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  • © 2009

Identity in the 21st Century

New Trends in Changing Times

Palgrave Macmillan

Part of the book series: Identity Studies in the Social Sciences (IDS)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. Introduction: Negotiating Liveable Lives — Identity in Contemporary Britain

  3. Class and Community

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 19-19
    2. Individualization and the Decline of Class Identity

      • Anthony Heath, John Curtice, Gabriella Elgenius
      Pages 21-40
    3. White Middle-Class Identity Work Through ‘Against the Grain’ School Choices

      • David James, Diane Reay, Gill Crozier, Fiona Jamieson, Phoebe Beedell, Sumi Hollingworth et al.
      Pages 76-92
  4. Ethnicities and Encounters

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 93-93
    2. Ethnicities Without Guarantees: An Empirical Approach

      • Roxy Harris, Ben Rampton
      Pages 95-119
    3. Living London: Women Negotiating Identities in a Postcolonial City

      • Rosie Cox, Sue Jackson, Meena Khatwa, Dina Kiwan
      Pages 175-194
  5. Popular Culture and Relationality

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 195-195
    2. The Making of Modern Motherhoods: Storying an Emergent Identity

      • Rachel Thomson, Mary Jane Kehily, Lucy Hadfield, Sue Sharpe
      Pages 197-212
    3. The Allure of Belonging: Young People’s Drinking Practices and Collective Identification

      • Christine Griffin, Andrew Bengry-Howell, Chris Hackley, Willm Mistral, Isabelle Szmigin
      Pages 213-230
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 250-261

About this book

Bringing together leading scholars to investigate trends in contemporary social life, this book examines the current patterning of identities based on class and community, gender and generation, 'race', faith and ethnicity, and derived from popular culture, exploring debates about social change, individualization and the re-making of social class.

Reviews

'This important collection of original essays, using state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative methods, offers fascinating insights into the complex ways that power relations inscribe contemporary social identities.' - Professor Mike Savage, the University of Manchester, UK

'This is an important book on multicultural Britain. It grounds theoretical debates in richly textured empirical analyses, and parts of the book read like a good novel, with real lives and histories unfolding in front of our eyes. Students and professional academics interested in the changing dynamics of social identities in contemporary societies especially culturally diverse societies such as the U.S, Brazil, South Africa, or India - should read this book. Humanists in particular will find this work done by their colleagues in the social sciences very illuminating, and it will suggest ways that humanists and social scientists can work together to explore topics of common interest. Social identity, the focus of this volume, is clearly one such topic.' - Satya P. Mohanty

Professor of English, Cornell University, and Director of the International Future of Minority Studies (FMS) Summer Institute (www.fmsproject.cornell.edu), USA

'...this edited collection delivers the greatest beneficial impact when read in themed sections; however, it is certainly flexible if the reader only wishes to focus on a specific research project. An essential read for all those interested in contemporary formations of identity in the 21st century.' - Michelle Addison, Newcastle University UK, Sociology

Editors and Affiliations

  • Open University, UK

    Margaret Wetherell

About the editor

PHOEBE BEEDELL is Research Fellow at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK ANDREW BENGRY-HOWELL is Research Fellow based in the Psychology Department at the University of Bath, UK SIMON CLARKE is Professor of Psycho-Social Studies and Director of the Centre for Psycho-Social Studies at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK ROSIE COX is Senior Lecturer in Geography and Gender Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, UK GILL CROZIER is Professor of Education and Assistant Dean Research at Roehampton University, UK JOHN CURTICE is Professor of Politics and Director of the Social Statistics Laboratory in the Department of Government at the University of Strathclyde, UK ROD EEARLE is Lecturer in Youth Justice at the Open University, UK GABRIELLA ELGENIUS is British Academy Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford University, UK STEVE GARNER is Senior Lecturer in Sociology in the School of Languages and Social Science at Aston University, UK ROSIE GILMOUR is Research Fellow at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK CHRISTINE GRIFFIN is Professor of Social Psychology and Head of the Psychology Department at the University of Bath, UK CHRIS HACKLEY is Professor of Marketing at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK LUCY HADFIELD is Research Fellow in the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the Open University, UK ROXY HARRIS is Senior Lecturer in Language in Education in the Department of Education and Professional Studiesat King's College London, UK ANTHONY HEATH is Professor of Sociology at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of Nuffield College and a Fellow of the British Academy, UK SUMI HOLLINGWORTH is Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Education at London Metropolitan University, UK SUE JACKSON is Professor of Lifelong Learning and Gender at Birkbeck, University of London and Director of the Birkbeck Institute for Lifelong Learning, UK

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access