How Class Works - Interactive

GhostUser · Oct 24, 2006

I found this awhile ago and couldn't remember where I saw it... I stumbled across it again today. I didn't think I'd actually ever post something from the NY Times... but this is cool. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">While there are many characteristics that could be used to describe a person's class, among the most influential are the person's occupation, education, income, and wealth. Below are different ways of looking at class using these factors, as well as an examination of how mobility has changed in recent decades. The fourth tab presents results from a poll conducted by The Times that asked people about class issues.</div>
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This is really fun to play around with. It even gives you an average percentile based on the data you enter. You can also check out how class breaks down, income motility, and nationwide poll data on class. 
So, where do you fit in, according to your fellow citizens? Is there anything that surprises you about the poll results? <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html.../index_01.html</a>

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

That's really interesting. I'm trying it now, and i'm already stuck. I hate answering the "profession" question. It's so friggin impossible to find a suitable catagory without lowering the profession, or just choosing "other." 
Ok I give up and just choose "Miscellaneous social service specialists." 
I'm kind of surprised at how low the income brackets are to be part of the top 5th. 
57th, with choosing "miscellaneous social service specialist." Whatever that is.

GhostUser · Oct 24, 2006

I think its common stuff we know of how society defines us based on the class listed on the website.

remilard · Oct 24, 2006

60th 
My profession is pretty low prestige.

Tame · Oct 24, 2006

89th. 
My professional title hurt, but income and education picked up the slack.

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

My education and wealth hurt. I think my professional title did, too. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:">

remilard · Oct 24, 2006

Actually the income brackets are two high. Those are the roughly the household income percentiles, many households have two incomes. 
I go from 60th to 70th if I replace actuary with accountant. Why accountants have so much more prestige I don't understand. Wealth is also killing me. 
I do decent for income and education.

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

I imagine two-income households would make as much or more than me. 
What is the average household/single income? 
Doing it on this, about $35,000 puts you in the middle of the middle-class. You think that's for a household?

remilard · Oct 24, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Jessica Alana <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I imagine two-income households would make as much or more than me. 
What is the average household/single income?</div>
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I think median is very low thirties. Like 31K. Average/arithmetic mean is probably over 100k.

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

For household?????

remilard · Oct 24, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Jessica Alana <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
For household?????</div>
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Nah for individual. Mean is adding up all the incomes and dividing by the number of people. Median is lining up all the incomes and taking the one in the middle. For things like income and house prices the mean is usually much higher than the median (because millionaires and billionares are much farther away from the center than someone with nothing would be) so median is usually considered a more informative measure of central tendancy in these cases. 
ETA I'm confused. I think median for individual is about 31, for houshold is about 36. I think the mean in either case is much higher.

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

Median is middle. Mean is average. Except the 31 single, 36 household is rather confusing. Wouldn't household average be double the single? 
Ok I'm confusing myself. Nevermind! 
I'm just surprised at how someone can make $70,000 and be in the top 5th. 
I don't imagine people who make $70,000 as "wealthy," especially if it's $70,000 for household, $35,000 single.

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

If a person made $40,000, that puts them at middle class. Say their spouse made $40,000, that puts the spouse at middle class. Combined, they're at $80,000. Does that put them (their household) into upper 5th, or does that keep them in middle because of the average?

remilard · Oct 24, 2006

Oh, most households in the 2nd and 3rd quintiles have a single wage earner. Most households in the bottom quintile have no wage earners.

synergy · Oct 24, 2006

I was in the 64th.

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

Oh, ok. 
I wish I could figure out a better category for profession. I don't even know if interpreting belongs in community and social services. Rawr. Even librarians are ranked 35 higher than what I used.

kpickell · Oct 24, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Jessica Alana <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I'm just surprised at how someone can make $70,000 and be in the top 5th. 
I don't imagine people who make $70,000 as "wealthy," especially if it's $70,000 for household, $35,000 single.</div>
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 <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/inquisitive.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":stinkeye:"> 
$70,000 is a ton of money. If that's not wealthy, what is it??!!

Jessica Alana · Oct 24, 2006

I don't know. 
I just don't think that $70,000 a year, especially as a combined income is "wealthy." With a house, and car payments, and bills, and especially if you have kids, $70,000 doesn't go very far in this world. 
I think you could be comfortable; but I wouldn't call it "wealthy." 
If a couple made a combined $70,000/yr, working 40 hours a week, that's less than $17 an hour. 
Are factory workers considered "wealthy"? The ones I know make a bit more than that. 
I certainly don't consider myself even remotely "wealthy." 
Maybe in a world of Bill Gates and Oprahs and doctors and actors, I have a skewed view.

kpickell · Oct 24, 2006

I don't understand how $70,000 couldn't go very far. Americans are just so used to wasteful spending in every aspect of their lives--that being filthy rich is viewed as "just getting by" in American Standards.

GhostUser · Oct 24, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Jessica Alana <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Maybe in a world of Bill Gates and Oprahs and doctors and actors, I have a skewed view.</div>
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You definitely do.. 
$70,000 WOULD go very far. Seriously. It's a lot of money.

How Class Works - Interactive

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