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In many European countries, processes of individualisation have contributed to transforming the middle class into a multitude of people, a sort of ‘middle mass’ with an unstable social identity and radical activism. The different ‘worlds’ of European welfare states seem progressively less able to manage this new kind of middle-class activism.
This book is an essential contribution to ongoing public and academic debates on the unpredictability of middle-class attitudes and on their changing relations with the welfare state. Identifying key trends in the literature, it considers the impact of recent welfare reforms on the needs and preferences of the middle class.
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Radicalisation of Middle-Class Activism: A Theoretical Overview
Chapter 2: A Long-Lasting Transition
Chapter 3: The Rise of a New ‘Middle Mass’
Chapter 4: The Shifting Relations With the Welfare State
Chapter 5: A Welfare for a Highly Individualised Society
Conclusions: The ‘Worlds’ of Welfare and the Divided Middle Class