Snobbery: 21st Century Standpoints

There’s a reason why accusations of snobbery have become so common in political discourse: simply put, nobody wants to be called a snob. It’s a potent insult, one that’s tough to deny and, more powerfully, one that plays right into the anti-elitist undercurrents that have quietly driven recent elections in the United States and Europe. But, as David Morgan’s book shows, the power of the concept of snobbery is also indicative of larger societal issues, ones rooted in class divisions and wealth inequality.

Snobbery traces the history of the term, drawing on a diverse set of literary and sociological sources to show how the accusation has been flung throughout the ages. Morgan explores the complex histories and different conceptions of snobbery to show us how ever-present concerns of class inequity have driven use of the term, something likely to continue as the gap between rich and poor widens.