'the lower class"? Is it "la clase baja"?

Question

Just wondering: How would I say 'the lower class"? Is it "la clase baja"? I'm trying to talk about socioeconomic conditions, and it's difficult to discuss without knowing this.

• good try, rainbow, welcome to the forum, you are getting my vote:) - Heidita Oct 12, 2009

Answer 1

clase baja - lower class

clase media - middle class

clase alta - upper class

Proletariado - proletariat; the poorest classes

Clase obrera/trabajadora - Working class

• thank you so much! - rainbowfish9 Oct 11, 2009

Answer 2

I'm trying to talk about socioeconomic conditions, ...

Lower, middle and upper classes group way too many people into a single class. Many sociologist further divide these three classes, namely lower lower class, middle lower class, upper lower class, lower middle class - I guess the rest is easy to figure out.

Answer 3

Yes, its clase baja, or la clase baja.

Answer 4

clase obrera/trabajadora - working class clase baja ?

The term "lower class" seems to have gone out of fashion. "Working class" is the term preferred by English speaking sociologists. The story is that when a sociological survey was done a few decades ago, less than 10% of the population said they belonged to the "lower class". But when the same population was asked if they belonged to the "working class", the percentage went up to something like 30%. The explanation was that "lower" implies inferior, but "working" does not have such connotation and more people would accept that they belong to such a category.