Are your ears burning?

[Gonzo]

AFAIK the Upper/Middle/Lower classification system was considered redundant at the end of the 1980s, when the A/B/C1/C2/D/E system was preferred.

I think things have moved on since then, but I am by no means an expert*










* by which I mean that I have done no CPD on the subject since University.

[expat]

Agreed. If one is upper class, or working class, one always remains so, irrespective or career choice or income.

The middle classes offer far more mobility - up and down.

Ref your excellent original summary: the attributes of the upper class are less likely to change with circumstances than those of the middle class.

[expat]

Yes.

According to something I saw or read that I've mentioned here before, "class" has been around as a concept only since the middle of the 19th century. It replaced "rank", which was unchangeable.

That would make sense. Without the middle class, the class system with some mobility degenerates into a rank system with no mobility.

[Pondlife]

If you ever wonder what class you are, you're middle. The ones either side don't give a damn.

HTH