ABSTRACT
The topic of class, having helped launch the fields of Media and Cultural Studies, has in recent decades been largely neglected, with scholars turning instead to individualization and identity politics, and politicians to neoliberal visions of meritocratic marketization. Today, the nexus of class, media, and, ultimately, politics is much more a part of public consciousness in America and Britain than even a few years ago when this collection was first conceived. As feminist Media Studies, and feminist scholarship more generally, have taken intersectionality seriously, studies targeting the importance of race, gender, sexuality, and often social class have become central to feminist Media Studies. Scholars vary in their estimation of how substantially media representations influence culture, or, crucially, how influence can be proven. Few ideas are more contested in the social sciences than the concept of class. The chapter also discusses some of the key concepts of this book.
