Social Classes (User Groups)
Before I head off on vacation for a couple of days, I wanted to share the user groups that will be utilized on Prose! Your character’s user group will be determined by their social class. Within the social class structure, it is important to note that there are also social tiers. These are like subsets of the classes.
The in-character user groups are divided into social classes. During the Regency Era, a person’s social class was defined by their wealth, source of income, and birthright. The higher the class, the more privileges it carried. One’s social class also dictated the career opportunities that were acceptable to pursue, the people with whom one should associate, and the depth of a person’s social responsibility.
There are seven tiers within social classes. It is socially acceptable for members of each tier to associated with fellow tier members, just as it is acceptable for a person to associate with someone in their social class. Precedence dictates that one should not stray far from their social sphere. However, if someone of a higher class or tier addresses someone of a lower class, it is disrespectful for the person of lower class to disregard the association. It should also be noted that the strictness with which someone is expected to follow this rules varies by location. In London, for example, the social structure is more important than it would be in a small country town.
The Aristocracy is considered the highest social class. Within this class there is an order of hierarchy. The first tier consists of Royalty and all direct members of the Royal family, the Spiritual Lords, and High Profile Officers. They are followed by the second tier, or the Nobility- otherwise known as peers or persons of title, such as Duke/Duchess, Marquess/Marquis/Marchioness, Earl/Countess, Viscount/Viscountess, or Baron/Baroness. Baronets, Knights and Dames are also members of the Second tier within the Aristocracy.
Like members of the Aristocracy, the Gentry are part of the upper class. They are also considered to be part of the second tier alongside the Nobility, though persons of title take precedence in a social setting. Members of the Gentry are wealthy, or are presumed to be wealthy, and earn a part of or most of their income from owned property in the country. Their primary residence is typically their family owned manor house and estate in the countryside. Career options for genteel men who will not inherit an estate (but will typically receive some type of monthly income or inheritance) are limited to politics, the clergy, and the militia.
The hierarchy of the Gentry is determined by one’s wealth and the age of their wealth. The more property you own and better off you are, the more respected you become. A long-standing ancestral wealth is also more highly regarded than the new rich, or nouveau riche. Nouveau riche are men who have acquired a fortune by some means (usually business or a family business cultivated over generations) and invested their wealth in landownership. Typically their business will be dissolved as they transition to Gentry and begin to build their fortune around their estates or properties. These men must work to break through social circles and be accepted by their new social class. They have more success if they are able to find a beneficiary or friend who is a member of the Gentry, to introduce them to society.
This class is built around the army and the navy. It holds commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, seamen, marines, and pensioners. Members of the militia retain their family’s social tier if they are also members of the Gentry or the Bourgeoisie. Retired officers also revert to their inherited social class once their service is completed, unless they distinguished themselves in service and were thus able to raise their class.
The Bourgeoisie is the middle class. The range of wealth within this class varies greatly. Members of the Bourgeoisie must work for a living as they do not own land and they are not in possession of a title. However, they are better off and more educated than common laborers. This class covers the next three social tiers. The third tier is composed of doctors, bankers, clergymen and large scale manufacturers and merchants. The fourth tier is made up of small-scale merchants and manufacturers, lawyers, teachers, ship owners, artists, builders and high-end shopkeepers. Lastly in the Bourgeoises is the fifth tier, which is comprised of all other shopkeepers, innkeepers, publicans, and persons of miscellaneous respectable occupations.
Commoners are members of the working class. In a historical sense, this is the largest of the classes. Members of the common class have little or no wealth and no title. However, there are some who are luckier than others. The sixth tier includes craftsmen, working mechanics, and agricultural laborers. These commoners hold occupations and have skills that bring in an income. More skilled craftsmen may be able to raise themselves from this class with years of work. Compared to the seventh tier, members of the sixth tier are much more fortunate. The seventh tier is the last, and lowest, social tier. It is comprised of paupers, vagrants, criminals, and gypsies- the are the most unfortunate members of society and they have very few, if any, prospects.#prose rp #site buzz #canon character #jcink #jcink rp #historical rp #forum rpg #regency rp #regency era #period drama #gothic horror #coming soon
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