Dear E Knox,

Firstly Congratulations for having the initiative
to go on a Forum such as this one in your search
for information. Getting different opinions from
a wide variety of people - will only add to your
education.

Well done!

My strong suggestion to you is - go to your school
library, or your local library, or any large
regional public library - and try to get hold of
a copy of the following book:

"Class in Australia : Who Says Australia has no Class System?"
by Craig McGregor. 2ND EDITION, Published by Penguin, 2001.

As the Summary of the book states, "This revised and updated
edition is a must-have book for all those with an interest
in Australian Society. As the inequalities in our Society
grow; class matters more than ever."

Another excellent book that has a very informative write
up on Class is the general Sociology text -
called - "Sociology," by Ian Robertson. There's quite
an excellent listing under Class in the Subject Index
at the back of the book. Your local library should have
a copy.

Hope this helps.

All The Best

Therein lies the difference between you and I, Yabby.
Less than 10% of the population make the sort of money we pay the people who are supposed to represent us.
while I worry for the 90%, Yabby thinks thinks what's good for Yabby, is good for the world.
Still alright, Jack?

E Knox,

1. Why are there class differences? Because people make them, they are human constructs
2. What does this serve? The question might be better put, “Who?” Rather than “What?, they serve the people who create them, we create them to serve us.

To understand why and how society changes we need to understand the cause rather than the effect. Whilst the effect might be the creation of “class structures” or any other social human construct for that matter, the causes are much more to do with human wants, needs and desires. Since human attitudes, values and beliefs (AVB’s) also vary dramatically, as do our personality types, each responds differently to the key influences on our lives. In today’s world the main influences are social, scientific, political, economic, religious and ecological. (SSPERE factors)

The permutations of the above human influences and attributes result of course, in the 6.5 billion individuals on our planet, however, for the purpose on analysis, we can place individuals into groups, within regions, nations, states, localized demographics or even down to granular family units.

So one possible approach to your “deconstruct” might be to select a “class structure”, examine its key attributes, then examine the human needs and values at group level that would “cause” that class structure to be created.

Sounds very mechanical and process driven however, it is a subject that expands exponentially in terms of content as the deconstruct progresses. So keep it as tight and simple as possible. An added bonus to this approach is the direction and focus it provides to research and further reading. My feeble efforts to research related topics are now up to chapter 14, 65,000 words and still going.

I’ve also found it helpful to view class structures more positively than is typical. You may well discover that as a human construct they are created to serve the needs of those who create them, maintain those who inherit them or sustain the power of those who impose them.

Hope some of this helps, good luck.

*while I worry for the 90%,*

Grim, your worry is of course unfounded, for we know that one does
not need to earn what the top 10% earn, to be happy and content with
life.

Indeed there are plenty of people earning just "average", doing
very well and happy with their lives.

Yet some people, no matter how much they earn, still can't cope.
Michael Jackson earned hundreds of millions, yet blew even more,
still dying in debt.

What does make people miserable however, is envy. No matter what
they have, they want even more, above all as much as the other guy
or even more.

Interesting project E Knox

I'm with Col Rouge on this. Class and money are not in any way synonymous.

The class system in the UK that had worked there since the Industrial Revolution may have had some impact on Australia in the early days. But that system died out - even in the UK - after the impact of two world wars.

There used to be an Upper Class, which was effectively titled folk complete with country houses. A Middle Class, which spanned a fairly wide spectrum, but included most professionals - lawyers etc. And a Working Class, whose jobs were in factories, docks, on the farms or as clerks etc.

As Col points out, none of these classifications was determined by money. You could be Upper Class and broke, or Middle Class and stinking rich, but the Class itself did not change. (Two words, Col: Alan Sugar)

There is little left of that system today, and money does seem to play a more important role, but that simply means that Class is being eliminated as a factor, not that it is changing into something else.

“As Col points out, none of these classifications was determined by money. You could be Upper Class and broke, or Middle Class and stinking rich, but the Class itself did not change. ..”

Can you explain that… like an upper class beggar in the gutter would be treated as a higher class and accorded a certain respect by the lower class rich person?

“There is little left of that system today, and money does seem to play a more important role, but that simply means that Class is being eliminated as a factor, not that it is changing into something else.”

Pericles are you looking for a better word than what “class” is to describe the treatment one gets in public when one obviously has money compared to when one obviously doesn’t?

People don’t stop and ask you what sort of person you are or your background when out shopping, they look you up and down and decide how they will treat you based on how you look, what you have, what you drive yeah? So this places you in whichever class doesn’t it?

You can join a different class with money by joining the right clubs, giving to the right charities, living in the right neighborhood? Or if lucky you can be born going to the right schools while your parents do the rest until you can take over? But that all takes dosh.

I've seen lots of users on here say they are working class or middle class (they seem the acceptable two) so I figure it is still in the culture here. It also still appears based on the money earnt.