ABSTRACT
Like any field, working-class studies has had its challenges, and like any it needs to be aware that however important its origins and original members are, we need to remain fresh and alive to change and new developments. The challenge then is one of relevance; the need to retain a focus on the continuities of working-class life while seeking out the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of change. The experience of class has always been differentiated by way of country, region, trade, occupation, and work role. Identities of ethnicity, race, gender, age, and sexuality have formed important contours of the classed experience. Working-class studies have always sought to problematize its own roots and to recognize diversity, difference, and conflict within the working class. Methodologically, working-class studies have always been inter- and cross-disciplinary. Perhaps the best we can do is to ensure that the ‘now’ we speak of reflects, as best we are able, the scope of working-class experience in all its guises.
