First published in 1975. How do men come to perceive and evaluate a world in which marked inequalities of class and status exist? This book considers the nature of class images and their underlying work and community structures. Beginning with the argument that the perception of society varies according to type of work and community milieux, it first considers the social imagery of working-class professions and their sources of variation, and then examines some of the methodological problems of the study of class imagery. The nature of proletarian traditionalism and radicalism in then contemporary Britain is discussed in conclusion. This title will be of interest to students of sociology.

Foreword; Preface; Contributors; Part One Introduction; 1 Introduction Martin Bulmer 2 Sources of Variation in Working-Class Society David Lockwood; Part Two Empirical Research; 3 Religion as a Source of Variation in Working-Class Images of Society Robert S. Moore 4 Patterns of Paradox: Shipbuilding Workers Images of Society Jim Cousins and Richard Brown 5 The Sources of Variation in Agricultural Workers' Images of Society Colin Bell and Howard Newby 6 The Differential Worker 7 Deference and the Ethos of Small-Town Capitalism Eric Batstone 8 Ideology in the Non-Skilled Working Class R.M. Blackburn and Michael Mann; Part Three Theory and Methodology; 9 Some Problems of Research into Class Imagery Martin Bulmer 10 Images, Action, 'Us' and 'Them' Alfred Willener 11 The 'New Working Class' and the Old 12 Occupational Communities - Communities of What? D.H. Allcorn and C.M. Marsh 13 Occupations, Community and Consciousness Graeme Salaman; Part Four Conclusion; 14 In Search of the Traditional Worker David Lockwood 15 Radical Class Consciousness: A Comment J.H. Westergaard 16 The Radical Worker: A Postscript; Bibliography