Petty Bourgeoisie (Noun)
Meaning
Lower middle class (shopkeepers and clerical staff etc.).
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The petty bourgeoisie, comprising small business owners and low-level managers, often struggled to make ends meet in the face of rising costs and stagnant wages.
- As a member of the petty bourgeoisie, she felt pressure to maintain a certain standard of living and appearance, even if it meant going into debt.
- The petty bourgeoisie in the town were fiercely protective of their interests and resisted any attempts to introduce large-scale commercial developments.
- The rise of online shopping has had a devastating impact on the petty bourgeoisie, with many small retailers forced to close their doors.
- In Marxist theory, the petty bourgeoisie is seen as a transitional class, caught between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, and often torn between its own interests and those of the ruling class.