The concept of class is often avoided in public debate, but it's essential for understanding inequality

By Jessica Gerrard, Senior lecturer, The University of Melbourne
Steven Threadgold, Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Newcastle

In Australian news, opinion and popular culture, the figures of the hipster and the bogan are everywhere. These figures are proxies for cultural, commercial and moral aspects of class, signalling differences in fashion, accents and tastes. Perhaps one of the most recognisable examples is the popular television series, Upper Middle Bogan.

So potent and provocative are these figures in Australian popular culture, that in our experience of talking about class in the media earlier this year, following the release of our book Class…

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