This book examines the experiences and values which shaped working-class life in Britain in the half-century from 1880. It takes as its focus a region, Lancashire, which was central to the social and political changes of the period. The discussion centres on two towns, Bolton and Wigan, which, while they were geographically close, differed significantly in their industrial fortunes and their electoral development. The formation of class identity is traced through developments in the world of work, from the impact of technological and managerial innovations to the elaboration of collective-bargaining procedures. Beyond work, particular attention is paid to the dynamics of neighbourhood and family life, the latter emerging as an important source of continuity in working-class life. The broader impact of such influences are traced through a close examination of the electoral politics of the period. Dr Griffiths' conclusions fundamentally challenge the notion that the fifty years around the turn of the century witnessed the emergence of a working class more culturally and politically united than at any other time, either before or since. Rather, an alternative narrative of class development is offered, in which broad continuities in working-class life, in particular the survival of religious, ethnic, and occupational points of division, are emphasised. Despite the presence of strong and stable labour institutions, from trade unions to Co-operative and Friendly Societies, the picture emerges of a working class more individualist than collectivist in outlook, more flexible in response to economic change, and less constrained by the broader solidarities of work and neighbourhood than has previously been supposed.
Reviews
... long-anticipated ... well worth the wait ... a significant contribution to the burgeoning social history of the Lancashire working class ... will be drawn upon in a range of debates on the historical sociology of work, the periodisation of class formation, the character of British working-class culture and on the contested relationship between social structures and political behaviour. * Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire *
... considerable analytical skill and a rigorous attention to empirical detail ... absorbing and challenging ... innovative analysis of labour markets, recruitment and the search for work. * Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire *
... an impressive, meticulously researched book ... Everyone interested in social and labour history, not only in Lancashire but far beyond, will find much to engage with in it. * Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire *
A rich and rewarding book.
A valuable and substantial contribution ... Historians of the North will value the wealth of research reported in the text and detailed in the impressive bibliography. Social historians will benefit from the links drawn between this work and the debates which have engaged them for the past twenty years. * Northern History *
His ingenious statistical analysis of the 286 households affected by the [Pretoria Pit] disaster ... displays the historians' craft at its best. * American Historical Review *
... this is a very good and scholarly first work. * Albion *
All of the book's eight chapters engage with and challenge the existing historical literature and are skillfully linked to produce a challenging conclusion. * Albion *
... the book makes excellent use of a very wide range of employers' records, trade union data, and other material. * Albion *
Griffith's book will be seen by many as another welcome addition - and indeed important variation - on the corpus of literature which seeks to extend the frontiers of historical analysis of industrial communities by recourse to identity rather than social class. * Labour History Review *
The research is thorough, the interpretation inspired and the argument sustained in what constitutes a readable and fascinating contribution. * Labour History Review *
Overall, Griffiths has produced a significant and valuable addition to the ongoing discussion of working-class development, as well as an extensive survey of Lancashire working-class attitudes, activities and lifestyles. In so doing, he has extended, but not concluded, the ongoing debate. * History *
Extensive and meticulous examination of the Lancashire working class ... an important and informative study. * History *
Original and compelling. * Martin Pugh, BBC History Magazine *
Griffiths marshalls an impressive range of documentary evidence to argue for the continuities of key aspects of working-class life over this fifty year period ... a particularly interesting chapter on the labour market and the 'search for work'. * English Historical Review *
Gives a fascinating insight into the realities of working class life ... incisive. * Contemporary Review *
This book is an important contribution to the social history of Lancashire as well as the wider debate about social class in Britain ... it should be read by a wide variety of social historians and it represents a stimulating contribution to the question, 'was there a British working class or working classes?' * Business History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199247387
Author Trevor Griffiths
Format Hardback
Page Count 402
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 606g
Dimensions(mm) 226mm * 146mm * 28mm