I reckon that people still fight to belong to ever more exclusive sets from the keeping up with the Jones's and their new three piece suite of one household to the striving for the exclusivity of the town tennis club of anothers. Maybe even private education for the children to keep them ahead of the game. I think the class system is still rife.
We innately strive for better positions for ourselves in some form or other, Sadly it does mean that this maybe occurs at the expense of others. However its to the extent of the expense to others may be what determines how we and others feel about ourselves. Of course there are people who don't fit into these catagories but by and large they are very very rare.
I think all the sensible answers have been given, so take a look at this......
:thumbup:
Classic!
Dearest Members,
A work collegue asked me the exact same question the other day & my answers where:
Working Class:
Drinks Beer & plans in weeks at best months in advance.
Middle Class:
Drinks Wine & plans in months at best years in advance.
By planning I mean in ambition from doing up the House to career aspirations.
From,
Wunderhorse.
There are many ways to divide society but someone who qualifies for a group on, say, income, may not qualify by, say, education.
I could create groups based on finances such as:
1. Housing and income dependent on the state.
2. Housing rented with earned income supplemented by the state.
3. Housing rented with no state support.
4. Housing mortgaged with no state support.
5. Housing paid for with no state support.
6. Housing paid for, fixed income from pensions.
A person's educational background may affect this, but it doesn't dictate it. To be honest, long-term health probably has more effect on the the financial status you end up in.
What annoys me is that people (not on here) are using the term "working class" as a term of abuse and applying it - totally incorrectly - to the group of people on long-term and generational benefits.
And what am I? Not sure, I have a degree and work in a blue-chip company using that degree - doesn't that make me a member of the professional class?
I have a mortgage on a 4 bed house - does that make me middle-class?
I HAVE zero savings and have to work full time in order to pay my mortgage/bills etc and if I lose my job I lose my home, I reckon that makes me working class.
When it comes down to it, artificial divisions are there purely to make life easier for the statisticians. They shouldn't EVER be used to judge a person's worth as a human being.
Oh dear, I am ranting tonight.
sooooooooooo much i'd like to say on class I don't know where to begin .....so I won't...other than I am working class and proud of it...my definition the working classes are of value and keep the world working, the middle classes are parasites and produce nothing.
:rotflmao: 
too your mind, simple how you placed an answer to such a complex question yet correct.
