Overview
Social class remains a fundamental presence in British life in the twenty-first century. It is woven into the very fabric of social and political discourse, undiminished by the end of mass industry; unaugmented despite the ascendancy of 'ordinary working people' and other substitute phrases. Absent from this landscape, however, is any compelling Marxist expression or analysis of class. In Class Matters, Charles Umney brings Marxist analysis out of the 19th century textiles mill, and into the call centres, office blocks and fast food chains of modern Britain. He shows how core Marxist concepts are vital to understanding increasing pay inequality, decreasing job security, increasing routinisation and managerial control of the labour process. Providing a critical analysis of competing perspectives, Umney argues that class must be understood as a dynamic and exploitative process integral to capitalism - rather than a descriptive categorisation - in order for us to better understand the gains capital has made at the expense of labour over the last four decades.
Full Product Details
Author: Charles Umney
Publisher: Pluto Press
Imprint: Pluto Press
Weight: 0.437kg
ISBN: 9780745337098
ISBN 10: 0745337090
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 20 May 2018
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Not yet available
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Reviews
'A highly accessible presentation of the transformation of the British economy over the last four decades and the problems facing Britain today. Umney vividly demonstrates the acute relevance of Marxist class analysis for understanding work, government, economics and politics in 21st century capitalism' -- Dr Matt Vidal, Loughborough University London 'By reinstating the importance of Marxist analysis for understanding the relationship between class and social inequality in 21st century Britain, Charles Umney has written a highly cogent and perspicacious account of the formation of contemporary inequality and exploitation... a vital source' -- Professor Paul Stewart, former editor of Work, Employment and Society 'Charles Umney presents a powerful and nuanced alternative narrative driven by Marxist political economy. With a keen eye for irony, paradox, and the absurd, he analyses work, politics, and technology in capitalist societies. This is a witty and wise antidote to the mainstream diagnoses of our times' -- Professor Ian Greer, Cornell University 'A sophisticated answer to impoverished sociologies and cheap media cliches ... A sharp and deeply necessary book' -- Richard Seymour, author of Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics (Verso, 2017).
'Now that the nationalist right offers its own, mutilated class language, it is clear that the Left urgently needs to reclaim this territory. At last, Charles Umney has written a long overdue corrective, a sophisticated answer to impoverished sociologies and cheap media cliches... A sharp and deeply necessary book' -- Richard Seymour, Salvage 'Charles Umney presents a powerful and nuanced alternative narrative driven by Marxist political economy. With a keen eye for irony, paradox, and the absurd, he analyzes work, politics, and technology in capitalist societies. Class Matters is a witty and wise antidote to the mainstream diagnoses of our times.' -- Professor Ian Greer, Cornell University
Author Information
Charles Umney is a Lecturer at the University of Leeds. He teaches, researches and writes on the subjects of trade unionism, working conditions and employment policy across Europe, and has also published extensively on the topic of working life in live music. He is the author of Class Matters (Pluto, 2018).
