Books in the 21st Century Standpoints series

This book brings Brian Jackson and Dennis Marsden's pioneering Education and the Working Class from 1962 up to date for the 21st century and reveals what we can do to achieve a fairer education system.

What can we learn about our society and the need to listen to each other in order to make sense of Brexit within a wider world? This accessible book addresses the causes and implications of Brexit, exploring the anger against political elites as people felt estranged from a political process that no longer expressed their will.

Snobbery is a more serious matter than some may think: the arguments around Brexit and Trump show that accusations of snobbery have become part of political discourse and public sentiment, building social divisions and reflecting deeper issues of class inequality. Social class is not simply about wealth, health and life-chances but also about everyday social experience, such as being included or excluded. As social inequality grows, snobbery is becoming ever more pertinent. This book takes a fresh and engaging look at this key issue, drawing on literature, popular culture and autobiography as well as sociology and history. David Morgan explores the complex history and different varieties of snobbery as well as its all-pervasive character to reveal why, despite claims about the openness of our society, it is still a matter of public concern.

What's wrong with work shows that how workers are treated has wide implications beyond the lives of workers themselves. Recognising gender, race, class and global differences, the book considers the ways formal work is often dependent on informal work and concludes by considering what might make work better.

Looking at examples across anti-racist movements and developments in nationhood/nationalism, institutional racism, migration, white supremacy and the disparities of COVID-19, Nasar Meer argues for the need to move on from perpetual crisis in racial justice to a turning point that might change deep-seated systems of racism.

Love them or hate them, most of us have an opinion about cars. If not the cars themselves, then it's driver competence and behaviour that can offend us. And then there's modification: alloy wheels, custom audio systems and bespoke paint jobs. For some, changing the look, feel and sound of a car says something about themselves, but for others, such enhancements signify a lack of taste, or even criminality. In subtle and complex ways, cars transmit and modify our identities behind the wheel. As a symbol of independence and freedom, the car projects status, class, taste and, significantly, embeds racialisation. Using fascinating research from drivers, including first-person accounts as well as exploring hip-hop music and car-related TV shows, Alam unpicks the ways in which identity is rehearsed, enhanced, interpreted.