Blue Collar, Theoretically

Though Marxism is the dominant philosophical theory applied to class in academia, its real-life inconsistencies, particularly stereotyping, have troubling effects on working class studies. As a result of its hegemony, alternative discourses have been effectively shut out of the academic world. This critical work seeks to establish a new philosophy of class, drawing on disciplines as diverse as sociology, cognitive science, anthropology and psychology and applying a decidedly Weberian hermeneutical lens. Topics covered include a detailed exploration of Marxism, a review of working class literature, post-marxist theories of class and the future of the field.

John F. Lavelle is an assistant professor at the Florida Institute of Technology and is the author of numerous journal articles.

John F. Lavelle
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 287
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4885-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8701-1
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments viii

Preface 1

1. The Praxis of Class 9

2. A Study in New Working-Class Studies 45

3. A Review of the Discourse of Working-Class Literature 97

4. Postmarxist Theories of Class 150

5. Postmodern/Poststructuralist Theories of Class and a Theory of the Working Class 179

6. A Working-Class Reading of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and The Great Gatsby 215

Conclusion 247

Chapter Notes 257

Bibliography 260

Index 271

“recommended”—Choice.