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Upper middle class

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Advanced education is one of the most distinguishing features of the upper middle class.
The American upper middle class consists mostly of salaried white collar professionals.

Template:Globalize/USA The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the social group constituted by higher-status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term "lower middle class", which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle class stratum, and to the broader term "middle class". There is considerable debate as to how the upper middle class might be defined. According to sociologist Max Weber the upper middle class consists of well-educated professionals with graduate degrees and comfortable incomes.

The American upper middle class is defined similarly using income, education and occupation as the predominant indicators.[1] In the United States, the upper middle class is defined as consisting mostly of white collar professionals who not only have above-average personal incomes and advanced educational degrees[1] but also a higher degree of autonomy in their work.[2] The main occupational tasks of upper middle class individuals tend to center on conceptualizing, consulting, and instruction.[3]

American upper middle class

Further information: Upper middle class in the United States
See American Professional/Managerial middle class for a complete overview of the American middle classes.

In the United States the term middle class and its subdivisions are an extremely vague concept as neither economists nor sociologists have precisely defined the term.[4] There are several perceptions of the upper middle class and what the term means. In academic models the term applies to highly educated salaried professionals whose work is largely self-directed. Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly may exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners earning incomes in the high 5-figure range.[1][5] Typical professions for this class include lawyers, physicians, dentists, engineers, accountants, professors, architects, economists, political scientists, pharmacists, school principals, civil service executives and civilian contractors.[3][6]

"The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed. Increasingly salaried managers and professionals have replaced individual business owners and independent professionals. The key to the success of the upper middle class is the growing importance of educational certification... its lifestyles and opinions are becoming increasingly normative for the whole society. It is in fact a porous class, open to people... who earn the right credentials."- Dennis Gilbert, The American Class Structure, 1998.[5]

In addition to having autonomy in their work, above-average incomes, and advanced educations, the upper middle class also tends to be influential, setting trends and largely shaping public opinion.[3][5] Overall, members of this class are also secure from economic down-turns and, unlike their counterparts in the statistical middle class, do not need to fear downsizing, corporate cost-cutting, or outsourcing—an economic benefit largely attributable to their graduate degrees and comfortable incomes, likely in the top income quintile or top third.[1]

Income

Further information: Affluence in the United States, Household income in the United States, and Personal income in the United States

While many Americans cite income as the prime determinant of class, occupational status, educational attainment, and value systems are equally important variables. Income is in part determined by the scarcity of certain skill sets.[1] As a result an occupation that requires a scarce skill, the attainment of which is often achieved through an educational degree, and entrusts its occupant with a high degree of influence will usually offer high economic compensation. The high income is meant to ensure that individuals obtain the necessary skills (e.g., by attending law, medical, or graduate school) and complete their tasks with the necessary valor.[7] There are also differences between household and individual income. In 2005, 42% of US households (76% among the top quintile) had two or more income earners; as a result, 18% of households but only 5% of individuals had six figure incomes.[8] To illustrate, two nurses each making $55,000 per year can out-earn, in a household sense, a single attorney who makes a median of $95,000 annually.[9][10]

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, Willam Thompson and Joseph Hickey estimate the upper middle class to constitute roughly 15% of the population. Using the 15% figure one may conclude that the American upper middle class consists, strictly in an income sense, of professionals with personal incomes in excess of $62,500, who commonly reside in households with six figure incomes.[1][5][8][11] The difference between personal and household income can be explained by considering that 76% of households with incomes exceeding $90,000 (the top 20%) had two or more income earners.[8]

Income statistics[12][13]
Data Top third Top quarter Top quintile Top 15% Top 10% Top 5%
Household income[12]
Lower threshold (annual gross income) $65,000 $80,000 $91,705 $100,000 $118,200 $166,200
Exact Percentage of households 34.72% 25.60% 20.00% 17.80% 10.00% 5.00%
Personal income (age 25+)[13]
Lower threshold (annual gross income) $37,500 $47,500 $52,500 $62,500 $75,000 $100,000
Exact Percentage of individuals 33.55% 24.03% 19.74% 14.47% 10.29% 5.63%

Note that the above income thresholds may vary greatly based on region due to significant differences in average income based on region and urban, suburban, or rural development. In more expensive suburbs, the threshold for the top 15% of income earners may be much higher. For example, in 2006 the ten highest income counties had median household incomes of $85,000 compared to a national average of about $50,000. The top 15% of all US income earners nationally tend to be more concentrated in these richer suburban counties where the cost of living is also higher. If middle class households earning between the 50th percentile ($46,000) and the 85th percentile ($62,500) tend to live in lower cost of living areas, then their difference in real income may be smaller than what the differences in nominal income suggest.

Values

Those encompassing this station in life statistically espouse high regard for higher education, striving for themselves and their children to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Political ideology is not found to be co-related with social class,[citation needed] however, a statistical relationship is seen between the level of one's educational attainment and the likelihood of that person subscribing to a particular political ideology. In terms of income, liberals tend to be tied with pro-business conservatives.[14] Most mass affluent households tend to be more right wing-leaning on fiscal issues but more left wing-leaning on social issues.[15] The majority, between 50% and 60%, of households with incomes above $50,000 overall, not all of whom are upper middle class,[5] supported the Republican Party in the 2000, 2004 and 2006 elections.[16][16][17] Nevertheless, those with graduate degrees overall statistically favor the Democratic Party.[17][18][19] In 2005, 72% of surveyed full-time faculty members at four-year institutions, the majority of whom would be considered upper middle class,[1] identified themselves as liberal.[20]

The upper middle class is often the group that shapes society and brings social movements to the forefront. Movements such as the Peace Movement, The Anti-Nuclear Movement, Environmentalism, the Anti-smoking movement, and even in the past with Blue laws and the Temperance movement are all products of the upper middle class. Some claim this is because this is the largest class (and the lowest class) with any true political power for positive change, while others claim some of the more restrictive social movements (such as with smoking and drinking) are based upon "saving people from themselves."[3]

British upper middle class

See also: Social structure of the United Kingdom

Template:Integrate The Upper Middle class in Britain consists of the educated professionals who generally come from higher income backgrounds. This stratum, in England, traditionally uses Received Pronunciation natively. A typical Mosaic geodemographic type for this group would be cultural leadership.

This social class is not easily defined and personal wealth is not a necessary criterion. Family background, connections are important. Understatement, in both behaviour and taste, is a defining characteristic of the British upper middle class. However, not all members of these professions are from this class and an upper-middle-class individual sometimes may not work in one of the traditional professions. Other distinctive lifestyle features are such things as taking more than one annual holiday travelling abroad. Ski holidays in France or New England in winter, Easter breaks in Barbados, and summers in Ireland are typical examples. While every major urban conurbanation would have representatives of this group, London and the Home Counties is where this class would be most visible and prominent. Tastefully furnished four-bedroom detached houses in the green-belt areas of leafy suburban Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and the western reaches of Kent are especially well populated by this class. Much like their American counterpart, the British upper middle class can be subdivided in two, distinguishing a socially liberal but fiscally conservative professional subclass, and the more conservative leaning managerial, executive subclass. Politically this is also reflected in the professional wing often voting more along Liberal Democrat lines and the managerial, executive set voting almost exclusively Conservative.

Upper middle class families may also have ancestry that directly connects them to the upper classes. Armorial bearings in the form of an escutcheon may denote such past status. A lesser status historically directly relevant to the upper-middle class is that of squire or lord of the manor, however, these property rights are no longer prevalent. Another distinguishing feature of this class is a noticeable prevalence of double-barrelled surnames.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Thompson, William (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-205-41365-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Society in Focus" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-26111-3. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-0973331. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Cite error: The named reference "The Inner Life of the Middle Class" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy". Retrieved 25 July 2006.
  5. ^ a b c d e Gilbert, Dennis (1998). The American Class Structure. New York: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN 0-534-50520-1. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ "Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor". Retrieved 26 July 2006.
  7. ^ Levine, Rhonda (1998). Social Class and Stratification. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-8476-8543-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ a b c "US Census Bureau, income quintile and top 5% [[Household income in the United States|household income distribution]] and demographic characteristics, 2006". Retrieved 28 December 2006. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  9. ^ "US Department of Labor, median income of registered nurses". Retrieved 2 January 2007.
  10. ^ "Bureau of Labor statistics data published by Monster.com, 20 highest paying jobs". Retrieved 27 December 2006.
  11. ^ "US Census Bureau, distribution of personal income, 2006". Retrieved 9 December 2006.
  12. ^ a b "US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006". Retrieved 28 December 2006.
  13. ^ a b "US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006". Retrieved 28 December 2006.
  14. ^ "Pew Research Center. (10 May 2005). Beyond Red vs. Blue". Retrieved 12 July 2007.
  15. ^ ", R. & Saad, L. (9 December 2004). Marketing to the Mass Affluent. Gallup Management Journal". Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  16. ^ a b "CNN. (2000). Exit Poll". Archived from the original on 22 May 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2008.
  17. ^ a b "CNN. (2004). Exit Poll". Retrieved 27 May 2008. Cite error: The named reference "CNN. (2004). Exit Poll." was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  18. ^ [1] "Exit polls"
  19. ^ "CNN. (2006). Exit Poll". Retrieved 11 July 2007.
  20. ^ "Kurtz, H. (29 March 2005). College Faculties A Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds. The Washington Post". 29 March 2005. Retrieved 2 July 2007.

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