Coronavirus, Class and Mutual Aid in the United Kingdom

The book explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated class inequalities in the UK and proposes mutual aid as a solution based on anarchist principles. It argues that the virus and its consequences are part of the ongoing class struggle and that traditional approaches to quarantine and social isolation are detrimental to the working class.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 116 pages
\n Publication date: 26 November 2020
\n Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
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This book delves into the detrimental impact of the UK government's response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic on the working class, while also exploring the potential of mutual aid, rooted in anarchist principles, to drive social change. The authors employ a combination of Marxist and anarchist theories in class analysis and social movement studies to establish that the virus and its attendant material and discursive consequences are integral to the ongoing struggle for class equality and the intermingling of classes. Through an in-depth examination of quarantine and social isolation policies, Preston and Firth highlight how these measures actively undermine the well-being of the working class, perpetuating class-based assumptions about markets and altruism.

In the face of neoliberal approaches to pandemic management, encompassing marketization, disaster capitalism, and the reinforcement of the State, Coronavirus, Class, and Mutual Aid in the United Kingdom offers a compelling exploration of radical alternatives such as social movements and mutual aid. The book sheds light on how these alternatives can be effectively implemented to navigate current and future crises, providing a roadmap for building more resilient and equitable societies.

\n Weight: 172g\n
Dimension: 177 x 210 x 11 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9783030577131\n
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020\n