Social classes Books

Book SynopsisPolly Toynbee is a journalist, author and broadcaster. A Guardian columnist and broadcaster, she was formerly the BBC's social affairs editor. She has written for the Observer, the Independent and Radio Times and been an editor at the Washington Monthly. She has won numerous awards including a National Press Award and the Orwell Prize for Journalism.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEconomist Rob Larson combines wit, righteous anger, and clear-eyed analysis as he dissects the lifestyle, moral bankruptcy, and stupidly large sums of money hoarded by the disgustingly wealthy.The fact that we live in one of the most unequal societies in the history of the world is becoming common knowledge. And while lists of “richest people in x country” may be easy to come by, how much do we really know about the billionaires who sit atop our global economic system? Who are they, really? How did they accumulate their ill-gotten gains? And what kind of depravities do they use to maintain their positions?Turning their own weapons of class-war against them—from the fawning profiles found in the Mansion

Read more less

Book SynopsisBorn Emma Watkins, the Duchess of Rutland is the daughter of a farmer from Knighton, Powys. She worked as an estate agent, marketing properties in Worcester, and later as an interior designer. Today, the Duchess runs the commercial activities of Belvoir Castle, including shooting parties, weddings and a range of furniture. She has presented on various television programmes, including ITV's Castles, Keeps and Country Homes, appeared in an episode of Alan Titchmarsh on Capability Brown, and has produced a book about Belvoir Castle. The Accidental Duchess is her fourth book.The Duchess has a podcast titled Duchess, where she interviews chatelaines of castles and stately homes throughout the United Kingdom. Her interviewees include Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill of Blenheim Palace and Lady Mansfield of Scone Palace.Watkins married David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland, in 1992. The pair have five children.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“This is an emotional and passionate book, raw in its grief and anger, but also imbued with hope for redemption. Based on objective his­torical fact and subjective experience, Of Greed and Glory has the power of a sermon and the urgency of a manifesto.” — Deborah Mason, BookPage "As indispensable to understanding the Americas as Edward E. Baptist’s The Half Has Never Been Told. Of Greed and Glory powerfully demonstrates that though we as Black Americans are far from faultless in some of our most egregious behavior on the mean plantations and streets of antebellum and modern America, we nonetheless have had to grow our dignity beneath the pitiless boot of those who looked into the tiny faces of our infants and saw only dollar signs. Powerful and necessary." — Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Award winning author of The Color Purple and Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart “If you want to understand the current issues surrounding race, social justice, and inequality, you have to read Deborah Plant’s book, Of Greed and Glory. Deborah understands that the issues surrounding race, unfolding before us now in America, are deeply rooted in the legacy of the African American past. She writes eloquently and beautifully about that past. Of Greed and Glory is a must-read book for socially conscious citizens.” — Clyde W. Ford, Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award in African American fiction—winning author of Of Blood and Sweat and Think Black "Of Greed and Glory is impossible to put down. It’s a searing, provocative analysis of how the roots of slavery in the US still infiltrate so many of our social institutions. Plant’s vivid prose will leave you affected, challenged, and thinking about this book long after you’re done reading." — Adia Wingfield, author of Gray Areas, Flatlining, and No More Invisible Man "Deborah G. Plant courageously and painstakingly provides insight into the devastation and trauma experienced generations of African Americans, persons of color, and the poor … This is a must read that challenges us to become active in the movement to abolish slavery, patriarchy, and other forms of oppression that exist in our nation." — Diane D. Turner, author of Feeding the Soul and curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book puts to the test the prominent claim that social class has declined in importance in an era of affluence, choice and the waning of tradition. Arguing against this view, this study vividly uncovers the multiple ways in which class stubbornly persists.Table of ContentsIntroduction: From Affluence to Reflexivity PART I: THEORETICAL PRELIMINARIES Reflexivity and its Discontents Conceptualizing Class and Reconceptualizing Reflexivity PART II: SEARCHING FOR THE REFLEXIVE WORKER Educational Reproduction Today Topographical Trajectories Distinction and Denigration 'Class' as Discursive and Political Construct Conclusion: Rigid Relations through Shifting Substance Appendix: The Search Process

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe future of our environment lies in the hands of the working class, but what if the future of the working class also lies in environmental political struggles?The unsettling realities of climate change, air and water pollution, and toxic contamination loom larger with every passing day, but the policies that will enable us to respond to these crises continue to be blocked by reactionary actors and ideologies. How do we explain the power and persistence of anti-environmentalism in the United States? In The Smoke and the Spoils, John Hultgren argues that the benefits of continued fossil fuel production flow upward to a tiny fraction of the American populace. But the powerful interests who benefit from such a reality continue to beat back strong environmental laws and regulations by successfully constructing a cross-class coalition that includes a segment of the working class.This political reality is far from new, but the coalition enabling it has shifted over the course of American history. To confront anti-environmentalism, it is thus necessary to grapple with both the deeply entrenched patterns that have reappeared in environmental struggles at different moments in American history and the cracks and fissures that working-class activists and environmental justice movements have periodically pried open to challenge the status quo. Tracing the trajectory of anti-environmentalism from the nineteenth-century frontier to the 1950s suburb, from the shuttered shops of Main Street to the extractive economies of Trump country, Hultgren offers a historically grounded theory of anti-environmentalism that will help us to better understand?and ultimately combat?the institutional, organizational, and ideological forces standing in the way of environmental progress.Placing environmental politics within a broader context of class struggle, this book makes the case that the environmental crises of our time will only be mitigated by a resurgent working class.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA profound portrait of the hidden injustices that trap fathers in a cycle of punishment and debt. In the first study of its kind, sociologist Lynne Haney travels into state institutions across the country to document the experiences of the millions of fathers cycling through the criminal justice and child support systems. Prisons of Debt shows how these systems work together to create complex entanglementsrather than piling up in men's lives, these entanglements form feedback loops of disadvantage. The prisonchild support pipeline flows in both directions, deepening parents' debt and criminal justice involvement. Through moving accounts of men struggling to be fathers from behind prison walls and under the weight of support debt, Prisons of Debt exposes how the criminalization of child support undermines the most essential of familial relationships. Haney argues that these state systems can end up producing exactly the kind of parent they fear and loathe: bitter, unreliable, and cyclical fathers. Based on observations of 1,200 child support cases and interviews with 145 indebted fathers in New York, California, and Florida, Prisons of Debt reveals the actual practices of child support adjudication and enforcement alongside the lived realities of fathers trapped in those systems. The result is a rigorously documented analysis of how poor men are too often denied their rights of citizenship and of fatherhood.Trade Review"Haney shows how state bureaucracies seem to conspire against historically marginalized individuals, leaving indebted fathers beholden to the state and distanced from their children. She illustrates how systems of social exclusion and punishment operate by sharing the haunting stories of men who face the daunting task of navigating debt and a lack of gainful employment while under close surveillance by police. . . . This book uncovers structural inequalities and offers potential solutions. Highly recommended." * CHOICE *"A fantastic ethnography. . . .Lynne Haney has navigated readers through the institutional bureaucracy that leaves these fathers’ lives in shambles and bleeds into their lived experiences far beyond their incarcerations. Her intention to give voice to these fathers and center their experiences is remarkably done." * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *"Drawing on years of research in the New York, Florida, and California family court and prison systems, Haney weaves these men’s stories into a disturbing portrait of the U.S. child support enforcement regime as a modern form of debtors’ prison. The result is by far the most comprehensive and illuminating account of the interplay between child support enforcement and incarceration in the contemporary United States." * Boston Review *"Lynne Haney provides the first large-scale and rigorous accounting of the mutually reinforcing linkages between the criminal legal system and the child support system. This book is a thoughtful and careful accounting of how these two institutions influence one another to create compounding disadvantages for the vulnerable men who become entangled in these systems." * Social Forces *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: From Deadbeat to Dead Broke Part I Accumulation 1. Making Men Pay 2. The Debt of Imprisonment Part II Enforcement  3. Punishing Parents, Creating Criminals 4. The Imprisonment of Debt Part III Indebted Fatherhood 5. The Good, the Bad, and the Dead Broke 6. Cyclical Parenting Conclusion: Reforming Debt, Reimagining Fatherhood Appendix: About the Research Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst Published in 1967. In The Landed Interest and the Supply of Food James Caird reconsidered the position of British agriculture a generation after the appearance of his High Farming pamphlet and his English Agriculture in 1850 and 1851. Much of this text was devoted to a reconsideration of the structure of landownership and farming, and the relations between landlord and tenant. This is the fifth edition.Table of ContentsHome and foreign supply of food; changes and progress in agriculture in recent years; soil, climate and crops; distribution of landed property; landowner, farmer and labourer; land improvement; recent rise in the value of land; the government in its connection with agriculture; waste lands and copyholds; church, crown and charity estates; the future; agricultural prospects; appendix. (Part contents).

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe glittering, poignant and sometimes shocking story of the love affair between two members of the Souls, the group of unconventional aristocrats at the heart of late Victorian societyTrade ReviewWith painstaking skill, Dismore lays bare the double standards of the Souls - a brilliant group who thought themselves superior, in morals and intellect, to the rest of their class -- Artemis Cooper, author of Patrick Leigh Fermor: An AdventureHarry Cust has long needed to emerge from the shadows. A rich tapestry unfolds -- Hugo Vickers, author of The Sphinx: The Life of Gladys Deacon – Duchess of MarlboroughBrilliant ... Through original research, Dismore has crafted an upper-class soap opera to rival Downton Abbey and The Crown -- Lyndsy Spence, The Lady

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWelfare offices usually attract negative descriptions of bureaucracy with their queues, routines, and impersonal nature. Are they anonymous machines or the locus of neutral service relationships? Showing how people experience state public administration, The Bureaucrat and the Poor provides a realistic view of French welfare policies, institutions and reforms and, in doing so, dispels both of these myths. Combining Lipsky''s street-level bureaucracy theory with the sociology of Bourdieu and Goffman, this research analyses face-to-face encounters and demonstrates the complex relationship between welfare agents, torn between their institutional role and their personal feelings, and welfare applicants, required to translate their personal experience into bureaucratic categories. Placing these interactions within the broader context of social structures and class, race and gender, the author unveils both the social determinations of these interpersonal relationships and their social functTrade Review'By emphasising the encounters of the least powerful state actors and our least powerful citizens, Dubois presents a different, at once more troubling and hopeful view of the administrative state. Throughout The Bureaucrat and the Poor the emphasis remains on the fragility of social roles: nothing is so fixed as to prove immutable; all is contested and in play. For students and scholars of administration and policy, these are essential insights and well worth the read to appreciate in full.' Steven Maynard-Moody, The University of Kansas, USA 'This first-rate ethnography provides a unique vista point from which to understand how public policy translates into mundane dealings with marginal populations. By mating the theories of Bourdieu, Goffman and Lipsky, The Bureaucrat and the Poor delivers the best analysis yet of the specificity of bureaucratic domination and makes a signal contribution to the comparative sociology of welfare reform in the neoliberal era.’ Loïc Wacquant, University of California, Berkeley, USA ’A lucid, well-written and well-organised account of everyday bureaucracy at the welfare agency’s window, solidly based on observation: first-class empirical sociology, savvy, streetwise, and with a wicked sense of clients’ covert tactics. French bureaucrats and their clients are clearly not unique: as Dubois portrays them they look uncannily familiar.’ Abram de Swaan, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands 'Vincent Dubois’ newly translated The Bureaucrat and the Poor: Encounters in French Welfare Offices provides an ethnographic "insider’s" look at the double role enacted by welfare workers as they encounter their clients. In his ethnographer’s role, Dubois follows these street-level bureaucrats up close and personal, and explores the workers’ "double bodied-ness" as they juggle at one and the same time their administrative roles and responsibilities with their human compassion for the misery of the poor with whom they interact anTable of ContentsContents: Foreword, Steven Maynard-Moody; Preface to the English edition; Introduction; Part I The Social Conditions of the Administrative Relationship: The public; Organising face-to-face encounters; An unequal relationship; Administrative exchanges, normative exchanges. Part II The Agent's Two Bodies: The post and the role of the agent; On becoming an agent; The agents as individuals; Facing misery; Managing social inequality; The agent's separate identities. Part III Questioning the Institutional Order: Flaws in the system; Putting up with the institution; The return of the repressed individual; Adapting the institution; Appendices; Indexes.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘A stunning and devastating indictment of a society scarred and defined by inequality, by one of the most charismatic and compelling voices in politics today’ Owen Jones ‘Faiza’s work is living proof that you don’t have to choose between focusing on class and battling racism, or to triangulate on hate in order to advance a political cause. She’s a testament to the power of rising with your community, and not out of it’ Ash Sarkar'Shaheen overcame a plethora of barriers to get to Oxford and become a leading statistician. In this thought-provoking read, she uses her own unlikely story to probe how society defines your chances in life – and what we can do about it' i At four years old, Dr Faiza Shaheen was told by her mum that one day she would study at the University of Oxford. As the daughter of a car mechanic attending state schools, the odds were l

Read more less

Book SynopsisBritish labour history has been one of the dominating areas of historical research in the last sixty years and this book, written in honour of Professor Chris Wrigley, offers a collection of essays written by leading British labour historians of that subject including Ken Brown, Malcolm Chase and Matthew Worley. It focuses upon trade unionism, the co-operative movement, the rise and fall of the Labour Party, and working-class lives, comparing British labour movements with those in Germany and examining the social and political labour activities of the Lansburys. There is, indeed, some important work connected with the cultural developments of the British labour movement, most obviously in the essay written by Matthew Worley on communism and Punk Rock.Table of ContentsChris Wrigley: a tributeProfessor the Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, FBAChris Wrigley: a personal reflectionProfessor Margaret WalshAcknowledgementsList of abbreviationsIntroductionKeith Laybourn and John Shepherd1 George Howell, the Webbs and the political culture of early labour historyMalcolm Chase2 The appointment of Herbert Gladstone as Liberal Chief Whip in 1899Kenneth D. Brown3 A question of neutrality? The politics of co-operation in northeast England, 1881–1926Joan Allen4 Transforming the unemployed: trade union benefits and the advent of state policyNoel Whiteside5 The trade union contribution to the British Labour PartyAndrew Thorpe6 The disaffiliation crisis of 1932: the Labour Party, the Independent Labour Party (ILP) and the opinion of ILP membersKeith Laybourn7 Voices in the wilderness? The Progressive League and the quest for sexual reform in British politics, 1932–59Janet Shepherd8 Working-class culture in Britain and Germany, 1870–1914: a comparisonDick Geary9 Women at work: activism, feminism and the rise of the female office worker during the First World War and its immediate aftermathNicole Robertson10 ‘We never trained our children to be socialists’: the next Lansbury generation and Labour politics 1881–1951John Shepherd11 Comrades in bondage trousers: how the Communist Party of Great Britain discovered punk rock Matthew Worley12 Must Labour lose? Lessons from post-war historyKevin JefferysA select list of the publications of Chris Wrigley

Read more less

Book SynopsisBetween the 1880s and 1920s, a broad coalition of American dissidents, which included rabble-rousing cartoonists, civil liberties lawyers, socialist detectives, union organizers, and revolutionary martyrs, forged a culture of popular radicalism that directly challenged an emergent corporate capitalism. Monopoly capitalists and their allies in government responded by expanding conspiracy laws and promoting conspiracy theories in an effort to destroy this anti-capitalist movement. The result was an escalating class conflict in which each side came to view the other as a criminal conspiracy.In this detailed cultural history, Michael Mark Cohen argues that a legal, ideological, and representational politics of conspiracy contributed to the formation of a genuinely revolutionary mass culture in the United States, starting with the 1886 Haymarket bombing. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, The Conspiracy of Capital offers a new history of American radicalism and the alliance between the modern business corporation and national security state through a comprehensive reassessment of the role of conspiracy laws and conspiracy theories in American social movements.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Co-operative Struggles, Denise Kasparian expands the theoretical horizons regarding labour unrest by proposing new categories to make visible and conceptualize conflicts in the new worker co-operativism of the twenty-first century.After the depletion of neoliberal reforms at the dawn of the twenty-first century in Argentina, co-operativism gained momentum, mainly due to the recuperation of enterprises by their workers and state promotion of co-operatives through social policies. These new co-operatives became actors not just in production but in social struggle. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they shape a socio-productive form not structured by wage relations: workers are at the same time owners of the firms. Why, how, and by what cleavages and groupings do these co-operative workers without bosses come into conflict?Table of ContentsForeword The Democratisation of ConflictAcknowledgementsList of Figures, Tables and ImagesIntroduction 1 The Question of Work Conflicts in New Co-operatives 2 Dimensions of New Social Conflicts in Co-operative Socio-productive Contexts 3 The Challenge of Comparing Paradigmatic but Non-equivalent Experiences: Studying a Whole That Acts as a Whole 4 The Structure of the Book1  Co-operatives ‘Made in Argentina’ The Process of Enterprise Recuperation by Their Workers 1 The Socio-genesis of the Processes of Enterprise Recuperation 1.1  When Worker Resistance Becomes an Offensive Movement 1.2  The Widespread Crisis of 2001–2002, or Adding Fuel to the Fire 1.3  The Movement of the Flames 2 The Evolution of Enterprise Recuperation Processes 2.1  The Fuel of the Growing Economy Keeps the Flames of Production Moving 2.2  The Moral Economy of Work in the Continued Presence of Enterprise Recuperations 2.3  “Argentina Is One Big, Recuperated Factory”: Public Policies for Recuperated Enterprises 2.4  The Movement’s Fragmentation, Co-operative Convergence and Union Rapprochement2  Incubated Co-operatives Co-operative Formation under the Argentina Works Programme 1 Social Schemes with Work Requirement: From Workfare to the Argentina Works Programme 2 The Mediation of Unemployed Workers’ Organisations: Civil Associations, Productive Units and Co-operatives 3 The Dual Logic of the Argentina Works Programme’s Socio-genesis: Creating Jobs and Co-ordinating Local Politics 4 Induced Co-operatives? The Struggle of Unemployed Workers’ Organisations 4.1  The Evolution of the Argentina Works Programme 4.2  The Intensity and Dynamics of Contentious Action 4.3  The Demands and Forms of Contentious Action3  Keeping and Having a Job A Milestone in Constitutive Conflicts 1 ‘Occupy, Resist, Produce’ … and Have! 2 From ‘Induction’ to the ‘Co-operative without Brokers’ 3 A Comparative Lens on Constitutive Conflicts4  The Recuperated Enterprise and Social Power in Production 1 Recuperators, Activists and the ‘Born and Bred’ 2 Property Relations: Social Possession and Differential Appropriation of the Fruits of Labour 3 The Logic of Production and the Issue of Sustainability in Recuperated Enterprises 4 The Political Dimension: Between Self-management and Delegation 5 Social Groupings and Potential Antagonisms: Opportunity Hoarding, Enterprise Projects and Work Generations5  The Argentina Works Co-operative and State Power in Production 1 The Labour and Socio-spatial Precarity of Argentina Works Programme Workers 2 Property Relations: Social Possession and Autonomy 3 The Logic of Production: Between Subsistence and Political Accumulation 4 The Political Dimension: State Power and Co-management 5 Social Groupings and Potential Antagonisms: State Officials, Co-operative Members and Activists6  The Production of Co-operative Conflict 1 Board Removals: Conflicts over the Running and Expansion of the Productive Process 2 Regulations, Sanctions and Exclusions: From ‘Founder Members’ to ‘ Founderer Members’ 3 “We Fought over the River Module”: The Conflict over Autonomous Work 4 Between Subsistence Consumption and Political Accumulation in the Social Organisation 5 A Comparative Lens7  Conclusions 1 The New Twenty-First-Century Co-Operativism and Its Struggles Around Work 2 What Patterns of Conflicts are There without Bosses? Towards a Theory of Unrest in Worker Co-operatives 3 From Prelude to Present: A Toolbox for New Research QuestionsBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe neoliberal policy response to the crisis in Ghana did not succeed in reversing the economic decline in either the medium or long term. In fact, quite the opposite: rather than undoing the economic decline, Francis Boateng Frimpong argues that these policy prescriptions further weakened the country’s ability to develop. This is because the policies intentionally and unintentionally encouraged factors that destabilised the possibility of the real productive assets earning commensurate returns that could facilitate the flow of capital to the real sectors and thus failed to ensure the survival of industrial enterprises. Rising profit in the financial sector incentivised financial capitalists to divert capital into financial assets at the expense of productive investment, further decelerating the pace of real capital accumulation in the country, thereby exacerbating the crisis.Trade Review"Financial inclusion policy as a way of empowering the poor makes poverty a financial problem in Ghana – the financialisation of poverty. Francis Boateng Frimpong tackles this question with theoretical sophistication and vivid empirical detail. This is an original addition to our understanding of how-and-why neoliberal restructuring and its financialisation dimension work in a low middle-income country, the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 1, which is the target of halving extreme poverty. Frimpong has authoritatively produced this important political economy contribution about the impact of the exponential growth of finance on poverty alleviation in Ghana. Highly recommended." —Bülent Gökay, Professor of International Relations, Keele University"This book provides original theoretically sophisticated, historically sensitive and empirically grounded analysis. The political economy history of Ghana is narrated in a way that makes the reader understand what the country went through, and where it is headed. The author has done justice in his narration." —Abraham Adu, University of Aberdeen"The book offers a comprehensive assessment of the nature and distinctive features of financialisation in the periphery, with a focus on Ghana. This book provides academics, professionals and policy makers with the understanding of policy response towards the alleviation of the overarching poverty in Ghana. Crucially, espousing an indispensable hypothetical approach to financialisation, the uniqueness of Ghana and its common features with the core. It is a must-read for supporters of both Keynesian and Marxism."—Emmanuel Affum-Osei, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology"All aspects of this book are fascinating to read. However, the one that fascinated me the most was the in-depth analysis on baking the unbanked, specifically the use of mobile money and how it still benefits the capitalists despite promises of relieving the poor. Frimpong’s analyses throughout are a very interesting read for researchers, students, and even Marx and Keynes enthusiasts. It is a must read." —Leah Mwainyekule, University of Hull"A book on this historically specific geographical setting contributes theoretically to studies on financialisation in general, helping to determine its prominent features better. It is a good source of information for researchers who want to explore the history of the political economy of Sub-Saharan Africa, and in particular, Ghana." —Mato Magobe, The Open University of TanzaniaTable of ContentsForewordAcknowledgementsList of Figures and TablesAbbreviationsAbout Financialisation and Poverty Alleviation in Ghana1  Introduction 1 The Historical Background of Finance and Growth 2 Scope and Limitations of the Book 3 Structure of the Book2  Neoliberalisation and Financialisation The Debate 1 Introduction 2 The Rise of Neoliberal Capitalism 3 Theoretical Debates and Historical Precedents of Financialisation 4 From Stagnation to Financialisation 5 French Regulation School Theory of Financialisation 6 Post-Keynesianism and Financialisation 7 Trans-nationalisation and Liberalisation of Finance 8 Financialisation and Poverty Alleviation: Banking the Unbanked 9 Conclusion3  Finance-Growth-Nexus Theoretical and Empirical Literature 1 Introduction 2 The Rise of Finance and the Financialisation of Everything 3 The Financial Profit Conundrum – Profit in Marxist Economics 4 Real Commodity Accumulation and Fictitious Accumulation 5 Contemporary Heterodox Perspectives on Finance-led Growth Debate 5.1  Banks, Financial Markets and Economic Growth: The Dilemma 6 Economic Functions of Financial Intermediaries 6.1  Empirical Evidence on Finance and Growth 6.2  Cross-country Studies of the Finance-Growth Nexus 6.3  Contemporary Literature on Econometric Models for Ghana 7 Dynamics of Financial Development, Income Distribution, Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Ghana 8 Poverty and the Pandemic: The Case of Ghana 8.1  The Economics of It All 9 Conclusion4  The Case of Ghana 1 Introduction 2 Country Profile and Overview of Recent Economic Performance 3 The Political Economy of Ghana: From State-led Accumulation to Neoliberalism 3.1  Political and Economic Developments from Independence (1957) to 1982 3.2  Political and EconomicDevelopments 1983–2019 4 Neoliberalism in Ghana 4.1  Neoliberalism and Housing Provision in Ghana 5 Financial Sector Reforms in Ghana – A Historical Perspective 5.1  Pre-structural Adjustment Financial Reforms 1957–1982 5.2  Post-liberalised Reforms 5.3  Relaxation of Bank Entry Restrictions, and Abolishment of Secondary Reserve Requirements 2005–2006 5.4  Recapitalising Banks 6 Financialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Accounting for the Ghanaian Paradox 6.1  Under-financed 6.2  … Yet Financialising 6.3  Reverse of Net Capital Flows – A Subordinate/Inferior Financialisation 7 Conclusion5  Dimensions of Capital Structure and Liquidity Management in Ghana 1 Introduction 2 Theories of Capital Structure 2.1  Capital Structure: Traditionalists’ View 2.2  Value-irrelevance Theory by Modigliani-Miller 2.3  Capital Structure: Trade-off Theory 2.4  Capital Structure: Pecking-order Theory 3 Financialisation and Capital Structure Accumulation in Ghana 4 Classification of Capital Accumulation Process in Ghana 5 Contradictions in Political-Economic Arrangements in Ghana 5.1  Financing Challenges 5.2  Government Policies 5.2.1 Corruption 5.2.2 State of Infrastructural Development 6 Conclusion6  The Issue of Poverty 1 Introduction 2 Poverty Measurement Conundrum 3 Absolute Poverty 3.1  Poverty in Administrative Regions 4 Relative Poverty 4.1  Using Non-monetary Deprivation 5 The Paradox of Sub-Saharan Africa’s Middle Class 5.1  The Two Competing Narratives on Africa 6 Neoliberal Globalisation and Poverty 7 Conclusion7  Financialisation and Households From Theory to the Context of Ghana 1 Introduction 2 Theory of Consumption Function: Household Debt and the Life Cycle and Permanent Income Hypotheses 3 The Political Economy of Household Finance 4 Payment Systems in Ghana: A Route towards Financialisation 4.1  Background-Mobile Money Services in Ghana 4.2  The Role of Mobile Money in Financial Inclusion in Ghana 5 Financialisation, Financial Inclusion and Mobile Money 6 Conclusion8  Conclusion 1 Summing Up the Argument 2 The Content of Financialisation in Ghana 2.1  Banking Sector 2.2  Industrial Enterprises 2.3  Households 3 Policy RecommendationsReferencesIndex 

Read more less

Book SynopsisControversies about History, Development and Revolution in Brazil is a critical exploration of the history of Brazilian economic thought in light of the country's own historical and political development. Editors Maria Malta, Jaime León, Carla Curty and Bruno Borja present an analytical interpretation of the facts, which reveals the power of debates constructing a genuinely Brazilian contribution to world economic thought on development, democracy, history, dependency, and revolution.Resulting from 10 years of collective research, this book incorporates a new methodological proposal stemming from the strength and resilience of public research financed by the Brazilian people in quest of their own formative interpretation.Contributors are: Bruno Borja, Carla Curty, Filipe Leite, Jaime León, Maria Malta, Larissa Mazolli, Alfredo Saad-Filho, and Wilson Vieira.Table of ContentsForeword  List of TablesNotes on ContributorsIntroduction and Warning to the Reader   Bruno Borja, Carla Curty, Jaime León and Maria Maltapart 1How to Tell the History – Method, Thought and Versions in Dispute1 Methodological Elements for the Organization of the History of Brazilian Economic Thought The Approach Of Controversies   Carla Curty and Maria Malta2 Interpreters of Brazil Influences on the Origin of Brazilian Economic Thought   Carla Curty, Maria Malta and Bruno Borja3 Controversy on the Economic History of Brazil Roberto Simonsen, Caio Prado Jr. and Celso Furtado   Bruno Borjapart 2Revolution, Development and Democracy: The Story of a Brazil That Could Have Been4 Revisiting the Origins of the Controversy on the Brazilian Revolution A Debate between Octavio Brandão, Mario Pedrosa and Lívio Xavier   Filipe Leite Pinheiro5 Visions of the Brazilian Revolution Nelson Werneck Sodré, Caio Prado Jr and Florestan Fernandes   Bruno Borja, Carla Curty and Jaime León6 Underdevelopment and Dependency An Analysis of Celso Furtado’s Thought and Its Approach to Dependency Theory   Wilson Vieira7 Seeds of Brazilian Underdevelopment A Controversy on Property, Labor Force and Production   Larissa Mazolli Veiga and Maria Malta8 Restricted Democracy, Mass Democracy and the Crisis of the New Republic   Jaime León and Maria MaltaIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis"A proudly partisan history of the British aristocracy - which scores some shrewd hits against the upper class themselves, and the nostalgia of the rest of us for their less endearing eccentricities. A great antidote to Downton Abbey." (Mary Beard)Exploring the extraordinary social and political dominance enjoyed by the British aristocracy over the centuries, Entitled seeks to explain how a tiny number of noble families rose to such a position in the first place. It reveals the often nefarious means they have employed to maintain their wealth, power and prestige and examines the greed, ambition, jealousy and rivalry which drove aristocratic families to guard their interests with such determination. In telling their history, Entitled introduces a cast of extraordinary characters: fierce warriors, rakish dandies, political dilettantes, charming eccentrics, arrogant snobs and criminals who quite literally got away with murder.Trade ReviewYou can't deal with today's injustices without knowing how we got here in the first place. If this parade of arrogant, snobbish and greedy toffs doesn't get you to demand change, nothing will. This is fascinating, authoritative and radical history at its best. It lays bare the politics of jealousy and the sense of entitlement that has meant so few have owned so much and lorded it over so many for so long. The duke of Westminster won't want you to read it, which is why you should. -- Owen JonesA proudly partisan history of the British aristocracy - which scores some shrewd hits against the upper class themselves, and the nostalgia of the rest of us for their less endearing eccentricities. A great antidote to Downton Abbey. -- Mary BeardA riveting, insightful, gripping and horrifying account of how the UK aristocracy gained and maintained power right up to today. -- Charlie FalconerForget celebrity infidelity and drug abuse. Here is one of our greatest scandals – our class-ridden society. That's what should be exercising the Daily Mail. -- Helena KennedyEntitled is an energetic and engaging response to Whig historians in the tradition of Marxist historians. It is annoying and readable in equal measure. -- Jacob Rees-Mogg

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe New York Times BestsellerA ground-breaking history of the class system in America, which challenges popular myths about equality in the land of opportunity.In this landmark book, Nancy Isenberg argues that the voters who boosted Trump all the way to the White House have been a permanent part of the American fabric, and reveals how the wretched and landless poor have existed from the time of the earliest British colonial settlements to today's hillbillies.Poor whites were central to the rise of the Republican Party in the early nineteenth century and the Civil War itself was fought over class issues nearly as much as it was fought over slavery. Reconstruction pitted white trash against newly freed slaves, which factored in the rise of eugenics - a widely popular movement embraced by Theodore Roosevelt that targeted poor whites for sterilization. These poor were at the heart of New Deal reforms and Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society; they are now offered up as entertainment in reality TV shows, and the label is applied to celebrities ranging from Dolly Parton to Bill Clinton. Marginalized as a class, white trash have always been at or near the centre of major political debates over the character of the American identity.Surveying political rhetoric and policy, popular literature and scientific theories over four hundred years, Isenberg upends assumptions about America's supposedly class-free society - where liberty and hard work were meant to ensure real social mobility - and forces a nation to face the truth about the enduring, malevolent nature of class.Trade ReviewMasterly and ambitious * New York Times (Notable Book of the Year) *A bracing surprise * Sunday Times *A bracing reminder of the persistent contempt for the white underclass. * The Atlantic *A gritty and sprawling assault on American mythmaking * Washington Post *Are we supposed merely to laugh at the Spucklers? Or do we not secretly admire their backwoods morality and survivalism? It's one great measure of Isenberg's success that even after 450 detailed pages you keep looking for new examples and new questions... An important book. * The Herald *

Read more less

Book Synopsis"...the panorama of a self-forgotten milieu." — Monopol "Toffs behaving badly: 1980s high society in photos." — The Times “The pictorial equivalents of Evelyn Waugh’s sentences.” — The New Yorker "Modest though he is, Dafydd’s photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline. Unmissable listening." — Country & Townhouse podcast "Wonderfully ironic, every point in the picture ignites and knows how to entertain very well." — Lovely Books “Dafydd catches those moments of genuine exhilaration, wealth and youth.” — The Hollywood Reporter “I wondered if the party guests I’d photographed were just re-enacting a nostalgic fantasy, an imaginary version of England that already no longer existed.” – Dafydd Jones Throughout the 1980s, award-winning photographer Dafydd Jones was granted access to some of England’s most exclusive upper-class events. Now, the author of Oxford: The Last Hurrah presents this irreverent and intimate portrait of birthday parties and charity balls, Eton picnics and private school celebrations. With the crack of a hunting rifle and a spray of champagne, these photos give an almost cinematic account of high-society England at its most riotous and its most vulnerable. Against the backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain, globalisation, the Falklands War, rising stocks and dwindling inherited fortunes, Jones reveals the inner lives of the established elite as they party long into the night-time of their fading world. Praise for Oxford: The Last Hurrah ‘Sublime vintage photographs...’ – Hermione Eyre, The Telegraph ‘In The Last Hurrah...we see familiar faces from British high society poised on the brink of adulthood.’ – Eve Watling, IndependentTrade Review"...the panorama of a self-forgotten milieu." - Monopol"Toffs behaving badly: 1980s high society in photos." - The Times"Society photographer Dafydd Jones on the special edition of his book capturing the Oxford of the 1980s." - Tatler“The pictorial equivalents of Evelyn Waugh’s sentences.” - Tina Brown, The New Yorker"In England: The Last Hurrah (ACC Art Books), photographer, Dafydd Jones, provides an inside look at the fan- tastical pomp and promenading of England’s upper crust from a bygone era." - Flaunt Magazine"Photo London offers a host of panels, book signings, workshops, and exhibitions—don’t miss Dafydd Jones’s “England: The Last Hurrah,” photographs that document the Eton picnics and tony birthday parties attended by the country’s upper echelons in the 1980s." - Airmail"Modest though he is, Dafydd’s photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline. Unmissable listening." - Country & Townhouse podcast"The image, along with others from the time, appears in a new book, England: The Last Hurrah (ACC Art Books), by photographer Dafydd Jones, who has worked for The Times, The Daily Telegraph and Tatler in a career that started in the 80s." - Waitrose Weekend"A nostalgic remembrance of things past, Jones's newest photo book, England: The Last Hurrah, is a brilliant pre-social media feed of saucy snaps that are sure to entertain." - Guest of a Guest"Dafydd Jones has been photographing the great and good at play for five decades…we sat down with Jones to discover more about his candid photography." - Digital Camera World"…presents this irreverent and intimate portrait of birthday parties and charity balls, Eton picnics and private school celebrations." - Antique & Collectors Trader"Learning on the job, Jones developed his signature style, blending charm, mayhem, and wit into a whirlwind tour of balls, regattas, hunts, polo matches and weddings. Now, Jones looks back one that pivotal era in the new book, England: The Last Hurrah (ACC Art Books)." - Huck"The photos taken by Dafydd Jones during his Tatler years are now brought together in a collection, England: The Last Hurrah, published by the English house ACC Art Book. We see teenagers smoking cigars, students throwing young women into fountains, splashing themselves with whipped cream and doing just about anything that comes to mind." - Vanity Fair France"Are the 'Bright Young Things' still enjoying the limelight? The party exploits of the gilded generation lit up the 80s with some even catching the attention of Hollywood - but as CLAUDIA JOSEPH finds out, for some those days now seem a world away." - The Mail on Sunday"With the empire mired in deep Brexit doldrums, perhaps a nostalgic dose of time travel is in order. Please, have a gander at The Last Hurrah." - Vanity Fair“Parties are a theater,” the photographer Dafydd Jones says. “And I just try to take photographs of the characters in that theater.” - Airmail“Photographer Dafydd Jones’s latest book, England: The Last Hurrah is a fly-on-the-wall account of eighties upper-class England at its most riotous and vulnerable.” - Amateur Photographer"...irreverent and intimate portrait of birthday parties and charity balls, Eton picnics and private school celebrations." - All About Photo"With a new volume of photos having just been published, we sat down with Jones to discover more about his candid photography and what has changed since he attended high society events in the early 1980s." - Digital Camera“Jones manages to flatter his subject in sometimes totally absurd situations, particularly because he photographs exclusively in black and white.” - Citizen K Magazine"Wonderfully ironic, every point in the picture ignites and knows how to entertain very well." - Lovely Books"Dafydd was at the heart of the social scene at Oxbridge and shows an indulgent and drunken crowd in the 80's. He appears to be entirely unnoticed and it is a great documentation of a wreckless age." - Photo Book Store"Photographer Dafydd Jones’ book, released earlier this year, takes stock of England’s ruling classes in all their champagne-soaked vulnerability." - CNN Style“Dafydd catches those moments of genuine exhilaration, wealth and youth.” - The Hollywood Reporter

Read more less

Book SynopsisA groundbreaking memoir documenting the various attempts the author makes to define himself in relation to other White people and the journey to create a more inclusive language for his white identity.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, more than 14 million U.S. homeowners filed for foreclosure. Focusing on the hard-hit Sacramento Valley, Noelle Stout uncovers the predacious bureaucracy that organized the largest bank seizure of residential homes in U.S. history. Stout reveals the failure of Wall Street banks' mortgage assistance programsbacked by over $300 billion of federal fundsto deliver on the promise of relief. Unlike the programs of the Great Depression, in which the government took on the toxic mortgage debt of Americans, corporate lenders and loan servicers ultimately denied over 70 percent of homeowner applications. In the voices of bank employees and homeowners, Stout unveils how call center representatives felt about denying appeals and shares the fears of families living on the brink of eviction. Stout discloses the impacts of rising inequality on homeownersfrom whites who felt their middle-class life unraveling to communities of color who experienced a more Trade Review"Highly recommended." * CHOICE *"Building on existing research about the Great Recession, [Stout] offers intimate interviews with a dozen families who lost their homes in the Sacramento Valley. . . . Highly recommended." * CHOICE *"My hope is that when scholars write about this moment, the immeasurable loss and the suffering, they do so with the precision, clarity, and care Noelle Stout displays in her work on those who, grasping at the promise of the American dream, lost their homes and their place to unnatural disaster." * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction. Once Sold, Twice Taken: A Life Undone 1. Dream It, Own It: Genealogies of Speculation and Dispossession in the ValleyLandscapes 2. Put Out: Bank Seizure at the Poverty Line 3. Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: Relocating the Middle ClassDocuments 4. Can’t Work the System: The Troubled Sympathies of Corporate Bureaucrats 5. We Shall Not Be Moved: The Shifting Moral Economies of Debt RefusalDrawings Conclusion. You Can’t Go Home Again Acknowledgments Glossary Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe rise of populism in the West and the rise of China in the East have stirred a rethinking of how democratic systems workand how they fail. The impact of globalism and digital capitalism is forcing worldwide attention to the starker divide between the haves and the have-nots, challenging how we think about the social contract. With fierce clarity and conviction,Renovating Democracytears down our basic structures and challenges us to conceive of an alternative framework for governance. To truly renovate our global systems, the authors argue for empowering participation without populism by integrating social networks and direct democracy into the system with new mediating institutions that complement representative government. They outline steps to reconfigure the social contract to protect workers instead of jobs, shifting from a redistribution after wealth to pre-distribution with the aim to enhance the skills and assets of those less well-off. Lastly, they argue for harnessing globalization through positive nationalism at home while advocating for global cooperationspecifically with a partnership with Chinato create a viable rules-based world order. Thought provoking and persuasive,Renovating Democracyserves as a point of departure that deepens and expands the discourse for positive change in governance.Trade Review"In this new book, Nicolas Berggruen, the founder and chairman of the Berggruen Institute, and his co-founder, the WorldPost editor Nathan Gardels, are kicking the tires of democracy. The brainy duo take this opportunity to think about the system of government, what makes it work, how it fails, and whether it's still the best way to run the world. This isn't light reading, but it's necessary.” * Town & Country *"The book is a romp through all that’s going wrong with politics, from populists on the rise, robots stealing jobs, climate change being ignored and technocrats bereft of fresh ideas." * The Economist *"The book offers a useful analysis of some of the major challenges that come with globalization and the increasingly technological world in which we live and serves as a useful supplement to existing studies." * European Legacy *Table of ContentsPreface: There Is Something Wrong with the System Acknowledgments Introduction: Rethinking Democracy, the Social Contract, and Globalization The Paradoxes of Governance in the Digital Age Where China Comes In Taking Back Control The Politics of Renovation 1. Behind the Populist Surge Peril Resides within Promise Disruption, Insecurity, and Identity Luther’s 95 Theses and Twitter’s 280 Characters What about Us? God and Computers 2. Rethinking Democracy Representative Government in Crisis The Participatory Power of Social Media Thinking outside the Ballot Box Back to the Drawing Board of Constitutional Design The American Founders: A Republic, Not a Democracy The Progressives: Direct Democracy and Smart Government The Third Turn: Participation without Populism California as a Laboratory of Democracy Fundamental Redesign of State Government 3. Redrawing the Social Contract Job Loss and Inequality in the Digital Age The Transformation of Capital by Knowledge The Parallel Sharing Economy The Future of Work How Tax Dollars Are Spent An Equity Share for All Citizens: Universal Basic Capital Universal Basic Income as a Floor A Postcapitalist Scenario 4. Harnessing Globalization The China Challenge Positive Nationalism Open Societies’ Need for Defined Borders One World, Many Systems Epilogue: Our Image of the Future Shapes the Present Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDoes class determine economic options, or is class in our headsa matter of interpreting symbols and meanings? Cultural theorists have made the second claim, sidelining materialism. Now, amid deepening inequality, Vivek Chibber defends materialist analysis of class power, while arguing that we still have something to learn from cultural frameworks.Trade ReviewA quite thorough and impressive work, not only a compelling defense of materialism but also a fair-minded if highly critical engagement with cultural theory. It isn’t clear how culturalists—especially the anti-Marxist ones—can effectively respond to this broadside, tightly and cogently argued as it is. -- Chris Wright * CounterPunch *Chibber has accomplished something quite astounding in The Class Matrix—he has developed a sophisticated, elegant, and readable defense of the sociological significance of class structure in understanding and addressing the key problems inherent in capitalism. * Choice *The Class Matrix is a clear, compelling, and systematic statement of the view that class is an objective reality that predictably and rationally shapes human thought and action, one we need to grapple with seriously if we’re to comprehend contemporary society and its morbid symptoms. * Jacobin *Concisely and systematically argues the case for the continued importance of class for the radical left today. Vivek Chibber rigorously debunks various long held understandings that characterise radical left thought since the cultural turn. -- Chris James Newlove * Marx & Philosophy Review of Books *The Class Matrix is an important theoretical contribution to a wide and lively discussion in the humanities and social sciences about structural and cultural explanation. Chibber’s profound reassessment of the Marxist theory of class in the light of the new culturalist arguments shows in a sophisticated and convincing way that the capitalist economic system and its class structure of capital and wage labor have a special force in constraining the choices of action open to capitalists and wage-workers. -- Goran Therborn, University of CambridgeVivek Chibber’s magnificent new book carves a path forward for structuralist and materialist analysis in a post–cultural turn academic era. Chibber reformulates Marxist theory to recognize the fundamental role of class structure in shaping human well-being while allowing a place for contingency in the generation of collective action. He adroitly uses this framework to shed light on the trajectory of modern capitalism and class formation in the twenty-first century. The Class Matrix is the response to the cultural turn that structuralists like me have been waiting for, and the book does not disappoint. -- James Mahoney, Northwestern UniversityAlong with a materialist critique of the cultural turn, Chibber restores the centrality of class. Lucid theory from a brilliant mind. Sure to generate vigorous debate. -- Michael Burawoy, author of The Politics of Production

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World is an original and provocative reconstruction of 1,400 years of classical antiquity. Sharply written, it is a major intervention in Marxist theories of class, seeking to explain and illustrate the value of Marx’s general analysis of society to ancient Greek studies. G. E. M. de Ste. Croix makes slavery central to the achievements of the Greek city-states and wider classical civilisation. He traces the social origins of Athenian democracy and advances an innovative explanation for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Comparing the late Roman political system to a ‘vampire bat’, Ste. Croix argues that serfdom and a tightening fiscal screw left the peasant masses indifferent to the Empire’s fate.Widely reviewed and debated, The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World was hailed by the New York Review of Books as ‘the only work in a Western language that has ever attempted to tell the story of the greatest part of the ancient world with the interests of the lower classes as its central theme’.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2016 Max Weber Book Award, Organizations, Occupations, and Work Section of the American Sociological Association Winner of the 2016 Mary Douglas Prize for Best Book, Sociology of Culture Section of the American Sociological Association Co-Winner of the 2016 Distinguished Book Award, Sociology of Law Section of the American Sociological Association Co-Winner of the 2016 Silver Medal in Career (Job Search, Career Advancement), Axiom Business Book Awards One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2015 "Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs is an academic book with the requisite references to gender theory and Marxist concepts of inequality. But read it carefully and it becomes something far more useful--a guide on how to join the global elite."--Economist "[Rivera's] richly described account is mesmerising--and horrifying."--Gillian Tett, Financial Times "[Pedigree] provides an insider look at how top-notch places hire, and explores how their processes serve those with the most privileged and affluent backgrounds."--Bouree Lam, The Atlantic "Forget Hollywood. Forget the American Dream. In Pedigree, Lauren Rivera discloses the harsh reality of landing a job on Wall Street... In this valuable book, [she] sheds light on [the] selection process, homing in on how employers contribute to elite reproduction. The outcome is a highly informed analysis of class and cultural capital."--Angelia Wilson, Times Higher EducationTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi 1 Entering the Elite 1 2 The Playing Field 29 3 The Pitch 55 4 The Paper 83 5 Setting the Stage for Interviews 113 6 Beginning the Interview: Finding a Fit 135 7 Continuing the Interview: The Candidate's Story 147 8 Concluding the Interview: The Final Acts 183 9 Talking It Out: Deliberating Merit 211 10 Social Reconstruction 253 11 Conclusion 267 Afterword to the Paperback Edition 287 Appendix A Who Is Elite? 291 Appendix B Methodological Details 295 Appendix C List of Interviews 311 Notes 319 References 351 Index 369

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘A stunning and devastating indictment of a society scarred and defined by inequality, by one of the most charismatic and compelling voices in politics today’ Owen Jones ‘Faiza’s work is living proof that you don’t have to choose between focusing on class and battling racism, or to triangulate on hate in order to advance a political cause. She’s a testament to the power of rising with your community, and not out of it’ Ash Sarkar'Shaheen overcame a plethora of barriers to get to Oxford and become a leading statistician. In this thought-provoking read, she uses her own unlikely story to probe how society defines your chances in life – and what we can do about it' i At four years old, Dr Faiza Shaheen was told by her mum that one day she would study at the University of Oxford. As the daughter of a car mechanic attending state schools, the odds were lTrade Review‘A stunning and devastating indictment of a society scarred and defined by inequality, by one of the most charismatic and compelling voices in politics today’ -- Owen Jones‘Faiza’s work is living proof that you don’t have to choose between focusing on class and battling racism, or to triangulate on hate in order to advance a political cause. She’s a testament to the power of rising with your community, and not out of it’ -- Ash Sarkar‘A brilliant, forensic and also very personal analysis of how unfair life is in the most economically unequal country in Europe – giving power a strong dose of truth’ -- Professor Danny Dorling, University of Oxford‘In this impassioned and thoughtful book, Faiza Shaheen dismantles the myth of meritocracy and compellingly shows that we need to fundamentally challenge the unsustainable and unjust inequalities that abound in Britain today’ -- Professor Mike Savage, London School of Economics

Read more less

Book Synopsis"It is really worth a read…" -- Former Vice President Joe Biden, interviewed on Pod Save AmericaNow in paperback with a new Foreword by Mark Cuban and a new Preface by the author, White Working Class explains why so much of the elite's analysis of the white working class is misguided, rooted in class cluelessness.Joan C. Williams, described as having "something approaching rock star status" by the New York Times, explains that many people have conflated "working class" with "poor"--but the working class is, in fact, the elusive, purportedly disappearing middle class. They often resent the poor and the professionals alike. But they don't resent the truly rich, nor are they particularly bothered by income inequality. Their dream is not to join the upper middle class, with its different culture, but to stay true to their own values in their own communities--just with more money. While white working-class motivations are often dismissed as racist or xenophobic, Williams shows that they have their own class consciousness.White Working Class is a blunt, bracing narrative that sketches a nuanced portrait of millions of people who have proven to be a potent political force. For anyone stunned by the rise of populist, nationalist movements, wondering why so many would seemingly vote against their own economic interests, or simply feeling like a stranger in their own country, White Working Class will be a convincing primer on how to connect with a crucial set of workers--and voters.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow much of our fate is tied to the status of our parents and grandparents? How much does it influence our children? More than we wish to believe. While it has been argued that rigid class structures have eroded in favor of greater social equality, The Son Also Rises proves that movement on the social ladder has changed little over eight centuries.Trade ReviewWinner of 2015 Gyorgy Ranki Prize, Economic History Association Honorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in Economics, Association of American Publishers One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014 One of Vox's "Best Books We Read in 2014" "The Son Also Rises ... suggests that dramatic social mobility has always been the exception rather than the rule. Clark examines a host of societies over the past seven hundred years and finds that the makeup of a given country's economic elite has remained surprisingly stable."--James Surowiecki, New Yorker "An epic feat of data crunching and collaborative grind... Mr. Clark has just disrupted our complacent idea of a socially mobile, democratically fluid society."--Trevor Butterworth, Wall Street Journal "Audacious."--Barbara Kiser, Nature "[A]n important book, and anybody at all interested in inequality and the kind of society we have should read it."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist "The Son Also Rises... That is the new Greg Clark book and yes it is an event and yes you should buy it."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "Startling... Clark proposes a new way to measure mobility across nations and over time. He tracks the persistence of rare surnames at different points on the socio-economic scale. The information he gathers is absorbing in its own right, quite aside from its implications."--Clive Crook, Bloomberg View "Clark casts his net wider. He looks at mobility not across one or two generations, but across many. And he shows by focusing on surnames--last names--how families overrepresented in elite institutions remain that way, though to diminishing degrees, not just for a few generations but over centuries."--Michael Barone, Washington Examiner "Deeply challenging."--Margaret Wente, Globe & Mail "Who should you marry if you want to win at the game of life? Gregory Clark ... offers some answers in his fascinating new book, The Son Also Rises."--Eric Kaufmann, Literary Review "This intriguing book measures social mobility in a novel way, by tracing unusual surnames over several generations in nine different countries, focusing on intergenerational changes in education, wealth, and social status as indicated by occupation."--Foreign Affairs "No doubt this book will be as controversial as its thesis is thought-provoking."--Library Journal "Gregory Clark's analysis of intergenerational mobility signals a marked shift in the way economists think about social mobility."--Andrew Leigh, Sydney Morning Herald "The thesis of The Son Also Rises is, fundamentally, that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Ingeniously, Clark and his team of researchers look at the persistence of socioeconomic status through the lens of surnames in more than 20 societies."--Tim Sullivan, Harvard Business Review "Clark has a predilection for investigating interesting questions, as well as for literary puns... [J]ust as Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century, calls into question the role of capitalism in wealth creation, Clark calls into question the role of capitalism in social mobility."--Theodore Kinni, Strategy+Business.com "Clark's book is not merely intellectually clever, it's profoundly challenging. Especially for Americans, it calls into question of ourselves as individuals, as well as our long-standing image of our society. Let's hope he's wrong."--Benjamin M. Friedman, The Atlantic "Adopting an innovative approach to using surnames to measure social mobility, The Son Also Rises engages the reader by presenting data that comes to life as it is anchored by names we see in our daily life... A book with valuable insights derived from a well-designed research, it is strongly recommended to all serious readers interested in building strong democracies, for high social mobility is at the heart of a vibrant democracy. Policy makers will gain the benefits of counter-intuitive conclusions that this book throws up with its multi-generational study. Academicians interested in social justice and social activists engaged in promoting social mobility too will have a lot to chew on."--BusinessWorld "Clark continues the project begun in his A Farewell to Alms. Here, he offers a controversial challenge to standard ideas that social mobility wipes out class advantages over a few generations... An important, challenging book."--Choice "[T]his is a well written and thought-provoking book... I look forward to his next book--and his next Hemingway pun!"--Edward Dutton, Quarterly Review "Clark's book begins a fascinating and important conversation about social mobility... Clark's findings are important to engage with, and they will factor into discussions about social mobility for years to come."--Laura Salisbury, EH.Net "[I]t's one of those rare, invigorating arguments which, if correct, totally upends your understanding of the way the world works. Right or wrong, I've thought about it more than anything else I read in 2014."--Dylan Matthews, a Vox "Best Books We Read in 2014" selection "[A] provocative book."--Richard Lampard, European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology "The Son Also Rises makes for stimulating reading, and I recommend it."--Chris Minns, Investigaciones de Historia EconomicaTable of ContentsPreface ix 1 Introduction: Of Ruling Classes and Underclasses: The Laws of Social Mobility 1 PART I Social Mobility by Time and Place 2 Sweden: Mobility Achieved? 19 3 The United States: Land of Opportunity 45 4 Medieval England: Mobility in the Feudal Age 70 5 Modern England: The Deep Roots of the Present 88 6 A Law of Social Mobility 107 7 Nature versus Nurture 126 PART II Testing the Laws of Mobility 8 India: Caste, Endogamy, and Mobility 143 9 China and Taiwan: Mobility after Mao 167 10 Japan and Korea: Social Homogeneity and Mobility 182 11 Chile: Mobility among the Oligarchs 199 12 The Law of Social Mobility and Family Dynamics 212 13 Protestants, Jews, Gypsies, Muslims, and Copts: Exceptions to the Law of Mobility? 228 14 Mobility Anomalies 253 PART III The Good Society 15 Is Mobility Too Low? Mobility versus Inequality 261 16 Escaping Downward Social Mobility 279 Appendix 1: Measuring Social Mobility 287 Appendix 2: Deriving Mobility Rates from Surname Frequencies 296 Appendix 3: Discovering the Status of Your Surname Lineage 301 Data Sources for Figures and Tables 319 References 333 Index 349

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis classic of economic thought is a scathing critique of American snobbery and wastefulness. Chief among the practices that Veblen so wittily satirizes is conspicuous consumption, a pattern of behaviour that still flourishes among us.Table of ContentsThe Theory of the Leisure Class - Thorstein Veblen Introduction by Robert LekachmanPrefaceChapter I: IntroductoryChapter II: Pecuniary EmulationChapter III: Conspicuous LeisureChapter IV: Conspicuous ConsumptionChapter V: The Pecuniary Standards of LivingChapter VI: Pecuniary Canons of TasteChapter VII: Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary CultureChapter VIII: Industrial Exemption and ConservatismChapter IX: The Conservation of Archaic TraitsChapter X: Modern Survivals of ProwessChapter XI: The Belief in LuckChapter XII: Devout ObservancesChapter XIII: Survivals of the Non-Invidious InterestChapter XIV: The Higher Learning as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first ever global history of luxury, from Roman villas to Russian oligarchs: a sparkling story of novelty, excess, extravagance, and indulgence through the centuriesTrade ReviewThere's a tension at the core of the very idea of luxury, and that tension gives this book its sinew. * The Wall Street Journal *Table of Contents1. Luxury, Antiquity, and the Antique ; 2. The Courts, the Church, and Medieval and Renaissance Luxury ; 3. Luxury and the Orient ; 4. Housing Luxury: From the Hotel Particulier to the Penthouses ; 5. Luxury and the Fashionable Body ; 6. Jet Set Life: From Trans-Atlantic to Global Elites ; 7. The Chic of Poverty: The Minimalism of Luxury ; 8. Everything that Money Can Buy? Manipulating Luxury ; 9. Has Luxury Lost its Lustre? ; Further Reading ; Notes ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"No one knows rural China better than Scott Rozelle. In this brilliant, original, thought-provoking, and important study, Rozelle and Natalie Hell not only make China's potential human capital crisis visible, but provide actionable solutions based on rigorous research."--Hongbin Li, James Liang Director of the China Program, Stanford University "Professor Rozelle is a renowned economist specializing in early childhood education and rural development, and his book on rural China is a culmination of over twenty years of research on rural China, which has generated intense interest among policymakers and philanthropists. He convincingly argues that intervention into early childhood education is the most effective way of reducing the inequality that is a problem not only in rural China but in many parts of the world." --James Liang, chairman and cofounder of Ctrip "This is the most readable and compelling economics book of the year, and probably the most important. From the opening pages, a clear and compelling argument unfolds: China faces a labor quality crisis, as hundreds of millions of young rural workers lack the education and robust health they need to participate in China's emerging high tech economy. Nobody who cares about China can afford to ignore Invisible China."--From Subject Received Size Categories Barry Naughton Blurb for Rozelle & Hell/Invisible China Wed 5:51 PM 92 KBTable of ContentsAuthor’s Note Introduction 1. The Middle-Income Trap 2. China’s Looming Transition 3. The Worst-Case Scenario 4. How China Got Here 5. A Shaky Foundation 6. Invisible Barriers 7. Behind Before They Start Conclusion Acknowledgments Appendix: The REAP Team Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs the glittering skyline in Shanghai seemingly attests, China has quickly transformed itself from a place of stark poverty into a modern, urban, technologically savvy economic powerhouse. But as Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell show in Invisible China, the truth is much more complicated and might be a serious cause for concern. China's growth has relied heavily on unskilled labor. Most of the workers who have fueled the country's rise come from rural villages and have never been to high school. While this national growth strategy has been effective for three decades, the unskilled wage rate is finally rising, inducing companies inside China to automate at an unprecedented rate and triggering an exodus of companies seeking cheaper labor in other countries. Ten years ago, almost every product for sale in an American Walmart was made in China. Today, that is no longer the case. With the changing demand for labor, China seems to have no good back-up plan. For all of its investment in physTrade Review"If rural Chinese do not learn essential cognitive skills, the authors predict mass unemployment, social unrest, and perhaps a crash that would 'lead to huge economic shocks around the world.' China’s rulers should order crates of de-worming pills—and copies of this book." * Economist *"While the world focuses on China’s rich, the country is facing economic and political disaster if it doesn’t invest heavily in educating its rural population, the economists Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell argue in this recent book. Both authors are part of the successful US-China Rural Education Action Program. As they note, Taiwan and South Korea escaped the middle-income trap by ensuring that large numbers of students finished high school, enabling the move to a higher-end economy. In China, by contrast, the high school attainment rate is just 30 percent." * Foreign Policy *"For a startling depiction of Chinese inequality today, Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell’s Invisible China is not to be missed." -- Niall Ferguson * Times Literary Supplement *"The biggest obstacle to China’s development is that rural children—two-thirds of the total—do terribly in school, argues this stunningly researched book. Many are malnourished, lack reading glasses or suffer from energy-sapping intestinal worms. If these basic problems are not fixed, say the authors, China will struggle to reach its goal of broad prosperity." * Economist, Best Books of 2021 *“Rozelle… has spent the last 30 years researching China’s labor force and its rural-urban divide.” * The Guardian *"Invisible China provides a stunning overview of economic, health and education policies in rural China." * East West Notes *"An important and informative new book . . . suggests that China lacks the educated workforce to capitalize on its success and reach the next rung in the ladder of development. . . . Making invisible China more visible is a necessary first step to bring meaningful changes in rural China. This new book by Rozelle and Hell is an important contribution to this endeavor." * Peterson Institute for International Economics *"This book by development economist Scott Rozelle and researcher Natalie Hell highlights problems that often remain invisible in the face of China’s rapid economic rise. It’s the drama of the rural low-educated workers who were the motor driving China’s growth since the 1980s, but are now more and more left jobless and hopeless in their home villages as low-skilled work is increasingly outsourced to other countries or is taken over by robotics. In many ways, China and the Chinese people are going forward – yet the rural population is left behind, and it’s China’s Achilles’ heel. This book focuses on this invisible side to China’s rise and on how such a big story, with such major implications, could be so little known." * What's on Weibo *“The authors are in no way hostile to China or its government system. But having spent years researching in rural China they not only feel strongly for this unseen China but want the situation to change so that China continues to prosper and thus enable the wider world to prosper.” * Asia Sentinel *“Rozelle and Hell would like to see China succeed, and remind us how important this is for the whole world. But they are concerned with the slow progress in reforming education. China has recently become more authoritarian, limiting cooperation with the education systems of other countries and even restricting the foreign books that children can read. Invisible China sounds a wake-up call.” * The Strategist *“Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell’s remarkable book represents the culmination of four decades of research carried out by Rural Education Action Plan’s (REAP) teams in China’s poor rural hinterlands… The book’s contributions are… insightful.” * China Quarterly *"Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell published Invisible China in 2020 as the pandemic began. The book arrived just before a wave of new policy trends that emerged throughout 2021, and it offers important context for those trends. It serves as a useful window to readers who want to move beyond the cities of China and begin to explore the vast and complex rural interior of the country." * China Source *"[Invisible China] provides an extensive coverage of problems for China in the sphere of human capital development... the book is rich in content and is not constrained only to China, but provides important parallels with past and present developments in other countries." * Journal of Chinese Political Science *“This book… [examines] a [wide] range of problems regarding China’s performance not just in education but also in health outcomes.” * Asian-Pacific Economic Literature *"Invisible China is an important, clearly argued, and original work. It presents a side of China that is all too evident to hundreds of millions of people living there, but that often escapes notice internationally. Anyone interested in China's economic and political future, and its impact on the world, will want to read this book." -- James Fallows, author of Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China“No one knows rural China better than Scott Rozelle. In this brilliant, original, thought-provoking, and important study, Rozelle and Natalie Hell not only make China’s potential human capital crisis visible, but provide actionable solutions based on rigorous research.” -- Hongbin Li, James Liang Director of the China Program, Stanford University“Professor Rozelle is a renowned economist specializing in early childhood education and rural development, and his book on rural China is a culmination of over twenty years of research on rural China, which has generated intense interest among policymakers and philanthropists. He convincingly argues that intervention into early childhood education is the most effective way of reducing the inequality that is a problem not only in rural China but in many parts of the world.” -- James Liang, chairman and cofounder of Ctrip“This is the most readable and compelling economics book of the year, and probably the most important. From the opening pages, a clear and compelling argument unfolds: China faces a labor quality crisis, as hundreds of millions of young rural workers lack the education and robust health they need to participate in China's emerging high tech economy. Nobody who cares about China can afford to ignore Invisible China.” -- Barry Naughton, School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego“This book is an important contribution to the study of China. China’s size and linkages with other economies mean that the arguments and data presented here have wide-ranging importance. There is still time to avoid the ‘doomsday’ outcome if policy shifts in China, and Rozelle and Hell’s work is poised to have a real impact if its message is heeded.”—Pietra Rivoli, Georgetown University -- Pietra Rivoli, Georgetown University"[Invisible China] examines the impending challenge of China’s rural poverty and the mechanisms that have allowed it to develop, promoting concrete actions that China can take to reduce the humanitarian risks of its urban–rural divide." * Journal of Economic Literature *"The book... delivers a solid analysis, and provides clear and feasible policy recommendations... a must-read both for scholars interested in Chinese studies and for policymakers." * Europe-Asia Studies *"Rozelle and Hell have written an eloquent description and analysis of China’s growing social challenge." * The Developing Economies *"Invisible China works extremely well as a source of inspiration for students, researchers, and practitioners wanting to work with rural China." * Pacific Affairs *Table of ContentsAuthor’s Note Introduction 1. The Middle-Income Trap 2. China’s Looming Transition 3. The Worst-Case Scenario 4. How China Got Here 5. A Shaky Foundation 6. Invisible Barriers 7. Behind Before They Start Conclusion Acknowledgments Appendix: The REAP Team Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisMuseums and the Working Class is the first book to take an intersectional and international approach to the issues of economic diversity and class within the field of museum studies. Bringing together 16 contributors from eight countries, this book has emerged from the significant global dialogue concerning museums' obligation to be inclusive, participate in meaningful engagement and advocate for social change. As part of the push for museums to be more accessible and inclusive, museums have been challenged to critically examine their power relationships and how these are played out in what they collect, whose stories they exhibit and who is made to feel welcome in their halls. This volume will further this professional and academic debate through the discussion of class. Contributions to the book will also reinforce the importance of the working class  not only in collection and exhibition policy, but also for the organisational psychology of institutionTable of ContentsIntroduction - ‘Which Side Are You On'? Towards Meaningful Attention to Class in MuseumsAdele ChynowethPart I - Shut Out: Access and the Working Class 1. ‘A Permanent Civilising Effect’? The Impact of Reforming Working-Class Museum Visitors in Liverpool during the Nineteenth CenturyAlexander Scott 2. How British Museums Have Failed the Working ClassDavid Fleming 3. Seat of the Muses or the Moolah? New Working Class Demands on Elitist Archival PracticesSilvio Tamaso D’Onofrio Part II - Shut Up: the Struggle to End the Silence4. ‘One and All’? Retrieving South Australia’s Forgotten Labor History Philip Payton 5. ‘Go and Take a Look at Millie Now’: Murder, Tattooed Remains, and Museum Ethics in QuebecJamie Jelinksi 6. Museums in Late Populist Democracies: the Photographic Archive and the Working Class Paolo Magagnoli 7. Women´s Work in Coastal Galicia: Shining a Light on the Unseen at the Marea MuseumJosé Manuel Vázquez Lijó Part III - Know Your Place: Site-Specific Narratives8. Erasure of Working-Class Heritage in Conservation Plans: Absent Presence in the Walled City of LahoreRabia Nadir 9. Eugene V. Debs' Museum and the Preservation of Radical Working-Class Political Memory Wesley R. Bishop 10. Keeping Your Head Down at the Hyde Park Barracks MuseumAdele Chynoweth 11. From Factory to Museum: The Obliteration of the History of Resistance Meral Akbaş and Özge Kelekçi Part IV- Answering Back: Lessons from the Working and Poverty Classes12. Looking Backwards, Planning Forward: ‘Museum as Muck’ Advocating for the Working Class in Museums Michelle McGrath, in conversation with Adele Chynoweth 13. Changing Lives at the Scottish Maritime MuseumMartin Hughes 14. House of Memories: Care and Equality in the UK Museum SectorKerry Wilson 15. Ngintaka Songline Tracks in the MuseumDiana James

Read more less

Book SynopsisHome Schooling and Home Education provides an original account of home education and examines ways in which the discourses of home education are understood and contextualised in different countries, such as the UK and USA. By exploring home education in the global and local context of traditional schooling, the book bridges a much-needed gap in educational and social scientific research. The authors explore home education from two related perspectives: firstly how and why home education is accessed by different social groups; and secondly, how these groups are perceived as home educators. The book draws upon empirical case study research with those who use home education to address issues of inequality, difference and inclusion, before offering suggestions for viable policy shifts in this area, as well as broadening understandings of risk and marginality. It engages and initiates debates about alternatives to the standard schooling model within a critical sociologicaTrade Review"This original text brings together for the first time discussion of how different identity categories are articulated in experiences of home education. Based upon detailed research with families who home educate their children, its focus upon risk is conceptually innovative and illuminates striking differences in the motivations and experiences of diverse home-educating families. The book’s findings – particularly in terms of race, religion and special educational needs – provide a much-needed stimulus for academic and policy debate about educational provision, social justice, and children’s rights."Professor Peter Kraftl, University of Birmingham, UK"Over the years, there has been very little on the subject of home education, especially in the UK. ‘Home Schooling and Home Education’ therefore provides an essential contribution to the field. Moreover, home education is a very sensitive subject and many have avoided addressing the topic. For this reason, this book is particularly helpful as it brings to the forefront and addresses the risks in relation to home educated children. The reader is provided with a comprehensive overview of the different issues at play across the global and local context of traditional schooling. A compelling and fascinating read."Dr. Kate D’Arcy, University of Bedfordshire."Its innovative focus is on concepts of risk, both from the point of view of society as a whole and from the subjects in the detailed case studies. By examining home education from the point of view of risk, this book is successful in giving a voice to home educators choosing the approach specifically to manage risks within their children’s lives."Wendy Charles-Warner. PEN Journal "The purpose of this study is neither to promote nor criticize home education, but rather to explore the experiences of very different types of home education families, with a particular focus on their reasons for home education. The book draws on 33 case studies from home educating failies in England."— Family Education Trust BulletinTable of Contents1 Introduction2 Global Perspectives of Home Education3 Situating Home education in global education economies4 Middle class families: ‘our children do better at home’5 Gypsies and Travellers: ‘we have always educated our children at home’6 Religion: ‘we want our children to learn specific values’7 Special educational needs and disability: ‘most schools don’t want and have never wanted our children’8 Race and ethnicity: local, global or cosmopolitan identities?9 Conclusions: home education, risk and belonging

Read more less

Book SynopsisHailed as the beneficiary, driving force and result of globalisation, Indiaâs middle-class is puzzling in its diversity, as a multitude of traditions, social formations and political constellations manifest contribute to this project. This book looks at Indian middle-class lifestyles through a number of case studies, ranging from a historical account detailing the making of a savvy middle-class consumer in the late colonial period, to saving clubs among women in Delhiâs upmarket colonies and the dilemmas of entrepreneurial families in Tamil Naduâs industrial towns.The book pays tribute to the diversity of regional, caste, rural and urban origins that shape middle- class lifestyles in contemporary India and highlights common themes, such as the quest for upward mobility, common consumption practices, the importance of family values, gender relations and educational trajectories. It unpacks the notion that the Indian middle-class can be understood in terms of public performanceTable of Contents1. Introduction Henrike Donner 2. Masculinity, advertising and the reproduction of the middle-class family in Western India, 1918-1940 Douglas E. Haynes 3. Gendered bodies, domestic work and perfect families: new regimes of gender and food in Bengali middle-class lifestyles Henrike Donner 4. ‘Keeping it in the family’: Work, education and gender hierarchies among Tiruppur’s industrial capitalists Geert De Neve 5. Cultural contractions and intergenerational relations: the construction of selfhood among middle class youth in Baroda Margit van Wessel 6. Globalisation, neoliberalism, and middle-class cultural politics in Kolkata Timothy J. Scrase and Ruchira Ganguly-Scrase 7. The social transformation of the medical profession in urban Kerala: doctors, social mobility and the middle classes Caroline Wilson 8. Kitty-parties and middle-class femininity in New Delhi Anne Waldrop 9. Zara hatke (‘Somewhat different’): the new middle classes and the changing forms of Hindi cinema Rachel Dwyer

Read more less

Book SynopsisSetting wages isn’t an exact science, but we like to think that our workplace performance provides an objective basis for pay. You’re Paid What You’re Worth offers a bold theory to the contrary, arguing that pay is decided in contests over interests and ideals—that social conflicts, not economic metrics, determine who gets how much.Trade ReviewThis is the book to throw at your human resources director—not literally, of course—when any attempt is being made to bamboozle you about how decisions on pay have been made. It is all here: the economics, psychology, sociology and (crucially) mythology that underpin wages and how they are set. It is a closely argued, thoroughly researched treatise on how we got here and how pay could be both fairer and more effective as a reward. -- Stefan Stern * Financial World *Rosenfeld makes an important contribution to the literature on the determinants of workers’ pay in the United States—and, in doing so, also contributes to debates over the causes of rising pay inequality over the last 50 years in the United States. -- Joe LaBriola * American Journal of Sociology *Suitable for all audiences. Undergraduates will appreciate the clarity of prose, absence of jargon, and liberal use of examples. More advanced scholars of work…[will] appreciate Rosenfeld’s extraordinary ability to bring together multiple threads from the literature into a coherent, sweeping argument about the sources of pay inequality and inequity in contemporary labor markets. -- Kim Weeden * Social Forces *A stimulating reading for social scientists. -- Antonio Abatemarco * Journal of Economics *Rosenfeld outlines many of the injustices that underpin the American economy…Offers a series of sensible reforms that would help tweak the balance in favor of employees. -- Andrew Leigh * Inside Story *Rosenfeld debunks contemporary myths about work and wages in this illuminating account. * Publishers Weekly *You’re Paid What You’re Worth is a lively and rigorous study that will change debates over labor markets. Rosenfeld’s original research serves as a very important rejoinder to old ideas in economics and to conventional wisdom in the mass public. -- Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia UniversityRosenfeld’s book provides a rich sociological theory of the labor market, showing why and how wages are largely set by norms, organizational practices, and institutions. -- Suresh Naidu, Columbia UniversityA flat-out revelation of a book by one of the nation’s top scholars of the labor market, You’re Paid What You’re Worth is required reading for anyone who cares about the future of work in America. With concise prose informed by history and cutting-edge research, Rosenfeld dispels one myth after another about how the modern economy works and champions thoughtful solutions for how American prosperity can once more lead to broad social uplift. -- Matthew Desmond, author of Poverty, by AmericaThe growth in earnings inequality requires us to understand what determines pay in the economy. Jake Rosenfeld’s book provides nuanced and bold insight into the question of ‘who gets what and why?’ He challenges widely held assumptions and approaches in this area by probing the impact of fairness norms, organizational inertia and mimicry, and most importantly power in determining pay. In so doing, he provides novel and provocative perspectives on policies to address this pressing problem. -- David Weil, Dean, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis UniversityJake Rosenfeld pulls back the curtain on the multifaceted cultural, institutional, and market forces at play in wage-setting. This timely book illuminates the power dynamics and often arbitrary forces that have contributed to the egregious inequality in the US labor market—and then lays out a clear blueprint for progressive change. -- Thea Lee, President of the Economic Policy Institute

Read more less

Book SynopsisFifteen families. Four hundred years. The complex saga of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant elite in America’s history. For decades, writers from Cleveland Amory to Joseph Alsop to the editors of Politico have proclaimed the diminishment of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, who for generations were the dominant socio-cultural-political force in America. While the WASP elite has, in the last half century, indeed drifted from American centrality to the periphery, its relevance and impact remain, as Michael Gross reveals in his compelling chronicle. From Colonial America’s founding settlements through the Gilded Age to the present day, Gross traces the complex legacy of American WASPs—their profound accomplishments and egregious failures—through the lives of fifteen influential individuals and their very privileged, sometimes intermarried families. As the Bradford, Randolph, Morris, Biddle, Sanford, Peabody and WhitnTrade ReviewPraise for Flight of the WASP:“Illuminating . . . It is the virtue of his book that it brings the now defunct patricians to life in all their doubleness, begetters of American prosperities who drove themselves crazy trying to heal American hysterics.”—Michael Knox Beran, Air Mail “A formal, sincere and rather crowded portrait gallery of about a dozen significant Old Names—Biddles, Peabodys, Whitneys, et al.—that sternly accounts for their evil deeds while also tabulating their noble ones.”—Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times“Delightfully provocative . . . The book’s real delight lies in its brisk biographies of the people who illustrate the ascent and descent of WASP hegemony . . . Well-researched and well-written, Gross’ portrait gallery will, if nothing else, illuminate the odd corners of the lives of our nation’s elite and American history itself.”—BookPage (starred review)“A thoughtful deep dive into the history of the country and who has wielded power here, but is kept lively thanks to Gross’s ability to spin yarns that make even the Pilgrims feel exciting.”—Town & Country“An immersive and nuanced group portrait of New England’s elite from 1609 to today . . . Gross takes detours into extended considerations of areas in which his subjects had a hand, such as the displacement of Indigenous peoples and the study of eugenics. Striking an expert balance between the big picture and intimate thumbnails, this is an enlightening study of American culture.”—Publishers Weekly“A critical history of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant cohort of American society, once dominant, now descending . . . Readable and engaging.”—Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Michael Gross:“Does not skimp on the gossipy goods. There are descents into madness, prolific drug use, orgies, blackmail photos and suicide attempts . . . Also smart, well-researched and written with an insider’s eye . . . Engaging and on point.”—New York Times Book Review, on Focus“A delicious read. Sweeping . . . Thoughtful.”—Daily Beast, on Focus“I thought I knew practically everything about the fashion industry, but Michael Gross has corrected me. His thoroughly absorbing narrative dazzles with the most profound investigation and research. Focus is an enthralling and riveting read!”—Tim Gunn“Michael Gross . . . rules[s] the school of literature you might call Books About Buildings Where Lots of Rich People Live.”—Vanity Fair, on House of Outrageous Fortune“[Tom] Wolfe’s gift was in summing up an era through his description of [Sherman] McCoy and his environs. Michael Gross has done likewise by taking us inside the most expensive, most powerful address in the world . . . Stunning.”—CNN, on House of Outrageous Fortune“Michael Gross, an author with a delicate appreciation for bloated egos and wealth, makes them glitter in House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World’s Most Powerful Address. The intersecting strands of money, politics, greed, taste, ambition shine brightly.”—Bloomberg News“Compulsively readable.”—Liesl Schillinger, New York Times, on 740 Park“A blockbuster exhibition of human achievement and flaws.”—New York Times Book Review, on Rogues’ Gallery“Gross demonstrates he knows his stuff. It’s a terrific tale . . . Gossipy, color-rich, fact-packed . . . What Gross reveals is stuff that more people should know.”—USA Today, on Rogues’ Gallery“Michael Gross has proven once again that he is a premier chronicler of the rich. Rogues’ Gallery is an insightful, entertaining look at a great institution-with all its flaws and all its greatness.”—Gay Talese“One long, scurrilously detailed dish. The first comprehensive history of modeling and a chewy read.”—Harper’s Bazaar, on Model“Gossipy, bitchy and probably seminal. Gross pulls no punches. Model is a litany of skullduggery and dirty dealings.”—San Francisco Examiner

Read more less

Book SynopsisTells the previously untold stories of those living with mortgage debt in times of precarity and explores how individualized indebtedness can unite resistance in the struggle toward housing justice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing on the author's own experience as a student and a teacher in England and Japan, this book is a comparative study of boys' secondary schools in these two countries.By comparing two nations that are very different in their history, culture, and geographical location, and by focusing on schools that are affordable to the majority of the population, the analysis carried out in this book takes the onus away from money, national culture, and religion, allowing for a more insightful understanding of those elements of schooling, which prove essential to successful class reproduction and those that are contingent. The book also explores the experiences of boys who do not fit orthodox images of heterosexual masculinity, discussing their interaction with teenage subcultures which encourage non-conformity to middle-class norms.Representing a novel contribution to the understanding of the relationship between education, gender, and class, this book will be a valuable resour

Read more less