, bad mannered, loathsome.
Huh.. so as a retail manager & handyman… I’m both a mid & high proletarian. Cool!
lovely
I'm sure alot of the middle ones can crossover. I know alot of fishermen that own multiple homes and are rather wealthy.
So true
Tier 6 is so undervalued. That is where I’m at.
I don't really know what I am. My moms side of the family was modestly rich, with my grandpa being a newsprint salesman executive with a modest fortune and a bachelors degree. One uncle is unemployed and struggles with addiction, while my other uncle and my mom both have bachelors degree and are 6-figure professionals. My dads side of the family is very rich: with my stepgrandmothers family owning a large bank and my grandpa used to own a large offshore oil service company which went bankrupt a few years ago. My dad had a bachelor and a grad degree but is unemployed and has been for a long time. I went to a top private school in my city thanks to my grandparents, but college is being paid for by my mom, which has caused financial strain, because of deal made with my grandparents a long time ago. I don't know what the hell I am
The narrator sounds like Alexander Scorby
When Mark Zuckerberg was referred to as "upper middle class", I stopped watching.
He was born to a dentist and a psychiatrist
@@oldmoneyluxurythey are upper middle class.
You jump from native upper middle class to upper class when you are a billionaire and can and do shape narratives and political events by an algorithm.
Nice use of Union Ironworker footage