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36-560: Just after her wedding, American hardware heiress Pearl Saunders overhears her husband, Lord George Grayston, telling his mistress that he only married her for her money. Disillusioned, she grows hard and cynical. Five years later, she has made herself a force among the British upper class with her parties. Among her friends are divorced Duchess Minnie, gossip-loving Thornton Clay, philanthropic Princess Flora, and Arthur Fenwick, her wealthy and adoring lover. Arthur discreetly provides her with

72-523: A disproportionate influence over the nation's political, educational, religious, and other institutions. Of all social classes, members of the upper class also have a strong sense of solidarity and 'consciousness of kind' that stretches across the nation and even the globe. Since the 1970s, income inequality in the United States has been increasing, with the top 1% (largely because of the top 0.1%) experiencing significantly larger gains in income than

108-415: A few number of professionals , are considered members of this class by contemporary sociologists, such as James Henslin or Dennis Gilbert . There may be prestige differences between different upper-class households. An A-list actor, for example, might not be accorded as much prestige as a former U.S. President , yet all members of this class are so influential and wealthy as to be considered members of

144-465: A higher degree of autonomy in their work. The main occupational tasks of upper-middle-class individuals tend to center on conceptualizing, consulting, and instruction. The American middle class (and its subdivisions) is not a strictly defined concept across disciplines, as economists and sociologists do not agree on defining the term. In academic models, the term "upper middle class" applies to highly educated , salaried professionals whose work

180-742: A median of $ 95,000 annually. Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, William Thompson and Joseph Hickey estimate the upper middle class to constitute roughly 15% of the population. Using the 15% figure one may conclude that the American upper middle class consists, strictly in an income sense, of professionals with personal incomes in excess of $ 62,500 ($ 101,000 in 2024 dollars), who commonly reside in households with six-figure incomes. The difference between personal and household income can be explained by considering that 76% of households with incomes exceeding $ 90,000 (the top 20%, $ 170,000 to cross this threshold in 2020 dollars) had two or more income earners. In 2024,

216-432: A model of social stratification . Historically in some cultures, members of an upper class often did not have to work for a living, as they were supported by earned or inherited investments (often real estate ), although members of the upper class may have had less actual money than merchants. Upper-class status commonly derived from the social position of one's family and not from one's own achievements or wealth. Much of

252-507: A much-needed regular allowance, as her now absent husband has squandered most of her fortune. Pearl introduces her younger sister Bessie to English aristocracy and especially to eligible young bachelor Lord Harry Bleane. The glamour of high society seduces Bessie. When her former fiancé, Fleming Harvey, comes to see her, it becomes clear to him that she no longer loves him. Harry proposes to Bessie; she accepts, though she tells him only that she likes him very much. Pearl's social circle spends

288-408: A national average of about $ 50,000. The top 15% of all US income earners nationally tend to be more concentrated in these richer suburban counties where the cost of living is also higher. If middle-class households earning between the 50th percentile ($ 46,000) and the 85th percentile ($ 62,500) tend to live in lower cost of living areas, then their difference in real income may be smaller than what

324-574: A particular political ideology. In terms of income, liberals tend to be tied with pro-business conservatives. Most mass affluent households tend to be more right -leaning on fiscal issues but more left -leaning on social issues. The majority, between 50% and 60%, of households with incomes above $ 50,000 overall, not all of whom are upper middle class, supported the Republican Party in the 2000, 2004, and 2006 elections. Those with postgraduate degrees who work in academia statistically favor

360-498: A weekend at the Grayston country estate. There, Minnie's gigolo, Pepi D'Costa, privately woos Pearl. Eventually, she has a rendezvous with him in the detached teahouse. However, this is detected by Minnie. She maliciously sends an unsuspecting Bessie to fetch her purse, whereupon Bessie sees too much. Her suspicions confirmed, Minnie denounces Pearl before the others. Arthur is furious and disheartened. Pearl's feelings are not hurt; she

396-442: Is apparent notwithstanding certain tactful studio changes." Upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society , and wield the greatest political power . According to this view, the upper class is generally distinguished by immense wealth which is passed on from generation to generation. Prior to

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432-698: Is estimated to constitute less than 1% of the population. By self-identification, according to this 2001–2012 Gallup Poll data, 98% of Americans identify with the five other class terms used, 48–50% identifying as "middle class". The main distinguishing feature of the upper class is its ability to derive enormous incomes from wealth through techniques such as money management and investing, rather than engaging in wage-labor salaried employment, although most upper-class individuals today will still hold some sort of employment, which differs from historical norms. Successful entrepreneurs , CEOs , investment bankers , venture capitalists , heir to fortunes, celebrities, and

468-450: Is in part determined by the scarcity of certain skill sets. An occupation that requires a scarce skill set which is attained through higher educational degree , and which involves higher autonomy, responsibility and influence, will usually offer higher economic compensation. Qualifying for such higher income often requires that individuals obtain the necessary skills (e.g., by attending law, medical, or postgraduate school ) and demonstrate

504-755: Is largely self-directed . Many have postgraduate degrees , with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $ 100,000 ($ 163,000 in 2024 dollars). Typical professions for this class include lawyers , physicians , military officers , psychologists , certified public accountants , pharmacists , optometrists , financial planners , dentists , engineers , scientists , professors , architects , urban planners , civil service executives, and civilian contractors. The upper middle class has grown ... and its composition has changed. Increasingly salaried managers and professionals have replaced individual business owners and independent professionals. The key to

540-414: Is more concerned about it becoming known. Pearl delays Minnie's departure for London and, through her wiles, manages to make up with both Minnie and Arthur. Minnie even forgives Pepi, finally agreeing to marry him. She then persuades Minnie to stay another night and learn the latest tango steps from effete dance instructor Ernest. When Bessie expresses her disgust with her sister's behavior, however, Pearl

576-605: Is truly hurt. She has second thoughts and persuades Harry to break the engagement. Bessie asks a delighted Fleming to take her away. Producer David O. Selznick enlisted Elsa Maxwell , a gossip columnist whose reputation as a hostess of successful society parties was widely known, to serve as a consultant for the film's general tone and its costumes, which were designed by Hattie Carnegie . The film premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City . Mordaunt Hall , film critic for The New York Times in 1933, called

612-486: The Democratic Party . For example, in 2005, 72% of surveyed full-time faculty members at four-year institutions, the majority of whom would be considered upper middle class, identified themselves as liberal. The upper middle class is often the dominant group to shape society and bring social movements to the forefront. Movements such as the peace movement , the anti-nuclear movement , environmentalism ,

648-564: The anti-smoking movement , and even in the past with blue laws and the temperance movement have been in large part (although not solely), products of the upper middle class. Some claim this is because this is the largest class (and the lowest class) with any true political power for change, while others claim some of the more restrictive social movements (such as with smoking and drinking) are based upon "saving people from themselves." The upper middle class in Britain traditionally consists of

684-430: The statistical middle class , do not need to fear downsizing, corporate cost-cutting, or outsourcing—an economic benefit largely attributable to their postgraduate degrees and comfortable incomes , likely in the top income quintile or top third . While many Americans cite income as the prime determinant of class, occupational status, educational attainment , and value systems are equally important variables. Income

720-443: The 20th century, the emphasis was on aristocracy , which emphasized generations of inherited noble status , not just recent wealth. Because the upper classes of a society may no longer rule the society in which they are living, they are often referred to as the old upper classes, and they are often culturally distinct from the newly rich middle classes that tend to dominate public life in modern social democracies. According to

756-670: The Peerage of Ireland granted by the British monarch have no recognition in the Irish Constitution. Contemporary Ireland is generally perceived to have a two-tier social class system composed of working class and middle class (with the exception of a small number of wealthy billionaires). The American upper class is a social group within the United States consisting of people who have the highest social rank primarily due to economic wealth . The American upper class

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792-418: The differences in nominal income suggest . Upper-middle-class people tend to highly value tertiary education for themselves and their children, favoring the pursuit of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Political ideology is not found to be correlated with social class ; however, a statistical relationship is seen between the level of one's educational attainment and one's likelihood of subscribing to

828-461: The educated professionals who were born into higher-income backgrounds, such as legal professionals, executives, and surgeons . This stratum, in England, traditionally uses Received Pronunciation natively. A typical Mosaic geodemographic type for this group would be cultural leadership. It is also usually assumed that this class is most predominant in the home counties of South East England and

864-441: The film "a highly praiseworthy pictorial interpretation of the stage work" and added the following about Cukor's direction and Rosher's cinematography : It is an intelligently worked out film, thanks to the director, George Cukor, and while it does not bother much about cinematic art, the scenes are always beautifully photographed and nicely staged. It has heaps of amusement and some hearty laughter, and Mr. Maugham's fine hand still

900-462: The latter view held by the traditional upper classes, no amount of individual wealth or fame would make a person from an undistinguished background into a member of the upper class as one must be born into a family of that class and raised in a particular manner to understand and share upper class values, traditions, and cultural norms. The term is often used in conjunction with terms like upper-middle class , middle class , and working class as part of

936-527: The merchant class and were ennobled between the 14th and 19th centuries while intermarrying with the old nobility and gentry. Since the Second World War , the term has come to encompass rich and powerful members of the managerial and professional classes as well. In the years since Irish independence in 1922 the upper class has all but vanished in the Republic of Ireland. Aristocratic titles within

972-417: The nation. But its money buys plenty of access." Upper-middle class In sociology , the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class . This is in contrast to the term lower middle class , which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class stratum, and to the broader term middle class . There is considerable debate as to how

1008-399: The necessary competencies. There are also differences between household and individual income . In 2005, 42% of US households (76% among the top quintile ) had two or more income earners ; as a result, 18% of households but only 5% of individuals had six-figure incomes . To illustrate, two nurses each making $ 55,000 per year can out-earn, in a household sense, a single attorney who makes

1044-637: The population that composed the upper class consisted of aristocrats, ruling families, titled people, and religious hierarchs . These people were usually born into their status and historically there was not much movement across class boundaries. In many countries, the term "upper class" was intimately associated with hereditary land ownership. Political power was often in the hands of the landowners in many pre-industrial societies despite there being no legal barriers to land ownership for other social classes. Upper-class landowners in Europe were often also members of

1080-558: The rest of society. Alan Greenspan , former chair of the Federal Reserve , sees it as a problem for society, calling it a "very disturbing trend". According to the book Who Rules America? by William Domhoff , the distribution of wealth in America is the primary highlight of the influence of the upper class. The top 1% of Americans own around 34% of the wealth in the U.S. while the bottom 80% own only approximately 16% of

1116-570: The success of the upper middle class is the growing importance of educational certification ... its lifestyles and opinions are becoming increasingly normative for the whole society. It is in fact a porous class, open to people ... who earn the right credentials. In addition to having autonomy in their work, above-average incomes, and advanced educations, the upper middle class also tends to be influential, setting trends and largely shaping public opinion. Overall, members of this class are also secure from economic down-turns and, unlike their counterparts in

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1152-458: The threshold for entering the top 15% of American household incomes is $ 202,000 The above income thresholds may vary greatly based on region due to significant differences in average income based on region and urban, suburban, or rural development. In more expensive suburbs, the threshold for the top 15% of income earners may be much higher. For example, in 2006 the ten highest income counties had median household incomes of $ 85,000 compared to

1188-602: The titled nobility , though not necessarily: the prevalence of titles of nobility varied widely from country to country. Some upper classes were almost entirely untitled, for example, the Szlachta of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . In Great Britain and Ireland , the "upper class" traditionally comprised the landed gentry and the aristocracy of noble families with hereditary titles. The vast majority of post-medieval aristocratic families originated in

1224-501: The upper class. At the pinnacle of U.S. wealth, 2004 saw a dramatic increase in the numbers of billionaires. According to Forbes Magazine , there are now 374 U.S. billionaires. The growth in billionaires took a dramatic leap since the early 1980s, when the average net worth of the individuals on the Forbes 400 list was $ 400 million. Today , the average net worth is $ 2.8 billion. Upper-class families... dominate corporate America and have

1260-532: The upper middle class might be defined. According to sociologist Max Weber , the upper middle class consists of well-educated professionals with postgraduate degrees and comfortable incomes. The American upper middle class is defined similarly using income , education , and occupation as the predominant indicators. In the United States, the upper middle class is defined as consisting mostly of white-collar professionals who not only have above-average personal incomes and advanced educational degrees but also

1296-403: The wealth. This large disparity displays the unequal distribution of wealth in America in absolute terms. In 1998, Bob Herbert of The New York Times referred to modern American plutocrats as " The Donor Class " (list of top donors) and defined the class, for the first time, as "a tiny group – just one-quarter of 1 percent of the population – and it is not representative of the rest of

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