Is Ireland a "Classless Society" ?

Fulton Crown

Interesting but short discussion on this on Tubridy programme recently.

Is Ireland a classless society and to what extent do home location, occupation, accent, cloths, school ,car , colour , club nationality etc.define your class ?

If Ireland is NOT a classless society what are the classes ?

Is there a difference between New Money / Old Money - is there still a "Cork Merchant Prince" class.

How are classes defined - what is "working class" ?

Soccer / GAA / Rugby / Hockey / Cricket - is there a class divide - and the darling Mums who bring their D4 princesses to Loreto on the Green in their SUV'S every day ????? Where do they fit ?.

I know what i think !!

4zn76tysfajdxp

I'm pretty class, if I may say so myself.

stovelid

Upper Class
Credit Class
Underclass

Captain Darling

Fulton Crown wrote: »

I know what i think !!

And what might that be?

anniehoo

stovelid wrote: »

Upper Class snobs..D4 SUV driving muppets
Credit Class pretty much myself and everyone i know
Underclass skangers in pyjamas in spar

My version

Ebonyellie

good quote from the commitments - when Jimmy told the band they were a working class band they replied" we would be if there was any work"

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

It's more 'tribal' than class.

jaycen

Ireland is a classless society bu there are some that would love to have a cast system here.:D

Kiera

Fulton Crown wrote: »

Interesting but short discussion on this on Tubridy programme recently.

What are you doing listening to that prick?

Biggins

Cobblers.

There is Fianna Fail with no class and the rest of us with (even) a modicum of class!

Fulton Crown

Kiera wrote: »

What are you doing listening to that prick?

Just caught it before Cowens press conference...cnunt of a taxi driver wouldn't turn it off.

ScumLord

There's all the new money that think their upper class but infact have no class. Then there's all the begrudgers that would be exactly the same if they had the money.

The old upper class want to be working class but can't and then there's a inner city scum that never went to class.

Dragan

Eh, no, we don't have "classes". We have certain economic based catagories that we place people in and called them "classes" but that is it.

Classes, as far as i am aware, as based around you place on a monarchal society and your role within it.

LouOB

stovelid wrote: »

Upper Class
Credit Class
Underclass

Was just about to add that
IMO we are going to see people who are up to their tonsils in debt sliding back into the lower class i.e. bread line, due to greed or lack of employment

People who were cautious during 'splash the cash' phase will keep an even kneel still. Therefore, middle classes will be demishing and poverty/lower classes expanding. Especially since education fees going up - less chance for lower classes to get access to education..

Eoin

Dragan wrote: »

Eh, no, we don't have "classes". We have certain economic based catagories that we place people in and called them "classes" but that is it.

Classes, as far as i am aware, as based around you place on a monarchal society and your role within it.

I agree with that - I think we have quite a flat structure. We don't have an upper class anyway, with the exception of the likes of Lord Whoever from Slane. The D4/Foxrock/SUV crowd, or whatever inverted-snobbery name you wish to call them are not upper class, and would not be upper class in Britain either.

The building boom meant that tradesman are/were living in the same areas as the people in the traditional "professional" middle class (bankers, dentists, doctors etc), which makes for a much more diverse society.

Earthhorse

There's a book that charts this phenomena quite well.

It's called The National Guide to Evening and Night Classes for anyone interested in picking it up.

Cookie_Monster

There's no class left in this country at all:D


Other than that:
Rich tax dodger class
Stepped on Middle class (Can be further divided in upper, middle and lower)
Freeloading Skanger class

coco06

It seems to me that there is an increase in the number of lower class/scum bags in society.
here is what i think describes that type of being...

People who wear pyjamas in public
Lads who play with themselves walking down the street
Lads with mullet haircuts and tracksuits
girls who talk like the lads with the mullets
drugies

PeakOutput

of course there are class's but most people belong to the middle class so most people think that everyone is the same as them

the so called upper class will shrink in the current economic climate thus expanding the middle class

the traditional 'working class' is dissapearing too but this is a world wide phenomenon, as a result of the globalisation and the information age, not just an irish one

people want there to be a classless society because traditionally working class/lower class has been a derogatory term but it just happens to be a convenient way of describing a group of people who do certain jobs and are on certain incomes

kevmy

Class to me is something that is impossible to get away from and will be with you all your life.

In England for example if you are born a toff you'll die a toff even if you spend all your money on cocaine and hookers and die bankrupt.

Same in India if you are born in the lower caste you find it extremely difficult to migrate upwards even if you make shedloads of cash.

In Ireland we have a natural divide between rich and poor with most of the people in between the two extremes. But if the rich lost all their cash they could very easily end up with the poor. Vice versa for some rags to riches entrepreneur

getz

the word class may not exist in ireland but snobbery sure is

SEPT 23 1989

there is no Upper Class in Ireland

Marcus.Aurelius

There's still the three classes plus 1 new one and a subdivision of another I reckon.

Upper Class - Pay the least tax (really) and never help the lower classes except to show off their generosity and wealth

Middle Class - Upper - Pay the most tax and are fairly well off, but get screwed on PAYE, VAT, PRSI, college fees, motor tax, petrol and all that. Still find money hard to come by in reality.

Middle Class - Upper - Pay less tax but are not that well off, get better PAYE relief but pay the same motor tax, petrol and VAT. College fees are reimbursed, but they still find it hard to send the kid off on their money.

Working Class - Minimum wage but desperately trying to live life properly, but unskilled makes it hard. Money tight, but govt helps a bit (never as much as they should). Kids go to college, but tough on the money.

Skanger Class - maximum spongers, never worked a day in their lives. Fully intend to be breastfed by the state forever and thieve their way through life. Pay no tax except VAT (where they actually pay for stuff).

Classless society? That's the most naive thing I've heard in years. Just because we don't talk about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Think Fianna Failures and you'll get the idea!

Marcus.Aurelius

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

there is no Upper Class in Ireland

Broadcasters, doctors, lawyers, politicians and the like? Take off the blindfold.

scruff321

anniehoo wrote: »

My version

i think u can shove your version up your hole

asdasd

The D4/Foxrock/SUV crowd, or whatever inverted-snobbery name you wish to call them are not upper class, and would not be upper class in Britain either.

Upper class depends on the society. D4 is definitely upper class. try working out how much you would have to earn to live there.

No capitalist country is classless ( and in reality no communist country either), but there are countrys - like the USA - where there isnt really a class accent ( at least in standard American West Coast - Mid West accent),

A country certainly has a stratified class if you can listen to the 5 year old and tell it's class and ( by and large) it's future.

Can you do that in Ireland - in Dublin? I think you can.

kmick

Class/Caste only exists when you cant escape from it. In Ireland anyone can be reasonably successful if they apply themselves and work hard.

Eoin

asdasd wrote: »

Upper class depends on the society. D4 is definitely upper class. try working out how much you would have to earn to live there..

I would consider upper class to be title based, not just wealth. For instance, there are upper class people (Lords etc) in the UK who are poor.

Latchy

Joker wrote: »

There's still the three classes plus 1 new one and a subdivision of another I reckon.

Upper Class - Pay the least tax (really) and never help the lower classes except to show off their generosity and wealth

Middle Class - Upper - Pay the most tax and are fairly well off, but get screwed on PAYE, VAT, PRSI, college fees, motor tax, petrol and all that. Still find money hard to come by in reality.

Middle Class - Upper - Pay less tax but are not that well off, get better PAYE relief but pay the same motor tax, petrol and VAT. College fees are reimbursed, but they still find it hard to send the kid off on their money.

Working Class - Minimum wage but desperately trying to live life properly, but unskilled makes it hard. Money tight, but govt helps a bit (never as much as they should). Kids go to college, but tough on the money.

Skanger Class - maximum spongers, never worked a day in their lives. Fully intend to be breastfed by the state forever and thieve their way through life. Pay no tax except VAT (where they actually pay for stuff).

Classless society? That's the most naive thing I've heard in years. Just because we don't talk about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Think Fianna Failures and you'll get the idea!

That's the phototype and a near enough discription of the populace of small country like ireland but you cant really but people into little boxs and brackets like that .People are people

dsmythy

Super rich class
Political class
Well off class
The rest of us poor bastards class.
Underclass

getz

CLASS--in biological classification, a group of related orders---yep you have them in ireland

asdasd

upper class to be title based

Nope. Thats a definition of aristocratic and would mean - if true - that there is no Upper Class in Republics, which is silly.

As a definition of aristocratic it works.

Marcus.Aurelius

latchyco wrote: »

That's the phototype and a near enough discription of the populace of small country like ireland but you cant really but people into little boxs and brackets like that .People are people

They aren't in boxes or brackets, it's just the facts of life. Sure enough, someone could make a fortune and move into the upper class bracket.

Class relates to your earnings moreso than your prospects, although the skanger class are somewhat at a disadvantage in some regards. But class doesn't become a label for life anymore, its transient until you have your own life mapped out and job in hand, then your class is set at your earnings and outgoings.

asdasd

But class doesn't become a label for life anymore, its transient until you have your own life mapped out and job in hand, then your class is set at your earnings and outgoings.

Ah but that is what we are debating. Nobody is naive enough to think that economic classes dont exist ( I hope) but does class as a tribe exist. Something you have through life?

In the UK it does. There are posh bums and working class capitalists ( Alan Sugar).

Marcus.Aurelius

asdasd wrote: »

Ah but that is what we are debating. Nobody is naive enough to think that economic classes dont exist ( I hope) but does class as a tribe exist. Something you have through life?

In the UK it does. There are posh bums and working class capitalists ( Alan Sugar).

The distinction is quite clear as regards Upper, Middle/Lower and Skanger classes. And I believe there is definitely some social segregation in that regard. Especially among the younger crowd now, (<22 years old), I see it all the time at work or college.

EamonnKeane

Dragan wrote: »

Eh, no, we don't have "classes". We have certain economic based catagories that we place people in and called them "classes" but that is it.

Classes, as far as i am aware, as based around you place on a monarchal society and your role within it.

No, classes are economic strata. The monarchy and aristocracy was a system put in place by the wealthy to justify and maintain their position.

Middle Class - Upper - Pay the most tax and are fairly well off, but get screwed on PAYE, VAT, PRSI, college fees, motor tax, petrol and all that. Still find money hard to come by in reality.

Find money hard to come by? Upper middle class are doctors, lawyers, upper management types on €2000+ a week.

Fulton Crown

What class doe that make the freekin Penny Apple man ? Bill Cullen or indeed Mr Highrise Ballsbridge.????.

Or Dufficer - the peoples friend from Loiveliane.

Fooooked if I know

FlutterinBantam

I'll tell ya Fulton knackers in a word, that's the answer.

"Seen" and "Done" merchants that's what I call 'em.Always finds 'em out.

Money doesn't buy class

Nermal

EamonnKeane wrote: »

No, classes are economic strata.

spoken like a pleb. class has nothing to do with money.

dRNk SAnTA

We don't have a classist society. What do rich people in Ireland have incommon apart from money? They come from diverse backgrounds, many are self made.

Davidius

Any class distinction that exists in this country is pretty negligible.

Elmo

I am sure this has been said before on this thread.

Ireland does have a certain class society but not in the same way as many other european countries.

I think their are the Elites (Politicians, Developers, High Court Judges etc), Semi-Elites (Doctors, Solitiors, i.e. traditional Professionals), Middle (Nurses, Gardai, Teachers), lower (Unemployed, Older people, children) and then the have nots.

But anyone can be in any of these grouping, so it becomes a bit pointless to define these types of groups.

getz

dont know about you but if i see a young lass walking down the road i can tell if she has class

Elmo

getz wrote: »

dont know about you but if i see a young lass walking down the road i can tell if she has class

Yeah but it doesn't tell you what section of society she is from. Anyone can have style that is different to class.

For example there is a Judge who always seems to be on the news (in picture) and he is the scruffiest looking person, he is big and fat, he has his shirt out side his pants, his hair all over his head etc etc but he is a highly paid Judge.

AARRRGH

There is a class system in Ireland - it is based on accent.

ejmaztec

There are three classes in Ireland:

Upper - no wheels on their accommodation.

Middle - used to have wheels on their accommodation

Lower - at least two wheels on their accommodation.