Middle Classes

“The Bourgeoisie Century”

Development of the Middle Class

• Bourgeoisie– as strong a sense of self-identity as did anyone– Post-Napoleonic era

• Aristocracy– Hereditary – ascribed status– Buy-in

Middle Class…es

• Middle Classes– Not homogeneous– Shared cultural values and symbols– Reactionary when challenged

– Journal des De’bat, 1847: “The Bourgeoisie is not a class, it is a position. One acquires that position and loses it. Work, thrift, and ability confer it, vice, dissipation, and idleness mean it can be lost.”

Middle Classes

• Aristocrats– idleness

• Effects of the French Revolution– Removal of legal blocks to advancement– Extrinsic motivation for advancement (Napoleon)– “Endless work to get ahead” ethos– “In muck there’s brass”– Increasingly a lifestyle to be emulated and

maintained.

Middle Classes• Frederick Engels

• "One day I walked with one of these middle class gentlemen into Manchester. I spoke to him about the disgraceful, unhealthy slums and drew his attention to the disgusting condition of that part of town in which the factory workers lived. I declared that I'd never seen so badly built a town in my life. He listened patiently and at the end of the corner of a street at which we parted, he remarked, ‘And yet, there is a good deal of money to be made here. Good morning, sir. And he walked away."

Middle Classes

• 1830’s:–Workers "should be constantly

harassed by need, for then he will not set his children a bad example and his poverty will be the guarantee of good behavior."

Middle Classes

• Formation of voluntary associations– Helping the poor– Moralizing on habits of the poor

– SPCA- • “One must love animals, but not fraternize with animals.”• Bull fights

• Church-going– Much greater % of the “Middle Classes”

Middle Classes

• Census- Who is “Middle Class?”–Wills• Britain- approaching 25%• Paris 17 – 19%• Northern Italy, Hanseatic cities, Madrid,

Barcelona,• Russia- Moscow & St Petersburg; ~ 2%

Middle Classes

• Who is “Middle Class?”– “Great Bourgeoisie”

• Financiers (Bankers)• Wholesale Merchants, Shipping magnates-

– Political power

– Industrialists – Merchants – Lawyers – Doctors

– Petit Bourgeoisie • (Petty Bourgeoisie)*******************ECONOMY***********************

Middle Classes

• What do they want?– Social mobility– Vote- political power– Education for their children– Credit – Privacy– The right to bear arms– “The Children’s Hour”– Birth control

• How is this measured?

Middle Classes

• IN CONCLUSION- –The Middle classes vary extremely• Common material culture• Competitive• They want the vote• They can become unified quickly