Reimagining class in Australia : Marxism, Populism and Australian sociology

This book re-evaluates New Left and Marxist texts from the 1980s, in order to explore problems facing the study of ‘class’ which have emerged within Australian and international theories. The author contrasts the popular ideas of Connell, Bourdieu and the ‘Death of Class’ thesis, with those of lesser known texts, concluding that no single definition can account for the various historical meanings of class. Instead, loosely following Castoriadis, the concept of class can best be understood as creatively imagined and institutionalised. Paternoster proposes that class is best studied through historical phenomenology, which can be used to link political economy, cultural sociology and anthropological ethnographies. This approach allows the contributions of Marxist and New Left authors to be reintegrated with contemporary theories. Doing so highlights the significance of labour populism, while cautioning against the ahistorical applications of texts such as Bourdieu’s __Distinction__.__Reimagining Class in Australia__ will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including sociology, history, political economy and anthropology. This book re-evaluates New Left and Marxist texts from the 1980s, in order to explore problems facing the study of ‘class’ which have emerged within Australian and international theories. The author contrasts the popular ideas of Connell, Bourdieu and the ‘Death of Class’ thesis, with those of lesser known texts, concluding that no single definition can account for the various historical meanings of class. Instead, loosely following Castoriadis, the concept of class can best be understood as creatively imagined and institutionalised. Paternoster proposes that class is best studied through historical phenomenology, which can be used to link political economy, cultural sociology and anthropological ethnographies. This approach allows the contributions of Marxist and New Left authors to be reintegrated with contemporary theories. Doing so highlights the significance of labour populism, while cautioning against the ahistorical applications of texts such as Bourdieu’s Distinction . Reimagining Class in Australia will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including sociology, history, political economy and anthropology. Annotation Re-evaluates New Left and Marxist texts from the 1980s, in order to explore problems facing the study of 'class' which have emerged within Australian and international theories. The author contrasts the popular ideas of Connell, Bourdieu and the 'Death of Class' thesis, with those of lesser known texts, concluding that no single definition can account for the various historical meanings of class. Instead, loosely following Castoriadis, the concept of class can best be understood as creatively imagined and institutionalised. Paternoster proposes that class is best studied through historical phenomenology, which can be used to link political economy, cultural sociology and anthropological ethnographies. This approach allows the contributions of Marxist and New Left authors to be reintegrated with contemporary theories Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction: Why Class? (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 1-20 Imagining Class in Australian History (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 21-65 The New Left and Marxism (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 67-96 Connell and Irving’s Class Structure in Australian History (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 97-139 Wells’ Constructing Capitalism and Political Economy (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 141-178 Andrew Metcalfe and Working-Class Consciousness (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 179-218 The Death of Class and Its Afterlife (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 219-254 Conclusion: Reimagining Class (Henry Paternoster)....Pages 255-272 Back Matter ....Pages 273-279