These essays, by widely respected scholars in fields ranging from social and political theory to historical sociology and cultural studies, illuminate the significance of the public/private distinction for an increasingly wide range of debates. Commenting on controversies surrounding such issues as abortion rights, identity politics, and the requirements of democratization, many of these essays clarify crucial processes that have shaped the culture and institutions of modern societies.

In contexts ranging from friendship, the family, and personal life to nationalism, democratic...

News from Nowhere (1890), William Morris' most famous work, is a utopian picture of a future communist society, depicting a world in which capitalism has been abolished by a workers' revolution, and in which nature and society have become beautiful habitations for humanity. In an era that has seen the collapse of state socialism, Morris' damning critique of this conception, and his positing of a powerful alternative, are compelling reasons for paying attention to this classic of British socialism.

Drawing on historical, sociological and literary theory, Krishan Kumar examines the rise of English nationalism and issues of race and ethnicity from the Norman Conquest to the present. This study encourages reconsideration of pre-conceptions about nationalism and identity.

Drawing on historical, sociological and literary theory, Krishan Kumar examines the rise of English nationalism and issues of race and ethnicity from the Norman Conquest to the present. This study encourages reconsideration of pre-conceptions about nationalism and identity.