A Nation of Shopkeepers

**A Nation of Shopkeepers explores the unstoppable rise of the petite-bourgeoisie, one of the most powerful, but underexplored, classes in modern society./b>b>The petite-bourgeoisie -- the insecure class between the working class and the bourgeoisie -- is hugely significant within global politics. Yet it remains something of a mystery./b>Initially identified as a powerful political force by theorists like Marx and Poulantzas, the petit-bourgeoisie was expected to decline,;as small businesses and small property were gradually swallowed up by monopoly capitalism.;Yet, far from disappearing, structural changes to the global economy under neoliberalism have instead grown the petite-bourgeoisie, and the individualist values associated with it have been popularized by a society which fetishizes "aspiration", home ownership and entrepreneurship. So why has this happened?A Nation of Shopkeepers sheds a light on this mysterious class, exploring the class structure of contemporary Britain and the growth of the petite-bourgeoisie following Thatcherism. It shows how the rise of home ownership, small landlordism and radical changes to the world of work have increasingly inculcated values of petite-bourgeois individualism; how popular culture has promoted and reproduced values of aspiration and conspicuous consumption that militate against socialist organizing; and, most importantly, what the unstoppable rise of the petit-bourgeoisie means for the left.

Auteur

Dan Evans is a former academic sociologist who is now a support worker, writer and trade unionist based in Cardiff. He writes about Welsh politics, social class and Marxist theory. He is also the host of the Desolation Radio podcast.

Résumé
A Nation of Shopkeepers explores the unstoppable rise of the petty bourgeoisie, one of the most powerful, but underexplored, classes in modern society.