The analysis of social classes and social relations in the second half of the nineteenth century has caused major debates among social historians. Alastair Reid provides a critical summary of the different approaches to the subject, giving an account of how interpretations have developed since the 1960s, and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The author explains how the influence of social sciences in the 1960s led scholars to emphasise the rise to power of the bourgeoisie, and the increasing subordination of the industrial working class. Recently more detailed research has led to a return to the older historical emphasis on the persistence of aristocratic power, the increasing independence of the working classes, and the centrality of voluntary agreement in a social order based on consent. The conclusion suggests new ways in which the subject might be approached. A select bibliography allows the reader to pursue the topic in more detail.