ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that the work of John Goldthorpe deservedly commands attention among economists and political scientists as well as among sociologists. His work is characterized by a concern to define key concepts rigorously, to address major substantive problems and to link empirical research with significant issues of theory. He has also shown a refreshing willingness to relate his work to issues which cross disciplinary boundaries. He and his various collaborators have made a major contribution to the study of social class, particularly in clarifying concepts and testing fashionable ideas by empirical research. Not much of Goldthorpe’s work on social class addresses itself primarily to political behaviour. Where it does, it is mainly concerned with the nature of change in the working class and its political implications for the British Labour Party.
