Working-Class White : The Making and Unmaking of Race Relations / Monica McDermott; ed. by Monica McDermott.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McDermott, Monica, Author.

Contributor:

McDermott, Monica, Editor.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (211 p.) : 6 tables

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, CA : University of California Press, [2006]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

This lively, informative study provides an intimate view of the lived experience of race in urban America from a unique vantage: the corner store. Sociologist Monica McDermott spent a year working as a convenience store clerk in white working class neighborhoods in Atlanta and Boston in order to observe race relations between blacks and whites in a natural setting. Her findings illuminate the subtle cues and genuine misunderstandings that make up race relations in many urban communities, explore how racial interactions and racial identity are influenced by local context, and provide evidence of what many would prefer to believe does not exist: continued anti-black prejudice among white Americans. McDermott notes that while most black-white interactions are civil and unremarkable on the surface, interactions between blacks and whites living in close proximity are characterized by continual attempts to decipher the intent behind words, actions, and gestures, and that certain situations and topics of conversation, such as crime or gender relations, often elicit racial stereotypes or negative comments. Her keen insights on the nuances of race relations will make this book essential reading for students and anyone interested in life in contemporary urban America.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

List of Tables

Preface and Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Cities and the Sites: The Crescent in Atlanta and Greenfield in Boston

Chapter 2. Experiences of White Racial Identity

Chapter 3. Situational Contexts and Perceptions of Prejudice

Chapter 4. The Implications of Diversity among Blacks for White Attitudes

Chapter 5. Race, Crime, and Violence

Chapter 6. Race, Gender, and Sexuality

Conclusion

Appendix 1. Cashiers, Neighbors, and Regular Customers

Appendix 2. Notes on Methodology

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 01. Nov 2023)

ISBN:

9780520939691

OCLC:

1151792411