Middle class? Does it still exist?

Firstly may I apologise, that my blog has now become a weekly event, but as you see I do try to write a few at the same time and suggest that you can spread them out on a daily read and not have to read them all at once. This is because that after my work is finished on a Sunday, I am able to 'grab' the computer without any effort, as this is a voluntary working day and there are not many 'would be 'wanna be' on liners' around to scramble with.

A topic of conversation this week has been the demise of the 'middle class'. For those of you like myself that grew up in the ranges of that class level, you may know to what I mean. Growing up in a european society and going to the right school, affording more than one holiday a year and a few weekends away, was a normal part of the middle class level.

Education if not extended particulary to the male species, was also given to the daughters, even though their role was secondary to that of the brother. But, trips to cultural places and events was of prime importance, as a good solid knowledge of art, furniture, travel and music were the important criteria of being a well brought up young woman.

University at this stage of ones life was more often than not the goal, but a good marriage to an eligible bachelor the name of the game. If university was attended, it was never meant to be used, the degree just a testament to a good education and the role of motherhood being the main point.

A car or two, as well as large enough house and garden completed the picture and social status was of the upmost importance. Community service or charity work a must. As to my friends, most were of similar background and we all imagined that we would continue this way of life into our own marital status.

Today, a single mother of four, having left my spouse many years ago without any child support, I feel that the middle class of today is becoming a myth. From the point of view of education, social niceties and behavior, knowledge and experience, I am probably above the level of middle class - but my pocket does not keep me at that standard.

I work probably and definitely two or three times harder than my parent, but am financially the same two levels lower than he. I am not complaining, just observing. Is this because our taxes have become so high? Have we become a generation that is intent on earning the higher
salary at all costs, irrelevant if it effects our health, or indifferent to the fact that that extra hour or two just feeds more into the tax office pocket?

When discussing this with my students and comparing the average wage, with the lowest wage, which is just above the poverty line, the average wage if you are a houseowner being above low class, especially if you have the luxury of owning your own home. The middle class level being the hi tech and professional one, the salary good in comparison with others, but good enough to be 'middle class', probably not. As all the world over, the par between upper and lower is getting bigger and the middle, that is now
becoming an entity on its own. A three tier class in the middle kingdom.

So as the dollar drops, the gold rises, the oil price increases, inflation and recession raising their heads around us, the taxes in reformist China, still stay low, the food is inexpensive and the pressure is on the chinese congress to lower the taxes further, improve health care and ensure education. But remember, all are equal, so still nevertheless, those with money become ... and the poor become.... and the rest of us, are fluctuating somewhere in the middle.

As I keep saying to my students, do not mix up communism/socialism with government. Each government the world over, has a fair share of problems and mistakes; but they on the other hand, this curious and at times naive nation, is starved of outside freedom of information.