"Malaise of the middle classes": this expression, widely used in the public debate, sums up the current condition of a significant portion of our society. In the past the perceived image of the middle classes was that of a stable social group; now the image appears to be one of general discomfort and social polarisation. It is a crisis that has become crucial for the dynamics of social stratification and change. Far from being merely a shapeless and passive group, the middle classes can put up bulky obstacles or provide major resources for the construction of a growing and just society. So there is the possibility of developing a healthy democracy, or of building threatening reactionary forces, as has happened on numerous occasions in the past. This book is the first in a collection centring on sociological research, proposing a global theoretical framework and identifying some strategic lines of study: the middle classes as depicted by the press; the difficulty of entering adult life and generational differences; what consumption and lifestyle models reveal; the old and new profiles of self-employment; small-scale entrepreneurship and globalisation; an emerging middle class of immigrants.

Table of contents (.pdf)

Introduction by Arnaldo Bagnasco (.pdf)

Interview with Arnaldo Bagnasco, repubblica.it, Economia, 2 December 2008

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