The Rich and the Poor and those in Between

1. The Rich and the Poor and those in Between Sunny Yang Pachilai Vang Sammy Vang Shriji Shah Lilly Moua Period 4

2. Inequality of Income • The first great change that improved the lifestyle of an average person was the increase of wages. • The wages rose but there was inequality between the wealth and income of the rich and poor. • 5% of the richest household received 33% of the national income • The middle class, which is 20% of the population, received more than 50% of the national income • All the income of the working classes together did not equal as much as the upper and middle class. • Industrial and urban development made society more diverse and less unified.

4. Middle Class • Beginning in the 20th century, there was a mass diversity within the urban middle class. • Upper middle class were mainly successful business families from banking, industry, and large scale commerce. • Leaned towards an aristocratic lifestyle • Tried to create a new upper class • Middle middle class were much larger, less wealthy, and had an increasingly diverse group.

5. Continue… • The result of technology and industry expansion resulted in the demand for skilled and knowledgeable experts. • Lower middle class were independent property owning shopkeepers, small business people, and white-collar employees • These white-collar employees were fiercely committed to the middle class and to the ideal of moving up in society. • Although white-collar employees were well educated, they had no technical skills so they tried to obtain a middle-class status through professional jobs

6. White-collar employees

7. Continue… • Middle class were united by their lifestyle and culture. • Most of household budget was spent on food. • Favorite social occasion was having a social parties. • The middle class hired servants and call themselves the “servant-keeping class.” • The food and servants together absorbed about 50% of the income of all subgroups of the middle class.

8. Social Gatherings

9. Continue… • The middle class were well housed by 1900. • They usually rented instead of buying their own home. • The factory and department store reduced the cost and increased the variety of clothing. • Middle class parents tried to provide their children with more advanced and crucial education. • They were loosely united under an expected behavior. • Preached constantly by middle-class people. • Drunkenness and gambling was seen as an immoral conduct while sexual purity and fidelity were celebrated as virtues.

10. The urban working class were less unified than the middle class due to the economic development and increase of skills. About 4 out of 5 people belonged to the working class. Depended on physical labor and had no domestic servants This was mostly in E. Europe, but in C. and W. Europe, most workers left the land. The Working Class

11. The Working Class

12. Continue… • Skilled working class aka labor aristocracy • 15% of the working class • Labor aristocracy recieved 2/3 of the income, 2x more than the unskilled • Jobs: construction bosses, factory foreman, cabinet-makers, jewelers, and painters • They were under constant pressure.

13. Continue… • In order to maintain their status they adopted some values and behaviors. • They looked down upon heavy drinking and sexual permissiveness. • Semiskilled were carpenters, brick layers, pipe fitters, and workers in established crafts who often socialize with the labor aristocracy. • A large number of the semiskilled were factory workers who had a relatively good wage and increase their importance in the labor force.

14. Labor Aristocracy

15. Continue… • Unskilled Workers • Unorganized and divided even more • Consisted of day laborers but largest group was the domestic servants. • Domestic servants had limited independence and were in danger of sexual exploitation

16. Unskilled Workers

17. Working-Class Leisure • Wanted fun and recreation activities • Drinking remained the favorite leisure activities • Heavy drinking was unacceptable, but it became more social and public • Sports • Cruel sports decline by the late nineteenth century (ex: bullfighting and cockfighting)

18. Continue… • Racing and soccer were the most popular modern sports • Gambling occurred at sport events. • Music halls, vaudeville theaters, middle-class opera, and classical theaters were popular. • Audience were thoroughly mixed and variety of themes.

19. Working-Class Religion • Religion and Christian churches continued to have an influence on the working-class people by providing them comfort. • The Church attendance declined in the working class because they became more secular and less religious. • The churches failed to keep up with the rapid growth of urban population. • Catholic and Protestant churches were seen as a conservative institution who defended social order and custom.

20. The Urban Social Hierarchy