ABSTRACT
Most Americans identify themselves as members of the middle class, sometimes qualifying the designation by adding "upper middle" or "lower middle." There are important parallels between agrarian systems and the contemporary situation of the American middle class. The historical emergence of the middle class provides a context for understanding the importance of examining economic arrangements and social class. The historical emergence of the middle class provides a context for understanding the importance of examining economic arrangements and social class. Enlightenment philosophy was often tied to the struggles of Protestantism and merchants against the Catholic Church and traditional nobles and landlords. In agrarian systems, peasants and sharecroppers were indebted to specific landlords; in contemporary America, members of the middle class are indebted to bankers and financiers. In both cases, workers are locked into arrangements that force them to struggle continuously to make a living with little hope of breaking free from their subordinate positions.
