I assume because the traditional definitions of working class do not translate well to modern society.
The terminology used to apply to anyone who could not afford to stop working without a significant limitation to survival. (I.E. no income generating assets). Nowadays, it has been used to exclude benefits claimants. Often even when those claimants work. And many landlords with income generating assets or farm owners etc. Would def include themselves as working class.
As the language has evolved, the term working class just doesn’t mean what it used to. Poor gives a better definition (though far from perfect). Of people who have zero choice in how they live.
Working class no longer has the meaning it did to the populace. According to today’s dictionary, It should be unskilled, But most include skilled engineers etc. That no longer applies. The deffintion before that was between income earning asset ownership or not. Defined working vs middle class. No one really follows that any more.
Language evolves as its usage and definitions change, is a fact of history. And the evidence clearly points to a dilution in the meaning of classes in general. Heck, even upper class in no longer limited to those of aristocratic birth.
I also remember something about the meaning of goat changing a few hundred years back. Mainly due to science excluding sheep from the definition. But i’ve no idea where I heard that. Likely on eons. Glass used to refer to a volcanic process that created clearing stone. The current man-made product def did not exist. But the volcanic stuff is still called glass. So yeah, that one likely counts as expanded rather than evolved.
I’ll give you a freebie. Cloud has not really changed its meaning since the Norman conquest.
"Working class is an outdated term (IMVHO). The people of the social class that used to be termed ‘working class’ (say, pre-Thatcher > Blair) no longer have the job and social security that term denoted. The social contract for those people has been eroded away. On zero-hours contracts or in precarious (often ‘essential worker’) jobs, those people are more ‘working poor’ or ‘underclass’ now depending on exactly how much money they have in their pocket from month to month.
Edit - deleted some stuff about home ownership and voting that was too convoluted.
The term “working class” means someone whose income is based entirely on selling their labour. It’s nothing to do with job security or social security and never has been. The term is not outdated, it is as relevant as ever.
Just curious why you refer to the poor people you’re talking about as “formerly” working class?
I assume because the traditional definitions of working class do not translate well to modern society.
The terminology used to apply to anyone who could not afford to stop working without a significant limitation to survival. (I.E. no income generating assets). Nowadays, it has been used to exclude benefits claimants. Often even when those claimants work. And many landlords with income generating assets or farm owners etc. Would def include themselves as working class.
As the language has evolved, the term working class just doesn’t mean what it used to. Poor gives a better definition (though far from perfect). Of people who have zero choice in how they live.
I disagree.
Your welcome to. But evidence disagrees.
Working class no longer has the meaning it did to the populace. According to today’s dictionary, It should be unskilled, But most include skilled engineers etc. That no longer applies. The deffintion before that was between income earning asset ownership or not. Defined working vs middle class. No one really follows that any more.
Language evolves as its usage and definitions change, is a fact of history. And the evidence clearly points to a dilution in the meaning of classes in general. Heck, even upper class in no longer limited to those of aristocratic birth.
Are you able to provide references to some of that?
Some language does. The word “granite” means the same now as it did in 1900. Same with “sky” and “goat” and “glass”. And “working class”.
I also remember something about the meaning of goat changing a few hundred years back. Mainly due to science excluding sheep from the definition. But i’ve no idea where I heard that. Likely on eons. Glass used to refer to a volcanic process that created clearing stone. The current man-made product def did not exist. But the volcanic stuff is still called glass. So yeah, that one likely counts as expanded rather than evolved.
I’ll give you a freebie. Cloud has not really changed its meaning since the Norman conquest.
"Working class is an outdated term (IMVHO). The people of the social class that used to be termed ‘working class’ (say, pre-Thatcher > Blair) no longer have the job and social security that term denoted. The social contract for those people has been eroded away. On zero-hours contracts or in precarious (often ‘essential worker’) jobs, those people are more ‘working poor’ or ‘underclass’ now depending on exactly how much money they have in their pocket from month to month.
Edit - deleted some stuff about home ownership and voting that was too convoluted.
The term “working class” means someone whose income is based entirely on selling their labour. It’s nothing to do with job security or social security and never has been. The term is not outdated, it is as relevant as ever.