Social Classes and Social Relations in Britain 1850-1914

Alastair Reid provides a clear guide to debates about the analysis of British social classes and social relations in the second half of the nineteenth century. He distinguishes among the wealth-holding, political power, and cultural influence of the ruling class; he summarizes the recent literature on changes in skills and incomes of different groups within the working classes; and he divides the debate on social relations into distinct emphases on coercion, control and consent.