ABSTRACT
In the second chapter, ‘The fragmentation and stigmatisation of the working class,’ neoliberal ideologies of employment are explored, and the ways in which these have shaped the older people's perceptions of, and attitudes towards, people who are employed and unemployed are revealed. It is here that the notions of stigma and exclusion will be discussed. Moreover, there is a cross-comparative analysis of the life trajectories of older and younger people in Meir North to highlight their divergent states of being, especially as the former continue to appraise contemporary society through a nostalgic lens. Finally, the chapter examines how the working class have become embroiled in a class conflict, notably since the late 1970s, leading to the destruction of their collective values and shared identity.
