Redistribution, Recognition and Representation: The Journey of the Fight Against Social Injustice and Changes in Educational Policy

This paper argues that New Labour’s ‘Third Way’ project – and the chaos that ensued – can only be understood by grasping the longstanding, complex and intimate relationship between education and the middle class. Drawing on empirical data from ongoing investigations into the allegiances of the middle class, the paper shows how New Labour’s desire to move beyond ‘left’ and ‘right, ‘state’ and ‘market’, ‘public’ and ‘private’, is best understood as an attempt to address the fears of a changing middle class. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of current crisis in the middle class for the future politics of education.