[ecrea] Call for Chapters - considering class

*_Considering Class_*

*__*

*_A call for chapter proposals for a new book anthology:
_**_/Considering Class/_*

*_
_*

*Editors: Deirdre O'Neill Brunel University *

*               Michael Wayne Brunel University*

More than thirty years of neoliberalism has dramatically restructured
the working class while the category has all but disappeared from public
discourse and led to the weakening of class as an analytical framework.
/Considering Class/ seeks to explore the issue of class from a
cross-disciplinary perspective in order to build connections between
different areas of scholarly enquiry and civic engagement. Drawing on a
polymorphous group of theorists from various disciplines this collection
will be a multidisciplinary one, which endeavors to cross fertilize the
rigid specialism’s current within intellectual life. When academics fix
on a particular area and objective, other factors in play are reduced in
significance and prominence given to the specialism in focus. How then
are we to grasp the actuality of class if other contributing factors,
historical, cultural, social, pedagogic are not present? This anthology
encourages contributors to situate their topics within the political,
social, economic and cultural relations that shape class.

Although for a period class became rather ‘unfashionable’ within
academia and mainstream politics, there is evidence now of a renewed
interest in class and we are witnessing its return to the political and
academic agenda as levels of inequality have deepened and neo-liberal
capitalism lurches into structural crisis. One of the contradictions of
this renewed interest is the way in which, as the working class have
become more visible -for example on reality TV shows –it has at the same
time  become more marginalized and stigmatized. The ‘gentrification of
the left’ particularly in relation to politics, the media and education
has led to a situation where working class voices and perspectives have
been pushed to the margins of the public sphere. Our aim is  that
submissions to this collection will intervene in debates around class
that include the role of policy making and institutional practices (e.g.
media and education). We also wish to encourage global perspectives
and welcome empirical case studies as well as  theoretical
contributions.  We hope the collection will:


a) Explore the continuing salience of class as an explanatory category
across social, political, economic, educational and cultural change;

b) Interrogate the problems and difficulties associated with the
category and its various theoretical constructions.

Please send proposals of between 300-500 words to the editors by October
1st  (please provide a brief biographical note).


Deirdre.O'(neill /at/ brunel.ac.uk)


(Michael.wayne /at/ brunel.ac.uk) <mailto:(Michael.wayne /at/ brunel.ac.uk)>



*/_As ever these are possible areas to consider, but the editors are
open to other suggestions._/*

*Media representations of class*

**

*Neo Liberal TV and Class*

**

*Class, Cultural Identity and Theory*

**

*The repression of Class: the identity that dare not speak its name*

**

*The relationship between gender, race and class*

*Class struggle and electoral politics*

*The working class and other classes*

*Why did academics stop talking about class?*

*The making and/or unmaking of class consciousness*

**

*Class, trade unions and working class activism*

*Global dynamics of class relations and structures*

**

*Working Class Pedagogy*

**

*Class and Education*

*Class and Gentrification*

*Democracy vs. Capitalism*

**

*The International Bourgeoisie: who are they, where are they, how do
they operate?*

*
*



Dr Deirdre O 'Neill
Lecturer in Film and TV
*Department of Social Sciences, Media and Communications*

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