Working Class Representation in Cinema and Literature in the Digital Age

What is it about?

n the 21st century, capitalism is facing one of its multiple metamorphoses through simultaneous disturbing tensions at the economic, environmental, geopolitical, and labour market levels. With the digitalization and uberization of the labour market, the right to decent work and employment is eroding and trade unionism is undergoing a process of transformation. Precarity has become the new normal, affecting the morphology of the working class, as well as its lived experiences. Working class writing is crucial to understanding the complexity of postmodern societies and how the working class is portrayed and perceived. For this analysis, the chapter considers examples of working class representation in non-fiction and film through the work of Jessica Bruder and Ken Loach. They dissect the essence of workers, capturing life in the making, revealing that behind every vulnerable person there is also a strong working class culture and community.

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