G.D.H. Cole

First published in 1920, Social Theory endeavours to put together the social contents of various experiences of the ordinary man, and to make them, as far as they form one, a coherent and consistent whole. Social theory is not concerned directly with all the actions of individual men, but mainly with their actions taken in concert through some temporary or permanent organized group, and with the actions of such groups as they affect and react upon the individual. It is not primarily concerned with the State but with the whole problem of human association – that is, of associative will and action. This book will be of interest to students of economics, political science and sociology.

Social Theory

First published in 1920, Chaos and Order in Industry studies the causes and solutions to labour strikes as well as inadequacies in industry organizations. It proposes that the problems afflicting industry and labour does not only affect the working class, but also affects the middle and the upper class who may be unable to realize the connection due to their class prejudice. It states that the industry needs to comply with human standards of value by which it is being judged. This book will be of interest to students of economics and history.

Chaos and Order in Industry

First published in 1956, The Post-War Condition of Britain measures the extent of changes in Britain since the thirties. It contains more than two hundred tables on such matters as the national income, employment, production and productivity, investment and consumption; health, education, housing, and the insurance, assistance and similar services; on Trade Unions and industrial relations; class structure, political attitudes and party organizations; and the problems of local government and town and country planning. It is simply written, demanding from the reader the minimum of technical knowledge of economics or other specialized studies, and it should serve as an invaluable reference book for all who need exact information.

The Post-War Condition of Britain

First published in 1955, Studies in Class Structure contains six studies in problems of social structure, relating mainly to contemporary British society. Professor Cole studies an analysis of the information about class structure contained in the British Census of 1951; and he also deals with the changes in British class structure during the past hundred years. He considers the structure of elites in contemporary Britain, with some account of their development. He is also concerned with the influence of technical changes on class structures in Europe. These studies do not pretend to embody a comprehensive treatment of the problems of social structure: each of them stands by itself as a sharply original treatment of the many facets of class structure. This book will be of interest to students of economics, sociology and history.

Studies in Class Structure

George Orwell

Francis Williams

Mary Sutherland

Harold Laski

This book, first published in 1942, covers the whole field of wartime life and organization. Is the private ownership and control of industry holding up production? Are the burdens of war being shared equally by the whole community? How can individual liberty be reconciled with maximum efficiency? Are women taking their rightful share in the national effort? Does our literature and art reflect the spirit of an aroused and determined people? Have we a message which will win the oppressed peoples of Europe to our side? These questions are frankly discussed and positive suggestions are made.

Victory or Vested Interest?

A collection of essays from a revered member of the British Labour Party. What distinguished Cole was his distance from traditional marxist and bureaucratic labour approaches. Neither a Communist nor a Social Democrat (nowadays referred to as a Democratic Socialist a la Bernie Sanders) Cole desired a socialism that centered freedom for workers—an end to capitalist exploitation, workers’ management of production, and an expanding democracy in all realms of social life.

G.D.H. Cole

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