num_pages: 264
description: 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 classismor antiworking class prejudiceas a central factor in the reproduction of inequality in America. Giving voice to the experiences and inner lives of working-class people Jensena community and counseling psychologistprovides 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.
language: English
title: Reading Classes: On Culture and Classism in America
publisher: ILR Press