Whatever Happened to Class?

This terrific, sharply focused book illuminates how very much we have lost by dismissing class analysis-and why. From workers to middle classes to migrants, and from social science to natural science, these distinguished scholars show us what was right before our eyes if only we would see it. -- Marc Blecher, Oberlin College This important book revives the concept of class to illuminate the dramatic changes occurring in contemporary South Asian societies. Its intriguing insights make it essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the social dynamics of the region and the continuing relevance of class. -- John Echeverri-Gent, University of Virginia This is an outstanding volume, a must read for both friends and foes of class analysis. The contributions are sophisticated, sober, and timely. -- Atul Kohli, Princeton University South Asian capitalism fragments the political organization of labour while the working class multiplies; it consolidates the organization of capital while pathways to accumulation diversify. The willful ignoring or destruction of class analysis obscures our understanding of the complex class and non-class dynamics of capitalism. Agarwala, Herring, and their colleagues are to be congratulated for bringing class back in. -- Barbara Harriss-White, Oxford University This book shows, contrary to recent social science claims, that smart class analysis is not only possible but still carries a powerful explanatory punch. Refusing to shy away from the difficulties of class theory, and carefully considering the naysayers, the contributors continually push readers onto promising new turf. That these lessons from South Asia also apply to other non-core countries is what makes the book valuable to a wide body of students and researchers. -- David Ost David Ost David Ost David Ost, author of The Defeat of Solidarity