Class Matters: Inequality and Exploitation in 21st Century Britain

Social class remains a fundamental presence in British life in the twenty-first century. It is woven into the very fabric of social and political discourse, undiminished by the end of mass industry; unaugmented despite the ascendancy of 'ordinary working people' and other substitute phrases. Absent from this landscape, however, is any compelling Marxist expression or analysis of class. In Class Matters, Charles Umney brings Marxist analysis out of the 19th century textiles mill, and into the call centres, office blocks and fast food chains of modern Britain. He shows how core Marxist concepts are vital to understanding increasing pay inequality, decreasing job security, increasing routinisation and managerial control of the labour process. Providing a critical analysis of competing perspectives, Umney argues that class must be understood as a dynamic and exploitative process integral to capitalism - rather than a descriptive categorisation - in order for us to better understand the gains capital has made at the expense of labour over the last four decades.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction The Rest of the Book 1. The ‘Economy that Works for Everyone’ Platitudes Class Since the Financial Crisis Class and Classification in Academia 2. Alien Powers: Class in Marxist Thought Conflict in the Workplace Dependency and Discipline Subordination of the Individual Alien Powers and Loss of Control Beyond Production 3. Changing Class Dynamics in Britain Introduction Inequality and the Balance of Class Power in Britain Financialisation, Capital and Class Discipline Labour Discipline and ‘Precarity’ Conclusion 4. Jobs Workplace Control Conflict, Resistance and Class Power 5. Government Adequate Forms and Alien Powers Public Services and Capital Blood Sacrifices to Alien Powers 6. Class and Equality Class, ‘Identity Politics’ and Cosmopolitans Marxism and Feminism Equality and Capital Capital and Immigration 7. Technology The Means of Evaluation Capitalism and the Wasting of Resources 8. Media and Ideology Common Sense The News Media Marxist Views on Ideology 9. Conclusion Summary Capital and the Future Final Thoughts: Britain after the 2017 General Election Notes Index

About the Author :
Charles Umney is a Lecturer at the University of Leeds. He teaches, researches and writes on the subjects of trade unionism, working conditions and employment policy across Europe, and has also published extensively on the topic of working life in live music. He is the author of Class Matters (Pluto, 2018).

Review :
'A sophisticated answer to impoverished sociologies and cheap media cliches ... A sharp and deeply necessary book' 'Charles Umney presents a powerful and nuanced alternative narrative driven by Marxist political economy. With a keen eye for irony, paradox, and the absurd, he analyses work, politics, and technology in capitalist societies. This is a witty and wise antidote to the mainstream diagnoses of our times' 'By reinstating the importance of Marxist analysis for understanding the relationship between class and social inequality in 21st century Britain, Charles Umney has written a highly cogent and perspicacious account of the formation of contemporary inequality and exploitation... a vital source' 'A highly accessible presentation of the transformation of the British economy over the last four decades and the problems facing Britain today. Umney vividly demonstrates the acute relevance of Marxist class analysis for understanding work, government, economics and politics in 21st century capitalism'