The working class includes those who earn their living through wage-paying (hourly) jobs, typically involving manual labor or service work without poatsecondary education requirements.
They tend to have modest property ownership, and make close to minimum wage with limited benefits. Working-class jobs are predominantly in the service sector, including retail sales, clerical work, food industry positions, and manual labor.
Which definition of working class are you using that includes doctors, lawyers and engineers?
I had a salaried position working as a cashier at a fucking gas station making 20k a year. Salaried vs hourly is the not the great class war dividing line. Also, public school teachers are salaried, and I’ll be damned if I’m giving over the teachers to the guillotine.
Its a general definition of the phrase. There will always be exceptions. There is still no evidence that anyone considers doctors, engineers, lawyers etc to be part of the working class.
They are generally considered to be part of the professional class. More have become beholden to corporate structures as America descends further into late stage capitalism, but they are still not generally considered part of the working class.
Most Amazon / Walmart workers, Uber drivers, fast food workers etc. would likely scoff at the idea of considering those professions to be working class as they are.
Yeah, not exactly. In Marxist philosophy there are only two classes, the owning class and the working class. If you don’t own the productive means of society then you’re working class. In reality, though, the vast majority of (at least American) people probably subscribe to a three class model, lower, middle, upper, without any understanding of political philosophy or Marxist theory, in which case doctors and lawyers would be middle-to-upper-middle class. Tech billionaires and national politicians would generally be upper class
Well this is why I made the post, I don’t know if OP was doing it but my comment is directed more towards the person who made that sign.
Most people are working class because they lack the resources and status from generational wealth.
Edit that said, I don’t think it’s fair to make someone feel bad about what they were born into. If someone is actively working against the betterment of other people’s lives, that’s a separate issue.
I think you’d be hard pressed convincing anyone that a physician or lawyer acting as an independent contractor and selling their professional services for $200+/hr is working class.
If you can’t afford your lifestyle without working, you’re working class. If you become homeless without work, you’re working class. If you’re a few missed paychecks away from having to rely on savings for maintaining your life, you’re working class.
We’d have a more reasonable and progressive society if people were honest about their lack of social safety nets.
I think you’d be hard pressed convincing anyone that a physician or lawyer acting as an independent contractor and selling their professional services for $200+/hr is working class.
That is indeed your opinion and not what the working class is. That is what I meant by gatekeeping, thank you for demonstrating it again.
I understand now that you are using the communist definition, which is not the definition that’s widely agreed upon but is popular here. Another user clarified that. Thanks and glad we could clear things up.
Professional and Technical ‘classes’ and other specializations may have more privilege and income, but end the work-derived income and their assets will not sustain them.
They are subsets of the working class because they must work.
The working class includes those who earn their living through wage-paying (hourly) jobs, typically involving manual labor or service work without poatsecondary education requirements. They tend to have modest property ownership, and make close to minimum wage with limited benefits. Working-class jobs are predominantly in the service sector, including retail sales, clerical work, food industry positions, and manual labor.
Which definition of working class are you using that includes doctors, lawyers and engineers?
I had a salaried position working as a cashier at a fucking gas station making 20k a year. Salaried vs hourly is the not the great class war dividing line. Also, public school teachers are salaried, and I’ll be damned if I’m giving over the teachers to the guillotine.
Its a general definition of the phrase. There will always be exceptions. There is still no evidence that anyone considers doctors, engineers, lawyers etc to be part of the working class.
They are generally considered to be part of the professional class. More have become beholden to corporate structures as America descends further into late stage capitalism, but they are still not generally considered part of the working class.
Most Amazon / Walmart workers, Uber drivers, fast food workers etc. would likely scoff at the idea of considering those professions to be working class as they are.
Yeah, not exactly. In Marxist philosophy there are only two classes, the owning class and the working class. If you don’t own the productive means of society then you’re working class. In reality, though, the vast majority of (at least American) people probably subscribe to a three class model, lower, middle, upper, without any understanding of political philosophy or Marxist theory, in which case doctors and lawyers would be middle-to-upper-middle class. Tech billionaires and national politicians would generally be upper class
Ah that explains the response. I was using the modern American definition. Genuinely appreciate the clarification
Gatekeeping what working class is. That’s new. Just thought it meant that you worked for a living instead of being an “owner class”
Well this is why I made the post, I don’t know if OP was doing it but my comment is directed more towards the person who made that sign.
Most people are working class because they lack the resources and status from generational wealth.
Edit that said, I don’t think it’s fair to make someone feel bad about what they were born into. If someone is actively working against the betterment of other people’s lives, that’s a separate issue.
Defining a phrase is not gatekeeping.
I think you’d be hard pressed convincing anyone that a physician or lawyer acting as an independent contractor and selling their professional services for $200+/hr is working class.
If you can’t afford your lifestyle without working, you’re working class. If you become homeless without work, you’re working class. If you’re a few missed paychecks away from having to rely on savings for maintaining your life, you’re working class.
We’d have a more reasonable and progressive society if people were honest about their lack of social safety nets.
Some of the only working class people actually making anywhere near what they should be making
If you work for your paycheck, you’re working class… If your “money works for you” you’re not
That is indeed your opinion and not what the working class is. That is what I meant by gatekeeping, thank you for demonstrating it again.
I understand now that you are using the communist definition, which is not the definition that’s widely agreed upon but is popular here. Another user clarified that. Thanks and glad we could clear things up.
Professional and Technical ‘classes’ and other specializations may have more privilege and income, but end the work-derived income and their assets will not sustain them.
They are subsets of the working class because they must work.