First, welcome Jen! What a juicy blog topic, and a beautiful cover! Class is actually a huge issue for me, in life, if not directly in my writing.

I grew up in a very working-class environment in a very industrial town where everyone's parents once were farmers, and then factories took over farms, and so everyone's parents worked at factories...Hard work, dirty work. How hard you work becomes the basis of your identity, basically. For the upper class, it's just the other side of the coin -- how much you earn becomes the basis of your identity, but it's closely related.

I think you're right that people on the lower income brackets are more aware of class differences, however, I wouldn't say they are more fair in their perceptions of class. We grew up with strong class biases in that reverse direction, and a lot of anti-money bias as well -- people were automatically judged because of how much money they had -- the classic, "if you have money, you must be a jerk" or as if it was a miracle to find a genuine, nice person who was also wealthy.

That changed (thankfully) as we grew up to be the first in our families to go to college, to travel extensively, to move into professions that weren't industrial. For me, it was even more acute, since I became an academic and a writer, which is such an anomoly -- you know, how do you make money sitting home all day? My father still pokes at us about that. Those conceptions of work and value become part of who we are -- I was working from the time I was 13, babysitting, and always worked around the house before that -- it was a big adjustment, and still is sometimes, for me to deal with this new notion of "work" because how we value ourselves as people is tied to it.

As I got older, it became easier to see how our biases were wrong. People with money, status, were just people, and no better, no worse. Working class people I knew often offended me with their attitudes about others. They also tended to be much less liberal and more racially biased, as well. Even in the family unit, it's visible -- my parents were proud of us for doing well, but also I was keenly aware that I was bridging two worlds, and often, things like buying higher quality items, etc was looked at with that "oh, so you're a big shot now?" kind of attitude... There were times when I wouldn't tell my parents I had bought something, say, a new piece of furniture, or how much it cost -- and this was in my 30s. Working class attitudes tend to be more entrenched, I think, and very much a part of identity -- maybe more than or as much as upper class.

Also found status and wealth are not the same -- academics and writers may have status, but not a whole lotta money, LOL. ;) People were always shocked to find how little I made as a university instructor (and well, we won't talk about the writing income thing, huh? LOL)

I think the middle class is a slippery animal, because within it, you have people who are doing very well, but who are also, as we're seeing in the housing crises, living beyond their means. And in the middle class, on the lower end, people with families, two incomes, who are just making ends meet. If anything I see these people as keenly aware of class. It's difficult to even have an identity in the middle class.

I was a professor at a private university where the students came from much wealthier families than I did, and where they drove better cars at 18 than I did at 30. ;) The young people did have a sense of entitlement -- I'll admit that, and often acted as if their professors worked for them, owed them an A, etc, because their parents were paying for them to be there. However, they acted this way with everyone in life -- some of the professors were very famous, and they would act that way with them too, and needed to be reminded that their class status actually didn't follow them into the classroom ;>

On the other hand, I worked at a state university as well, where it was more working class students, most of whom held jobs, and who worked really hard for their grades, and expected to, because they understood the concept of "work."

So in that college atmosphere, I saw a more classic breakdown. However, I don't think it's ever as clean a break as we need to make it in books. Still, it does open up a world of conflict, and it's one of my favorites, too, though I haven't used it in books as much. It's classic Cinderella, right? Powerful archetypes...

I think you see it in paranormal a lot -- I'm reading my first Nalini Singh book now, and the conflicts between the races, changelings and Psys, etc are very reflective of class and race -- people often don't think about it, because it's so much a part of who we are, and all the baggage that comes with it...

Sam

Wow - I think your observations about American society are pretty spot on!

I don't mind romances where the social status is part of the conflict, if there is enough story to go along with it. I'm a sucker for a good story and can enjoy *almost* anything if the writing and the story are good!

It's funny, a friend of mine and I were just talking about this. I could care less about anybody's statis and just like people for who they are, but I know that not everybody is that way. I seriously don't judge somebody by their house, car, etc. and even feel alittle more comfortable if they aren't rich and/or a neat freak. lol I had a friend within the last couple of years who was really fun, but everything was about the money. She always made comments about those holiday blow ups in yards and called people white trash for it. While I don't have any in my yard usually(only because I haven't bought them), I did use two of my dads for Halloween in August at the campground and was proud to do it.HA!HA! I guess she would have died if she saw everbody with their decorated trailers in the middle of summer. Needless to say, I have grown away from her and try to associate with "real" people who aren't afraid to just be themselves. I can't stand when people act snobbish about money, possesions, and looks. What happened to just being nice and having fun?

ETA: See you have me wound up. lol I would never tell my son that somebody isn't our sort. I would just be thrilled if he finds somebody nice someday. I'd rather that, than someone of any statis that might treat him badly.

I totally agree with you... America is totally separated in classes... it is a bit less like this in Canada where we believe more that education is accessible to everyone, so calsses are less apparent, though still exist if you go walk in the upper-crust part of town or go to the lavish shops!

PS: I have both your books... and I have still not read Seduced for the Inheritance!

Hi,

I have to agree with you, wealthy heroes are always nice, especially when you are reading a Silhouette Desire book! THough it is really nice when the hero is not too arrogant and helps the community, has a soft side, does some charity work.

I have won your 2 books... and I am anxious to receive them :)

Very interesting discussion! I don't believe there is such a thing as a classfree society-as long as humans are involved there will be competition and greed and envy. While some may feel that a certain level of income or achievement may be more or less tolerant, unless you are in that social strata I don't think you can see the subleties that are created by each class to distinguish themselves from those around them. Behavior plays a big part- when everyone in your circle is basically equal in education and income we manage to create other criteria to judge those around us with! Do they work enough?- how do they spend their money?- how are their children dressed, disciplined, how many activites and sports are they involved in? And it goes on and on!
Can you tell the subject fascinates me? LOL I love books that address this and have read many 'other world' types that pose these problems. Also some historical romance- one that I can think of is "One Night For Love" by Mary Balogh. Not only does she have her H/H from different social levels, but she deals in a much more honest manner with the problems inherent in that situation than in any other romance I have read. A few times while reading I was actualy embarressed and uncomfortable for the people in the story. I definitely recommend it!
Didn't mean for this to be so long and I will be sure to look for your book, Jennifer!

Interesting! We were talking about this, to an extent, a couple of weeks ago at my WRW meeting. It was a panel on historicals and someone asked whether you could ever have a regency romance where a titled hero meets and marries a maid and whether it would work. After all, even in P&P, the Bennetts were still part of the landed society, even if they were one or two rungs down on the ladder from the Darcys.

The general consensus was that it wouldn't, simply because of the times and the setting (England), but you could definitely have that in a contemporary set in the US. That's not to say that you couldn't write a Regency with that as the premise, but the couple would have to end up living HEA in their country house and not go out into society.

Anyway, in the YA time travel I'm working on, I have a very upper-class WASPy hero and a middle-class heroine who both attend the same exclusive private university. She's definitely not poor and not disadvantaged, but she sort of resents him in the beginning, because she's worked for the things she has (including getting into the school) whereas he's always been handed everything on a silver platter and is a world class slacker who seems hellbent on doing the exact opposite of what his father, the Senator, wants. She thinks he treats everything with a sense of entitlement, and it pisses her off. Of course, things aren't what they seem, and he's actually hardworking...they just want different things out of life (she wants power and money and he wants to be a teacher in an inner city school working with disadvantaged kids, but she doesn't realize it).

I grew up in a sort of snotty upper-middle class town, but I wasn't upper-middle-class. More like middle-middle class, or maybe even lower-middle-class (but probably MMC). Both my parents had advantaged degrees beyond undergrad (my mom has a master's and my dad has an MBA, a master's and a PhD), but wealth doesn't always follow from an overabundance of degrees, especially when you go into teaching, which they both did (my dad was a college professor for a while...then he worked in the private sector as an economist, but he lost his job in the early 90s downsizing and eventually worked for the federal government). I eventually went to an elite private university, but had a lot of financial aid. There were a lot of kids at my college who came from uber upper class priviledged backgrounds and sometimes I was jealous, but it just wasn't me. As for the rich not knowing about the poor because they just don't interact with them, so true. There were sororities at my school who would call their local alumnae reps nearest to where you grew up and ask what your father (because god forbid the mother work) did for a living before they would accept you. I kid you not.

My parents had really instilled a sense of work and not getting everything I wanted, and I think that it is still with me today. Hubster and I make oodles more than his or my parents ever did, yet we still live like grad students because that's just what we're used to.

I do like these social status conflict in a romance. I enjoy seeing people realize that while they're lucky to have what they do, what you have is not everything.

Hi, Jennifer! Gorgeous cover and a very interesting topic! I'm finding everyone's thoughts pretty good reading! As others have said, I think some class differences are alive and well, but most of us don't interact regularly with the extremes of the spectrum. Stories are one way we can see how the other side lives, so to speak. Depending on how it's handled, it can make for a truly wonderful happily-ever after. The one I read most recently is Julia Quinn's An Offer from a Gentleman, where the heroine is the unacknowledged illegitimate daughter of an earl and is painfully aware of her place in society.

I think that you have a point about social classes in America. Since I never attened private school or come from wealth I can guess. I do think the middle class in the US is shrinking

Looking things from Finland, I have to agree about American society. That's not to say that Finland would be completely classless society, but here you are far more likely to go to the same schools with the more privilaged kids, since there are no exclusive private schools the way they have in America.

I don't find it surprising that class plays a big role in people's perceptions of others.

First, we're still apes. Apes organize themselves into troops, some apes become alphas, the rest do what the alphas direct them to do. And conspire to become alphas themselves.

Alphas also have major advantages when it comes to mating. They're 'more attractive'. Plus they eat better and get the best of things. So being mated to an alpha has advantages as well.

Furthermore, humans need an identity. Most often this identity is drawn from their socio-economic, especially here in the West where economics is so important. This pretty much entails thinking less of other classes as thinking highly of other classes is often regarded as an attack on your own class and your identity.

That said, I very much like stories where the people in them come from different classes. I like the egalitarian message of it: that we're all people, that we're all important, that we're all capable of loving and being loved.

Your book sounds wonderful. I will definitely be on the look out for it!

As for the social class conflict in books, I like reading all types of stories and all types of conflicts so it doesn't bother me. My favorite example of people from two different classes falling for each other is actually a film. One of my favorite films of all time is "Sabrina" where social status is an issue between the leads. I loved both the new and old versions of this movie where the wealthy man falls for the chauffeur's (sp?) daughter.

Great book cover!

I think that is one of the reasons historicals appeal to me. The difference in social status is expected but it wouldn't work today in a contemporary book. I enjoy going back to a time that is different from my own and you really have to put your mind into a different mindset for it to work, which is exactly what a good author accomplishes.

I have been thinking about this a lot since I just finished writing a Presents that I hope to submit soon and of course this is a core issue at the heart of almost every Presents but in this case he isn't as interested in his wealth and consequence as she is in that she feels uncomfortable with the differences between them while he's indifferent about it.

But in reality I think it's pretty much about the individual as far as who cares and who doesn't. I know people have theorized that only the rich see the differences between the classes or only the poor do but the truth is some poor people care, some rich people do. Class is honestly one of those things that I tend to forget until people do something to bring it up.

I was raised as a trailer park princess and I married a guy who was raised in upper class suburbia and it rarely even comes up but when it does I'm always a little surprised with how little difference it makes in the long run. But as a product of such a poor upbringing I think they the one thing I have seen is that the poor have less advantages and opportunities but there's nothing that actually indicates that they are any happier or unhappier than the ultra wealthy. Any extreme tends to be unhealthy, I think.

I think it's very normal to see this class consciousness in every society, reflected in writing of all types, and especially in paranormals where you have different species and such. Class or status is simply a reflection of the status hierarchy that goes down through the species and all through nature. Every tribe or herd or group has its alphas and its omegas, and each is very conscious of it. Where some groups expect the alphas to fight for position, we humans either work for it or are born into it. I also think it's normal for working class or middle class or whatever you choose to call it, to have conflicted feelings for those who have it, regardless of how they got it. We have less respect for someone who was born into it than for someone who wasn't - we figure they did nothing to deserve it or earn our respect. By the same token, we pick at those who did earn it because we figure they must have stepped on one of us to get there, or we're jealous. So I would actually be very frustrated with a story that didn't reflect this part of human nature somewhere - it wouldn't be true to life.