Heroic workers and angry young men: Nostalgic stories of class in England

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heroic workers and angry young men

T2 - Nostalgic stories of class in England

AU - Lawler, Stephanie

PY - 2014/12

Y1 - 2014/12

N2 - This article discusses nostalgic images of white working-class life through the twin figures of ‘the heroic worker’ and ‘the angry young man’. Using a case study of a discussion of Roy Williams’ play Vultures, I consider the ways in which nostalgic figures are used to position a contemporary white working class as lacking value. I argue that these nostalgic figures provide anchor points in decline narratives which, I argue, have come to define the ways in which the English white working class are represented. Hence, I argue that some forms of nostalgic class representations may be one means through which continued disparagement of contemporary white working-class people is rendered respectable.

AB - This article discusses nostalgic images of white working-class life through the twin figures of ‘the heroic worker’ and ‘the angry young man’. Using a case study of a discussion of Roy Williams’ play Vultures, I consider the ways in which nostalgic figures are used to position a contemporary white working class as lacking value. I argue that these nostalgic figures provide anchor points in decline narratives which, I argue, have come to define the ways in which the English white working class are represented. Hence, I argue that some forms of nostalgic class representations may be one means through which continued disparagement of contemporary white working-class people is rendered respectable.

KW - Benjamin

KW - Bourdieu

KW - nostalgia

KW - social class

KW - time

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84911949411&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1367549414544114

DO - 10.1177/1367549414544114

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84911949411

VL - 17

SP - 701

EP - 720

JO - The European Journal of Cultural Studies.

JF - The European Journal of Cultural Studies.

IS - 6

ER -