An Irish working class : explorations in political economy and hegemony, 1800-1950 / Marilyn Silverman.

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In An Irish Working Class, Marilyn Silverman explores the dynamics of capitalism, colonialism, and state formation through an examination of the political economy and culture of those who contributed their labour.

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CHOICE Review

Silverman (anthropology, York Univ.) examines the dynamics of capitalism, colonialism, and state formation through a meticulous analysis of what were termed the "labouring people" of Thomastown, a market center in southeastern Ireland. The study's temporal frame, 1800-1950, encompasses critical events in Irish history and local life. Equally significant is the extent to which the mechanisms of domination are reproduced with minimal change over the generations, accomplished not simply by force and fear of force, but through the engineering of consent in civil society. Silverman's theoretical approach draws from Gramscian political economy and the best of British local history, while her methodology makes excellent use of rich primary sources, linking this material to interviews and the insights derived from two decades of research. A lucid and readable description of the culture of class emerges--not only that of the laborers and artisans, but also of the local landowners, farmers, and merchants. These were the major employers of the working class, and also the principal local agents of the guiding ideology. This work of mature scholarship makes a major contribution to the history of class, political anthropology, and modern European studies. Upper-division undergraduates and above. O. Pi-Sunyer University of Massachusetts at Amherst