Priyamvada Ashok MhaddalkarAIR 13 · CSE 2021 · 231 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
Middle class refers to the working class of people which sell their skilled labour (as opposed to blue collar workers).
The Economist defines middle class as the group of people which save 1/3 rd of their income after spending on food and shelter.
Body · points
RISE OF MIDDLE CLASS
→ Rise of middle class is attributed to the introduction of capitalist economy.
→ Middle class acts as a buffer between the polarized upper class and the proletariat.
→ Weber believed that the middle class would expand with
rising industrialism and capitalism. → Subhash Palshikar explains that middle class helps to sustain the capitalist economy due to their consumerism.
→ Middle class is an aspirational class that took to education to improve their status.
→ In a vibrant democracy marked by individual freedom, middle class plays an important role in highlighting the issues in society.
→ Middle class is the face of protest for gender equality, environmental issues, animal rights, etc.
However as highlighted by Pavan Varma in his book, "the Great Indian Middle Class", the middle class in India is increasingly guided by self interest and indifferent and insensitive to the issues of the underprivileged → protest against farm loan waivers, subsidies, etc.
Rajesh Kochhar calls the middle class → denationalized class → take education → go abroad.
Close · a summary
Thus middle class though important for a vibrant nation should also fulfill its social responsibilities.