The gap between rich and poor, included and excluded, advantaged and disadvantaged is steadily growing as inequality becomes one of the most pressing issues of our times. The new edition of this popular text explores current patterns of inequality in the context of increasing globalization, world recession and neoliberal policies of austerity. Within a framework of intersectionality, Bradley discusses various theories and concepts for understanding inequalities of class, gender, ethnicity and age, while an entirely new chapter touches on the social divisions arising from disabilities, non-heterosexual orientations and religious affiliation.

Bradley argues that processes of fracturing, which complicate the way we as individuals identify and locate ourselves in relation to the rest of society, exist alongside a tendency to social polarization: at one end of the social hierarchy are the super-rich; at the other end, long-term unemployment and job insecurity are the fate of many, especially the young. In the reordering of the social hierarchy, members of certain ethnic minority groups, disabled people and particular segments of the working class suffer disproportionately, while prevailing economic conditions threaten to offset the gains made by women in past decades. Fractured Identities shows how only by understanding and challenging these developments can we hope to build a fairer and more socially inclusive society.

About the Author
Harriet Bradley is Professor of Women's Employment at the University of the West of England and Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Bristol.

Reviews

"Bradley successfully combines political critique and trenchant scholarship in this up-to-the minute revision of her now classic text. Her focus is firmly on increasing inequality and polarization, in all their dimensions, in the context of globalization and the entrenchment of austerity and individualism. Her arguments are accessible, engaging and convincing. The book makes an important contribution to the resurgence of class analysis, and will be widely read."
Miriam Glucksmann, University of Essex

"Harriet Bradley's new edition of Fractured Identities synthesises the changes consequent upon globalisation, the War on Terror, and changing demographics since the first edition with her clear and coherent account of the classic sociological work. Any student using the book will be extremely fortunate: it is innovative, current, and classic."
Sara Delamont, Cardiff University

Book Information
ISBN 9780745644080
Author Harriet Bradley
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 517g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 152mm * 25mm