I've put this in the music bit of the boards, because the issue of class appears to be playing itself out over a number of threads.

FWIW, I think class has two distinct senses: -

* economic. This I think is the most meaningful. Basically, if you have to sell your labour in order to live (whether you're a hammerer at the spark factory, or a desk jockey like me), that makes you working class. If you make money out of other people selling their labour to you, that makes you one of the bosses (boo, hiss).

* "sociological". This appears to be the most common idea of the notion of class. It relies on all kinds of little social markers of distinction (do I go to work in a suit, or a boilersuit? Do I pay a mortgage on where I live, or do I pay rent?, and so on).

It strikes me that this latter sense is quite pointless, and divisive. One of the great achievements of the Tory government (particularly under Thatcher) is that it made being "middle class" (in the sociological sense) into something both aspirational, and achievable for a lot of working class people -- allowing people to buy their council house was a political masterstroke, regardless of how despicable you think that government was.

There's a bit of hand-wringing that goes on along the lines of "Oh, is this really my music? After all, I'm not a ploughboy, jolly or otherwise." Thing is, most of the people doing that hand-wringing are probably working class. In my opinion, anyway.

So. All together now: -

I am a computer programmer from jolly Milton Keynes,
During the week I wear a suit, on a Sunday, Diesel jeans,
'Tis my delight on a Friday night to cook some haricot beans....

(and so on).