Ruth Levitas
Encyclopedia
Ruth Levitas is a Professor in the Department of Sociology
at the University of Bristol
. She is well known internationally for her research on utopia
. Her book, The Concept of Utopia (1990), addresses the notion of the ideal society throughout European history. She is recently credited for formulating a program of sociology which is fundamentally utopian-focused in conventional sociological discourse. She also introduced the concepts of MUD (the moral underclass
discourse
), SID (the social integration
discourse), and RED (the redistribution
discourse), as tools for analysing social exclusion
. One of Ruth's most notable books is The Inclusive Society?: Social Exclusion and New Labour, which introduced the idea of social exclusion as part of the new political language.
Ruth Levitas is the daughter of trade unionist and Spanish Civil War
International Brigade fighter Maurice Levitas
, niece of Communist
Stepney
councillor and Battle of Cable Street
veteran Max Levitas and sister of theatre historian Ben Levitas.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. She is well known internationally for her research on utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
. Her book, The Concept of Utopia (1990), addresses the notion of the ideal society throughout European history. She is recently credited for formulating a program of sociology which is fundamentally utopian-focused in conventional sociological discourse. She also introduced the concepts of MUD (the moral underclass
Underclass
The term underclass refers to a segment of the population that occupies the lowest possible position in a class hierarchy, below the core body of the working class. The general idea that a class system includes a population under the working class has a long tradition in the social sciences...
discourse
Discourse
Discourse generally refers to "written or spoken communication". The following are three more specific definitions:...
), SID (the social integration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
discourse), and RED (the redistribution
Redistribution (economics)
Redistribution of wealth is the transfer of income, wealth or property from some individuals to others caused by a social mechanism such as taxation, monetary policies, welfare, nationalization, charity, divorce or tort law. Most often it refers to progressive redistribution, from the rich to the...
discourse), as tools for analysing social exclusion
Social exclusion
Social exclusion is a concept used in many parts of the world to characterise contemporary forms of social disadvantage. Dr. Lynn Todman, director of the Institute on Social Exclusion at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, suggests that social exclusion refers to processes in which...
. One of Ruth's most notable books is The Inclusive Society?: Social Exclusion and New Labour, which introduced the idea of social exclusion as part of the new political language.
Ruth Levitas is the daughter of trade unionist and Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
International Brigade fighter Maurice Levitas
Maurice Levitas
Maurice "Morry" Levitas was an Irish academic and communist.- Biography :Levitas was born at Warren Street, in the Portobello area of Dublin...
, niece of Communist
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
councillor and Battle of Cable Street
Battle of Cable Street
The Battle of Cable Street took place on Sunday 4 October 1936 in Cable Street in the East End of London. It was a clash between the Metropolitan Police, overseeing a march by the British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley, and anti-fascists, including local Jewish, socialist, anarchist,...
veteran Max Levitas and sister of theatre historian Ben Levitas.