Class Distinction

Fussell begins with a distinction in the ``standard'' view of class break down in America. The traditional sociologist's model of the class break down is roughly as follows:

• Upper Class
• Upper-Middle Class
• Middle Class
• Lower-Middle Class
• Lower Class

Fussell, on the other hand, breaks the classes into the following sections:

• Top out-of-sight
• Upper
• Upper middle
• Middle
• High Prole
• Mid Prole
• Low Prole
• Destitute
• Bottom out-of-sight

The former model is based almost entirely on the amount of income, or amount of money that you are worth. Whereas, Fussell states that money alone does not define your class, hence the latter model.

In fact, Fussell points out that given two families living next to each other making roughly the same amount of money, except that one's blue collar and the other's white collar, their difference in behaviour and attitude, as well as style, is much more noticeable. Here are two families, which are not at all identical, yet their income is the same. It's not the fact that the uppers have money, Fussell underscores, but rather how they have their money that matters.