In the USA, up to a hundred years ago, most were small farmers. They had a fairly limited world.
The educated class was very small. Few were rich,
Most education was within the family, and being able to speak the language, read, write, do math, in your head, was the mark of being acceptable.
Class evolved late, as robber barons amassed great wealth, through buying politicians. The 400 were families who mixed with each other, for the general population would have killed a few.
So it starts with an economic class, which others then aspire to, in fashion, about all they could afford, they could look like they might be worth something. Since everyone was looking for the same, they used each other.
Work was sweat shops and factories, but the pictures of the time show very well dressed wage slaves. Clothes were about all they could own.
Few were educated.
The class divisions were country hicks, who wore work clothes, had their Sunday best, and a very small world. Five years of readin, writin, and cypher were considered enough wasted time.
City people were a class above, they were moderns in industry. Seeing the photos of railroads being built, the men wore suits, white shirts, ties, to drive spikes.
Most lived in rented rooms, it was not an ownership group.
Blue collar comes from the skilled tradesmen. they ran production machines, or trains, and each adopted a uniform of work clothing to denote they were Skilled Labor. They made $2 a week more.
WWI and the Flu reduced the male population and sent it overseas.
This caused lower rent and higher wages, for young women. By the time th emen got back the women were wearing short hair, short skirts, and had some money saved up. The economy boomed, till 1929.
During the Depression, those in bread lines at soup kitchens were well dressed, even if their suit was a few years old.
America was basically two classes, those barely holding on, and those looking to start over.
Many of the rich were highly leveraged, and the crash lead to them jumping out of windows.
Post WWII, we were one big class, as only those who are well trained to kill can be.
The goal was still small, a little house, a car, dress well but not fancy.
War industries had broduced a lot of good technology, it was being applied to civilian use, it was a boom. By 1957 it lead to over production, By 1960 another war. Viet Nam. I was 15.
I think of myself as Technology Class, for it was great stuff, and by 18 I was running room sized IBM punchcard systems.
I see a watershed. Before, people used the technology that existed, my group was a market for Science Fiction. We looked forward.
Some sought education for technology, some for the money. We were the first broadly educated generation. We were fairly equal, even freeing Blacks, and Indians in 1974.
The rest was the era of Yuppi Scum tring anything to rise, which lead to the Savings and Loan looting, Worldcom, Enron, the Dotcom Bubble, and Goldman Sachs stealing the future.
Yuppi Scum wanted the Mercedes and the Armani, the big house, and they are our big losers now.
America is still one Class, the angry.
09 Mar 2010, 1:38 pm
