Moving from the Margins: Life Histories on Transforming the Study of Racism

by Margaret L. Andersen (Editor), Maxine Baca Zinn (Editor)

At a time when movements for racial justice are front and center in U.S. national politics, this book provides essential new understanding to the study of race, its influence on people's lives, and what we can do to address the persistent and foundational American problem of systemic racism. Knowledge about race and racism changes as social and historical conditions evolve, as different generations of scholars experience unique societal conditions, and as new voices from those who have previously been kept at the margins have challenged us to reconceive our thinking about race and ethnicity. In this collection of essays by prominent sociologists whose work has transformed the understanding of race and ethnicity, each reflects on their career and how their personal experiences have shaped their contribution to understanding racism, both in scholarly and public debate. Merging biography, memoir, and sociohistorical analysis, these essays provide vital insight into the influence of race on people's perspectives and opportunities both inside and outside of academia, and how racial inequality is felt, experienced, and confronted.

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 23, 2024

About the author

Margaret Andersen is professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at the University of Delaware. She is the author of THINKING ABOUT WOMEN: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SEX AND GENDER; SOCIOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING A DIVERSE SOCIETY (with Howard F. Taylor); SOCIOLOGY: THE ESSENTIALS (with Howard F. Taylor); UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY: READINGS IN SOCIOLOGY (with Kim A. Logio and Howard F. Taylor); and SOCIAL PROBLEMS (with Frank R. Scarpitti and Laura L. O'Toole). She is the former president of the Eastern Sociological Society and has served as the editor of Gender and Society. She is the recipient of the University of Delaware's Excellence in Teaching Award and is one of three faculty members who recently received a grant from the Hewlett Foundation to transform undergraduate education through the development of new introductory level courses across the curriculum. She has recently served as Dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Delaware, where she is also the former Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. She currently serves as Acting Chair of the National Advisory Board for the Stanford University Center for Comparative Study in Race and Ethnicity.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Higginbotham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving from the Margin: Life Histories on Transforming the Study of Racism edited by Margaret L. Andersen and Maxine Baca Zinn is a revealing book as scholars talk about their life experiences and how they came to study and transform how we view racism. The editors asked them to focus on sponsor and mentors, since they are essential for survival in the academy. The scholars vary in age, some born during World War II while others are baby boomers and people born later. All are widely acclaimed.

Knowing the terrain it is interesting how time matters. Some scholars were directly involved in Civil Right and Chicano movements, while others were touched by various injustices in the 1980s and 1990s. Timing matters, since there were programs to pull in people of color during certain periods, including funding for graduate school. Yet, what is most revealing are their early years of direct experiences with injustice, like concentration camps during World War II. Also, poverty and surviving with few resources shaped their lens and questions of inquiry. Asking new questions in a field that was known for blaming the victim takes courage. Growing up in small communities, many had to have their eyes opened as they move into different worlds as undergraduate and graduate students.

Even as scholars, they still face microaggressions. Yet, just as they were mentored, their mission includes helping other to enter and succeed in the academy. From my vantage point these lives help the reader think about the changes in higher education and how fragile they are in these troubling times.