The are two factors that may make a person identify with a certain class: The age of the person and then what they do. A 72-year old Athlete who has teenage children will likely identify as middle aged. He feels he's just as agile as he was in his 20s. The tack of time hasn't taken a toll on him. A 33-years old Michelle who has given birth to 5 kids feels she's getting past the middle age category, but she'll likely identify as middle aged because she's still still young--she's in her early 30s; changes like menopause hasn't kicked in yet. A 47-year old mother of 2 college-age girls will not identify as middle age. She has kids. Kids who, by virtue of age, can be referred to as middle aged. At her age, she has probably experience several bodily and psychological changes. A 67-year old man will identify as middle aged (by virtue of the position he's manning) although not to the same degree as the others since he's also able to perform his roles as the vice President. He can probably read without using glasses. He's also able to perform administrative task, and he feels he's can do what he did in his 30s. So my point is since women age faster than men; a women who's post menopausal or approaching it with college age kid will least likely claim to be middle aged. "I have kids your age" she would say.
