- The British Class System

Catalog description

An exploration of the origins and functions of Britain's class structure. Students will consider class as the defining feature of British society. They will read works that address class as a matter of theory, a matter of economics, a matter for social concern and policy making, and a framing tool for British imperial expansion. Texts include selections from major theorists like Adam Smith and Karl Marx, social activists like Friedrich Engels and George Orwell, and literature from William Makepeace Thackeray and Jane Austen. Each demonstrates the distinct functioning of class in Britain and how completely it permeates social and cultural history.