Bourgeoisie

Bourgeoisie is a sociological term broadly referring to the middle-class and its perceived attitude and materialistic values. As used by Karl Marx in his 19th century works of philosophy, this term can refer to a ruling class (consisting of capitalists, large manufacturers and employers, and bankers) that controls most of a nation's wealth and production, thereby controlling its society and its citizens. Marxists proposed that the bourgeoisie class owns the means of production through which it exploits the working class, which is known as the proletariat.