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On Culture and Classism in America
ILR Press
June 2012
On Sale: June 12, 2012
264 pages
ISBN: 0801477794
EAN: 9780801477799
Paperback
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Non-Fiction
Discussions of class make many Americans uncomfortable. This
accessible book makes class visible in everyday life. Solely
identifying political and economic inequalities between
classes offers an incomplete picture of class dynamics in
America, and may not connect with people's lived
experiences. In Reading Classes, Barbara Jensen
explores the anguish caused by class in our society,
identifying classism—or anti–working class prejudice—as a
central factor in the reproduction of inequality in America.
Giving voice to the experiences and inner lives of
working-class people, Jensen—a community and counseling
psychologist—provides an in-depth, psychologically informed
examination of how class in America is created and
re-created through culture, with an emphasis on how working-
and middle-class cultures differ and conflict. This book is
unique in its claim that working-class cultures have
positive qualities that serve to keep members within them,
and that can haunt those who leave them
behind. Through both autobiographical reflections on
her dual citizenship in the working class and middle class
and the life stories of students, clients, and relatives,
Jensen brings into focus the clash between the realities of
working-class life and middle-class expectations for
working-class people. Focusing on education, she finds that
at every point in their personal development and educational
history, working-class children are misunderstood, ignored,
or disrespected by middle-class teachers and administrators.
Education, while often hailed as a way to "cross classes,"
brings with it its own set of conflicts and internal
struggles. These problems can lead to a divided self,
resulting in alienation and suffering for the upwardly
mobile student. Jensen suggests how to increase awareness of
the value of working-class cultures to a truly inclusive
American society at personal, professional, and societal levels.
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