"The Classes"

How did Industry affect the classes? Their creation? Stereotype? Divisions? Let's see.

We're starting to see that Industry created a "class consciousness". Just by observing one's dress, language, or even the way they walk...one can see the "class" to which one belonged. Simply compare a "party" of the upper class (above) to that of the lower class (below). Yes, the lower classes usually got drunk and rode around breaking things!

Lower- and lower-middle-class "parties" usually resulted in drunken debauchery

The chief irony of "class consciousness", as illustrated in the cartoon below, was that, yes, Industry created classes, but it also created "hypocrisy": most classes seemed to have "forgotten" from where they came!

Industry brought money, and unfortunately, brought an increase in the "income gap". The graphs below show that the income gap in both England and France actually increased; one might expect that, with more money, there'd be more to "go around". This simply wasn't the case. 

Income inequality (or "inegalitarianism") in England. Note that it falls significantly from 1750 to 1875)

Income inequality (or "inegalitarianism") in France. Note that it falls significantly from 1750 to 1875)

Industry created money. Money created classes. And classes created variance. The "middle class" (those who now had a bit money to spend) divided themselves subsequently based on how much money they had to spend:

1. "Upper Middle" Class: 20% of the "middle class" and receives 60% of the middle class’ income…
2. “Middle Middle" Class: 20% of the "middle class" that differentiates itself within this class based on “displayed” interests (apartment living, travel, food and clothing) 
3. "Lower Middle" or “Working Class”: 60% of the "middle class" that divided itself between the skilled and unskilled workers. The so called “labor aristocracy” consisted of the highly skilled, construction bosses, factory foremen and "special skilled"

The "middle class" in general depended on your "collar": A "white collar job" (businessmen, bankers, doctors and lawyers) made the most money while the "blue color workers" (mechanics, factory workers, grocers and merchants) made as much money as possible within their class

The "upper middle class" could afford "posh" apartments where they could hold soirres and grand parties

The "working class" was divided between the "skilled" and the "unskilled". It was unfortunate that, often times, the "skilled" and the carry the weight of the "unskilled"

The "Labor Aristocracy" made it their main goal save as much money as possible (in the banks) in the hopes of "jumping classes" to the middle-middle class