The United Statesperceives itself to be a middle-class nation.However,middle class is not a realdesignation,nor does it carry privileges.It is more of a perception,which

probably was as trueas it ever could be right after World War Ⅱ.The economy was growing,more and more people owned their ownhomes,workers had solid contracts with

the companies thatemployed them,and nearly everyone who wanted a higher education could haveone.Successfi1l people enjoyed upward social mobility.They may have

started out poor,butthey could become rich.Successful people also found that they had greatergeographic mobility.In other words,they found themselves moving to and

living in a varietyof places.

The middle classcollectively holds several values and principles.One strong value is the needto earn enough money to feel that one can determine one's own economic

fate.Inaddition,middle class morality embraces principles of individualresponsibility,importance of family,obligations to others,and believing insomething outside oneself.

But in the 1990sthose in the middle class found that there was a price for success.A U. S.News&World Report survey in 1994 indicated that 75 percent of Americans

believed that middleclass families could no longer make ends meet.Both spouses now worked,as didsome of the children;long commutes became routine;the need for child

care put strains onthe family;and public schools were not as good as they once were.Members of themiddle class were no longer financing their lifestyles through earnings

but were usingcredit to stay afloat. The understanding of just what middle class meant waschanging.Theword"collectively"means__________.

A.as a group

B.hesitatingly

C.unknowingly

D.weakly