This book investigates the complex relationship between social class structures and the principles of social justice within modern industrial societies. The authors, Gordon Marshall, Stephen P. Roberts, and Adam Swift, utilize their expertise in sociology and political theory to bridge the gap between abstract normative philosophy and concrete empirical data. By examining patterns of educational attainment and social mobility, they construct a framework that evaluates how class-based inequalities challenge or align with contemporary concepts of fairness and justice.

Experts in the field recognize this work as a significant synthesis of quantitative sociological data and qualitative political theory. Scholars frequently cite the text for its rigorous approach to defining the intersection of class dynamics and distributive justice.