Quote Originally Posted by TinCow View Post
Ironically, measuring someone's class based on those criteria strikes me as far more elitist than measuring based on wealth. It is entirely possible for a poor person from an inner city or a rural area to become successful, contribute a great deal to society, and yet never have a formal education or travel enough to become 'cultured.' While good manners are perfectly accessible to even the poorest people, the whole concept of manners is defined by what the upper class finds acceptable. The poorer you are, the less likely you are to have been raised in a manner that will be deemed acceptable by upper class standards.
It is exactly why class is a different concept from wealth. Anyone can be wealthy. Just because someone won the lottery doesn't make them upper class. It is culture, education, tastes and manners that distinguish between classes.

From the relevant definition: Class:
a. A social stratum whose members share certain economic, social, or cultural characteristics.
b. Social rank or caste, especially high rank.
c. Elegance of style, taste, and manner.

As you can see, economic situation is only one of the criteria.