Social Jane: The Small, Secret Sociology of Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s universe is so focused on interiority, on the subjectivities of her characters, that it promises little for the sociologist. In this original piece of work on the Austen novels, Christopher Wilkes examines the social nature of Austen’s contribution, using Bourdieu’s theory of social practice. In an investigation that spans the social worlds of landscape, economics, culinary practice and fashion, Wilkes argues that Austen was an exemplary social analyst, uniquely able to reveal the complex social hierarchies of her time.