The Politics Of Identity: Class, Culture, Social Movements

Synopsis

Social scientists have debated the dimensions of class. Humanists have elaborated on culture and its political implications. But, Stanley Aronowitz persuasively argues, the ways in which class, politics and culture are intertwined have rarely been examined. InThe Politics of Identity, Aronowitz begins from the premise that culture is constitutive of class identities. In these essays, some new and some widely cited, he demonstrates that economic identities are partially responsible for how, when, and where classes act in the social realm. While feminist perspectives of both race and gay and lesbian movements have drawn out the racial and gender components of cultural elements, Aronowitz argues, class mediations to cultural identity have not been fully explored. As a former trade union activist, steelworker, and currently, a professor and academic administrator, Stanley Aronowitz provides unique insights into the connections between class and cultural identities. He haswritten extensively on class and working class and social movements. Here, he combines class and cultural analysis in a book that spans the issues of ethnicity, race and gender, portrayals of class and culture in the media, and a range of issues related to postmodernism. The Politics of Identitywill appeal to all those interested in the politics of culture, contemporary politics, and social movements.