Common life ethics, class, community

In the last three decades, despite increasing wealth, UK class divisions have become more entrenched.Growing differences in culture and lifestyles and the breaking up of the UK into its constituent nations have dislocated people's sense of identity and belonging. Private consumption is valued more highly than the consumption of public goods and this is manifest in the absence of a public discussion of the common good. There exists an unresolved dilemma about what is the right balance between a collective sense of security and the pursuit of individual freedom. Politics has been reduced to a form to management with battles between 'suburban mindsets' and 'elderly needs'. The erosion of civic culture and social bonds has led to a loss of trust and a sense of disenfranchisement amongst the electorate. Many people want more authentic, self-fulfilling lives but this searching exposes us to what can feel like an unanchored and lonely existence, full of personal risk. This chapter argues that the financial crisis has brought to an end an economic era, and British society is entering a period of transition.