CRISIS OF URBAN MIDDLE CLASS

The emergence of middle class in modern India is largely due to the introduction of English education by the British.

Middle class in India has always been the melting pot for academicians, researchers and policy makers. Interestingly, the middle class is not merely a social category; instead, it is a phenomenon. Due to its intermediary position, middle class assumes tremendous significance for the survival and progress of the society since it truly acts as the balancing class.

In the post-1990 phase urban middle class became the focus of attention of policy makers and the multinational companies largely due to their consuming abilities. The images of urban middle class thus started undergoing change. However, these images have always given the description of urban middle class as highly flourishing, hypocritical and self-centred class. Unfortunately, this description is not objective. The present urban middle class is in phase of transition and crisis. The crisis is rooted in socio-economic, psycho-political and cultural factors. The present book attempts to understand the crisis of urban middle class, its causes and consequences.

Vinita Pandey, is associated with the Department of Sociology, Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad. Her areas of interest revolve around urban sociology, social psychology, qualitative research and development studies. She has published several research papers in national and international journals and books in participatory research and co-authored the translation of Persian grammar. She is the recipient of Vidya Shiromani Award (2007) bestowed on her by the Citizens Council of Andhra Pradesh.