Colliding Symbolisms of the “Middle”. The Emergence of the Cultural Identity of Modern Bourgeoisie

Abstract

This paper presents concepts regarding the middle class, the bourgeois identity, and interpretations of meanings of the “middle”, with a focus on perspectives from cultural theory and the sociological dimension. The bourgeois identity is seen taking into account the frame of mind, with the core values and tensions. The complexity of the middle class is a result of an internal dynamic fuelled by the tensional ambiguities developed within a symbolic matrix.