Globalised Minds, Roots in the City

Reviews / Votes

"Globalised Minds is absolutely of this moment; it is aware of the political moment of Europe and of the politics of austerity and straining social cohesion in urban contexts. This is a study for our times and an essential insight into the needs and desires of a rather urbane and somewhat grounded fraction of the social elite." (Urban Studies 2016) 'This book bravely takes on some of the key issues agitatingsociology - the value of classical sociological categories ina more transnational, mobile and cosmopolitan urban word; thesocio-spatial consequences of recent transformations in capitalism;and the continued relevance, or not, of historical trajectories.The result is a wonderful, well researched, scholarly addition tothese literatures that finally brings them all together. The bookdemonstrates the real value of deep empirical investigation indislodging a priori but pervasive representations of class in thecity.' -- Loretta Lees, Professor of Human Geography, Universityof Leicester 'This brilliant book is a much needed contribution, asit moves ongoing conversations about globalization and itseffects to a whole new level of theoretical sophistication andempirical rigor. Through a meticulous and detailed examination ofevidence, the authors reveal how and to what extent the Europeanupper middle class has become transnational (the answer: less thanpredicted by speculating social theorists). This powerfulcontribution will certainly leave its mark on the study ofcontemporary inequality, transnationalism, spatial transformations,and social change in European societies.' -- Michele Lamont, Harvard University 'Many social theorists have become enamoured with the idea thata global capitalist class has emerged and with it, a new globalsociety. The agents of this process are assumed to live nowhere andhave allegiance to no one but themselves. This wonderful bookskewers these arguments by actually talking to people who appear tobe this vanguard (managers having lived and worked abroad in fourEuropean cities) and reporting how they feel, act, and think, aboutthe places where they live. Suffice it to say, the evidence forthese broad claims is lacking. The image one gets is of a Europeanupper middle class, one whose transnationalism is restricted intime and space to Europe. As such, their values and behavior aresimilar to middle class people everywhere. They like the varietyand tradition of the places they live and want to preserve it, butat the same time value the freedom of modern life whereby peoplecan pursue opportunity and live enlightened lives.' -- Neil Fligstein, Department of Sociology, University ofCalifornia 'This stunning comparative study offers the most sensitive andsystematic analysis yet of the ongoing role of the city in thehearts and minds of the European upper middle classes. In refutingsimplistic arguments about the rise of global mobility, itdemonstrates the appeal of the urban in the lives of privilegedsocial groups. A compelling analysis which must be read by allurban scholars and all those interested in class andinequality.' -- Mike Savage, Martin White Professor of Sociology, Headof Department, LSE