Whatever Happened to Class?

Explanations for what happened to class vary, from intellectual fads to global transformations of interests. The authors ask what is lost in the move away from class, and what South Asian experiences tell us about the limits of class analysis.

Rina Agarwala, Ronald J. Herring

1. Introduction - Restoring Agency to Class: Puzzles from South Asia Ronald J. Herring and Rina Agarwala 2. On the Decline of Class Analysis in South Asian Studies Vivek Chibber 3. Was the Indian Labor Movement Ever Co-opted? Evaluating Standard Accounts Emmanuel Teitelbaum 4. From Work to Welfare: A New Class Movement in India Rina Agarwala 5. Middle-Class Activism and the Politics of the Informal Working Class: A Perspective on Class Relations and Civil Society in Indian Cities John Harriss 6. Why Did "Operation Cremate Monsanto" Fail? Science and Class in India's Great Terminator-Technology Hoax Ronald J. Herring 7. Hegemonic Aspirations: New Middle Class Politics and India's Democracy in Comparative Perspective Leela Fernandes and Patrick Heller 8. Workers' Organizations in Pakistan: Why No Role in Formal Politics? Christopher Candland