I wasn't very clear, what I was wondering was when the term bourgeois came into use and, apparently, in such a way that it is completely taken for granted since no explanation for what it is or why it might be controversial is provided.
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This may seem trivial and I'll probably take heat for suggesting it, but my intuition tells me that the positive use of "bourgeois" amongst African Americans can be traced to the popularity of the 1980 Gladys Knight and Pips disco song, "Bourgie Bourgie".
Written (and originally performed) by Ashford and Simpson, and included on the album "About Love" , the song is a pop music critique/celebration of people's aspiration to bourgeois or "bourgie" status.
I think this song tapped into the already well established George W. Carter, "Up from Slavery", bootstrapping, victory via proper behavior stream. It re-packaged that mishigas, making it appropriately portable for late 20th century life.
By saying you were "bourgie", you instantly communicated your achieved or desired position.
But! It's a Janus-headed signifier: serving as both insult and compliment depending upon circumstance and whose using it.
.d.