What's Class Got to Do with It?: American Society in the Twenty-First Century

by Michael Zweig

Book Overview

"Whether in regard to the economy or issues of war and peace, class is central to our everyday lives. Yet class has not been as visible as race or gender, not nearly as much a part of our conversations and sense of ourselves as these and other 'identities.' We are of course all individuals, but our individuality and personal life chances are shaped--limited or enhanced--by the economic and social class in which we have grown up and in which we...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801488990
• ISBN13: 9780801488993
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: ILR Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Class is power not money

This collection of essays addresses an often overlooked aspect of American culture: class. The introduction makes a good case that class is really more about power than money, but the other essays do not always pick up on this theme. The essays do cover a lot of ground, so consider it an introduction to the topic. Except for the last powerful essay by Barbara Jensen the authors of the book seem to be addressing an academic audience, and perhaps college students will get the most out of it. Jensen's essay is both personal and practical. She tells us what it's like for a working class woman in college to feel both the positive and negative effects of class. She opened the eyes of this middle class reader to see, without guilt, how the world can be viewed differently under the lens of class. Everyone, regardless of their class, has something to learn from this book.