the Petite bourgeoisie, or petty bourgeoisie, are the class between the proletariat and the capitalist class. They are the class of smaller scale merchants and semi-automomous peasants. In contrast with the high bourgeoisie, most petite bourgeoisie's means of subsistence are not entirely derived from the exploitation of the labour of others. In western-imperialist countries, the petite-bougeoisie are often called "small-business owners".