Working-class studies : memory, community, and activism.

It may seem strange to some people that I and several others travelled from England to the USA for a conference on social class and more especially the working-class. After all, we practically invented social class in England, where the industrial proletariat was born. However, very shortly after arriving at the Center for Working Class studies it became apparent that something rather different and exciting is currently happening to the study of social class and the working-class in the United States. The conference included a truly impressive collection of offerings from a wide variety of academic papers, through performance art and poetry readings to an inspirational session of readings from a new book written and read by steelworkers; The Heat: Steelworker Lives and Legends, (Cedar Hill Publications, Arkansas, 2001). If you haven't read this book yet I would advise you to dash out and buy it now