Final answer:
Second-class passengers on the Titanic were typically middle-class professionals and small business owners. They occupied a social tier above steerage passengers but did not enjoy the luxury of first-class accommodations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The second-class passengers on the Titanic were primarily composed of middle-class individuals, including professionals, small business owners, clerks, and artisans. These people were considered non-elite partly because they could not trace their lineage to notable ancestry, such as Shirazi Muslims. Nevertheless, they enjoyed certain privileges and comforts on the ship, although not as lavish as first-class passengers. They were above the third or steerage class passengers who had more austere accommodations and had to undergo rigorous inspections upon arrival at destinations like Ellis Island. The second-class societal strata reflected the broader social hierarchy of the time, differentiating between the wealthy elite and the working class who had aspirations for a better life in America.