Labor, the Work Ethic, Class, and White Trash

I just discovered the NPR series, Backstory, all about American history, and I'm hooked:

http://backstoryradio.org/shows/nose-to-the-grindstone/?autoplay=true

This morning's episode dovetails with two books I'm reading: White Trash and Hillbilly Elegy.

Fascinating back story on the "Protestant work ethic" and class values that underscore every political campaign--such as the one we're mired in right now.

This political campaign is like a train wreck--you don't want to look and you can't help looking.  The vitriol, the insults, the overall meanness of this entire campaign is mind-boggling.  Like so many people in America, I'm both revolted and fascinated.

What does it mean to be "middle class"--the label the candidates keep throwing around?  These two books and this podcast are illuminating.