Germany's Class System
My wife often accuses me of defining every possible social problem as an issue of class, whether we’re talking about Germany, the UK or anywhere else for that matter. She will often mock me when we talk about current events by declaring “Is this a class problem?” in a faux Geordie accent. She does have a point, I tend to frame everything through the British class structure, although I think the whiny tone with which she impersonates me is unnecessary. Understanding the world through the prism of class isn’t wholly my own fault, class consciousness is as hereditary as the many titles bestowed on the British aristocracy. It’s incredibly hard not to use class as a framework to understand society, especially British society. It seems to permeate everything in subtle and frequently unsubtle ways and it’s often the way the media categorises and frames social topics. The “shrinking middle class”, fears about the “white working class” or whether the British government is too “posh” have all been the focus of media attention over the years. Social class is an important factor in the UK. After all, it does seem the only qualification to become the head of the British state is to literally be born into the right, incredibly wealthy, family.
Not everyone in the UK is obsessed with class, but I think they would find it hard to discuss most societal topics without mentioning it. British politicians attempt to do this, but instead only end up creating obscure synonyms for well known class terminologies. In the last few years, we’ve heard about “JAMS” (the Just About Managing), “the squeezed middle”, “the working poor”, but even the politicians themselves will criticise the “political class” or the “metropolitan elites”. When my wife makes fun of me, I can only shrug and accept that I come from a land where class terminology (in one form or another) is the only way people can talk about the issues.
My wife finds my instinctive class focus so worthy of parody because for most Germans, class just isn’t the frame used to view society. Does that mean that Germany has managed to achieve a wholly classless society? Of course not. The class divide exists, although it’s discussed in terms of wealth gaps and rising poverty. For the British, wealth is only one marker of social class. Winning the lottery and moving out of a council house doesn’t suddenly make a British person a member of the upper class. Class indicators are everywhere, where a person was born, family name, school, university, clothing, accent, general attitude can all indicate social class in the UK.
Germans aren’t inherently class obsessed, but Germans will still resort to class based language. At work, people will divide employees into “White-collar” and “blue collar” workers, which can seem antiquated terminology to native-English speakers. The status and desirability of certain class identities is slightly different though. In the UK, the term “working-class” can bestow a level of credibility, whereas being “middle-class” can be a sign of mediocrity. In Germany, being middle-class is considered the standard because Germany has a larger than average middle-class. It’s essentially the norm, so much so that politicians will actively promote their middle-class status. British politicians aren’t alone in using their class to craft a public persona that is appealing to the electorate. When the CDU politician Friedrich Merz was campaigning to lead his party, he invited nationwide ridicule when he claimed to be middle class during a TV debate despite being a multi-millionaire. Most Germans (roughly 60%), when asked, will describe themselves as middle class. Even with such a large middle-class, income inequality continues to rise. Much like the UK, the working poor, those in work but still living below the poverty line, are a growing minority.
Germany has a lot in common with the UK when it comes to who makes up the top tiers of German society. Studies of the Anglo-Norman Domesday Book of 1086 show that the rate of social mobility in Britain has remained stable for centuries. By tracking the names that appear in the vast accounting tome and cross referencing them with names of attendees of Oxford and Cambridge or with holders of high political office, they have shown that things have remained remarkably similar. Comparable studies of German millionaires have shown that only 8% worked their way to their wealth, most simply inherit their money on the death of a parent or rich relatives. Furthermore, there are numerous “old money” families, many who are descendants of medieval banking empires or landed gentry. However, unlike the “old money” families of Britain, Germany’s aristocracy generally prefer to remain out of the headlines and away from positions of influence in government. These super rich German citizens keep an incredibly low profile, actively remaining out of the public eye, often claiming that the negative perception of the rich in Germany is a major factor in remaining in very splendid isolation.
The super rich of Germany may find ways to segregate themselves from society but unlike in the UK, education isn’t necessarily one of them. The best education and schools in the UK are reserved for those willing to spend large sums of money on school fees. Private education exists in Germany, but the majority either have a comprehensive school system or a grammar school + technical school system. In many states, children find themselves in one of three levels of secondary education; Gymnasium, Realschule and Hauptschule. Family income will often determine in which educational tier a child is placed, but it also depends on academic ability and there are no fees. Higher income families do see more academic success, but there are arguably far more opportunities for a child from a lower-income family to succeed than there are in the UK. Yet, time and again studies show that the best educational outcomes are weighted towards children of higher income parents.
The education system in Germany does have one major advantage over the UK pay-to-play system, children from a variety of different backgrounds mix with each other. This is fundamental, because even if the wealth differences are stark, rich and poor children interact and I would argue find some level of empathy for each other.
Germans may feel they have little use for a class structure, yet one still exists. It may be less pronounced than in Britain, but it can be equally complex, and it still suffers many of the same issues. Opportunities, at least in education, seem more available and it is a credit to Germany that success can be achieved regardless of income, but wealth is still an important indicator of success. Yet, if I look at both my native culture and my adoptive culture, I get the feeling that Germany closer to a fairer society. I may be looking too hard through the rose-tinted spectacles most British migrants in Germany carry as standard, but it’s hard not to. After all, when the requirement for the highest job in Britain is the right social class, it’s hard not to appreciate the German system.
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