Some people are in the middle.
They have enough for food and a home. They can also buy extra things. This helps them learn and stay well. It is a big group of people. Do you know people like this?
Some people are in the middle.
They are not the poorest. They are not the richest. They have enough for food and a home. They also have money left for extra things. This helps them go to school. It helps them stay well.
This group is growing fast in many lands. It is a very big group of people. Many people around the world are in this group now.
The middle class is a group of people in the middle of society. They are not the poorest people. They are also not the wealthiest people.
People define this group in many ways. Some look at how much money a person makes. Others look at their jobs or their school. In the United States, many people call themselves middle class. In other lands, these same people might be called the working class.
In the past, the term meant something different. Long ago, a group called the bourgeoisie lived in cities. They were between the rich nobles and the poor farmers. In France, this group helped start a big revolution.
Today, the middle class is growing very fast. In 2009, a report said over half the world is middle class. This is because many new countries are growing.
Being middle class often means having extra money. After paying for food and a home, people have money left. They use this money for health care. They also use it to help their children go to school.
The middle class is a group of people in the middle of a social hierarchy. This group sits between the poorest people and the wealthiest people.
People use many different ways to define this class. Some look at how much money a person earns each year. Others look at a person's job, their education, or their social status. In the United States, the term is used very often. However, the term can mean different things in different countries. For example, some people in the U.S. might be called the working class elsewhere.
How we define the middle class can change based on many factors. Some people use income to decide who belongs in this group. The OECD says it includes households earning between 75% and 200% of a nation's median income. Other people look at whether someone has a college degree. This might include doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Some definitions focus on lifestyle and values. This includes things like owning a house or having a secure job.
Even manners or a person's accent can be used to judge status in the United Kingdom.
The idea of a middle class has a long history. The term first appeared in a pamphlet by James Bradshaw in 1745. Before that, people in Europe used the phrase "the middling sort." In the past, thinkers like Friedrich Engels saw this group as a bridge. They saw them as being between the nobility and the peasants. In France, this middle group helped drive the French Revolution. They eventually became a new ruling class in capitalist societies. Later, a 1913 report in the UK helped define the term more clearly. It described the middle class as people between the upper and working classes.
Many different thinkers have studied how these classes work. Karl Marx looked at how people own the tools used for work. He saw the middle class, or bourgeoisie, as people who lived in cities. In modern times, some call this the "professional-managerial class." This group includes people like teachers, nurses, and managers. These workers have high levels of training and education. They earn salaries that are often above the average. However, they do not own the large businesses themselves. They work as salaried employees within the larger system.
Today, the middle class is growing very quickly around the world. In February 2009, a report by The Economist said something amazing. It said over half of the world's population belonged to the middle class. This growth happened because many emerging countries are growing fast.
Being middle class often means having "discretionary income." This is the money left over after paying for food and a home. Having this extra money allows people to buy new things. It also helps them pay for better health care. Most importantly, it helps them provide a good education for their children.
The middle class is a social group positioned in the center of a social hierarchy. This group sits between the wealthiest elite and the poorest members of society. People use many different criteria to define who belongs to this class. Some definitions focus on income levels or specific occupations. Others look at education, social status, or even personal values. Because these definitions change, the size and meaning of the middle class can vary significantly between different countries and eras.
One way to understand the middle class is through income and spending. The OECD defines middle-class households as those earning between 75% and 200% of a nation's median income. Another way to measure this is through discretionary income. This is the money a person has left after paying for basic needs like food and shelter. For example, *The Economist* suggested that being middle class begins when a person has roughly one-third of their income left for discretionary spending. This extra money allows people to buy consumer goods, improve their healthcare, and pay for their children's education.
Sociologists also look at the specific types of people within this group. One category is the professional-managerial class. This group includes salaried mental workers like teachers, nurses, engineers, and managers. These individuals usually have high levels of training and university degrees. While they earn salaries that are often above the national average, they do not own the means of production. This means they do not own the large businesses or factories where they work. Instead, they are employees who help manage the daily operations of a capitalist system.
Another type is the petite bourgeoisie, a term often used in Marxist theory. This group consists of people who own small to medium-sized businesses. Unlike the large elite, their income comes from employing a small number of workers. However, in modern capitalist economies, the term "middle class" has shifted. It now often describes a combination of the "labour aristocracy," professionals, and white-collar workers. Because of economic boom-and-bust cycles, people in this group may sometimes move between being middle class and being working class.
The history of this term shows how society has changed over hundreds of years. The phrase "middle class" was first recorded in a 1745 pamphlet by James Bradshaw. Before this, people in Europe often used the phrase "the middling sort." In the 18th century, thinkers like Friedrich Engels noted a new group of city-dwellers called the bourgeoisie. These were merchants who lived between the nobility and the peasants. In France, this group played a major role in driving the French Revolution. Eventually, they helped transform from a middle group into a new ruling class.
Cultural differences also change how the middle class is viewed. In the United Kingdom, social status has historically been linked to things like manners, accents, or the type of school a person attended. In the United States, the term is used very broadly. By the end of the 20th century, many more Americans identified as middle class compared to other groups. This shows that the way we label ourselves depends heavily on the social rules of our specific country.
In recent decades, the middle class has seen massive global growth. By February 2009, *The Economist* reported that over half of the world's population belonged to the middle class. This change was driven by rapid growth in emerging countries. Interestingly, the number of middle-class people in Asia grew to exceed those in the West around 2007 or 2008. This growth is not always slow and steady; in many places, it has been described as explosive. As more people move into this group, they change the economies and political landscapes of their nations.
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