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Imagining the Middle Class

The Political Representation of Class in Britain, c.1780–1840

Dror Wahrman author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:13th Jul '95

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Imagining the Middle Class cover

A radically new interpretation of political and social concepts during the Industrial Revolution in Britain.

This book explores the origins of the view of modern society that places a 'middle class' at its centre, as it developed in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. It responds to the newly fashionable and rapidly expanding field of middle class studies, while challenging its fundamental assumptions and offering radically new methods and perspectives.Why and how did the British people come to see themselves as living in a society centred around a middle class? The answer provided by Professor Wahrman challenges most prevalent historical narratives: the key to understanding changes in conceptualisations of society, the author argues, lies not in underlying transformations of social structure - in this case industrialisation, which supposedly created and empowered the middle class - but rather in changing political configurations. Firmly grounded in a close reading of an extensive array of sources, and supported by comparative perspectives on France and America, the book offers a nuanced model for the interplay between social reality, politics, and the languages of class.

'For all those interested in the question whether class is best seen as a category of social and economic history or as an artefact of political discourse, Imagining the Middle Class is essential - and fascinating - reading.' Gareth Stedman Jones, King's College, Cambridge

ISBN: 9780521471275

Dimensions: 235mm x 156mm x 28mm

Weight: 762g

444 pages