Introduction

As Annette Kuhn's much-cited comment indicates, class is not merely a sociological concept or a location in the social field; it is deeply embodied, permeating our experience and sense of self. Even though we may not be able to articulate our feelings regarding class very well we can ‘see it a mile off’ in other people's appearance and behaviour, as they can in ours. It also affects what we value, including how we value others and ourselves – for example, whether we feel pride or shame, envy or contentment. To understand the subjective experience of class we need to consider the emotional and evaluative aspects of the relations of self to self and self to other. While much of this experience is deeply embodied at the level of unarticulated feelings and emotions, evaluations can also be more considered, frequently featuring in people's ‘internal conversations’ (Archer, 2003).

If we are to understand how class matters to people we therefore need to address how it is embodied and how it colours so much of our behaviour. An obvious starting point for understanding this is the work of Pierre Bourdieu, not only because of his emphasis on the embodied, practical character of action but because of his lifelong interest in class.