Labor Publication: Journal of Working Class Studies

The first issue of the new open access Journal of Working Class Studies has just been published by the Working Class Studies Association, which promotes the study of working-class people and worker culture. This peer-reviewed online publication aims to fill a conspicuously absent niche of academic writing centered around the global working class and the contributions to this new journal offer an illuminating appraisal of the contributions of working people to society. The first issue includes a look at the evolution of Working Class Studies as viable academic field over the past 20 years; an analysis of changing structure of the American working class; appraisals of narratives which shine a light on the reality of working life; an exploration of the rejection of upper class “respectability” and reviews of recent books including a novel, a poetry collection, and an economic history. Though some of the Journal’s entries can be a bit academic in orientation, the clear focus on the living, working experiences of rank-and-file workers makes it definitely a worth a read.
- reviewed by David Fernández-Barrial, a federal librarian and union steward at AFSCME 2910. His most recent publication is American Labor Isn’t Dead – But Definitely Needs to Wake Up

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