Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology

by Margaret L. Andersen (Editor/Contributor), Patricia Hill Collins

Intended for undergraduate- and graduate-level sociology courses, such as sociology of gender, women's studies, race and ethnic relations, introduction to sociology, social problems, and various multicultural/diversity/ethnic studies courses. Interdisciplinary courses may also use this book, such as anthropology, women's studies, African American studies, political science, education, counseling, social work, English, etc.

Includes:

Why race, class, and gender still matter by M.L. Andersen and P.H. Collins
Missing people and others, joining together to expand the circle by A. Madrid
Systems of power and inequality by M.L. Andersen and P.H. Collins
Race and racism, Racism without "racists" by E. Bonilla-Silva
Class and inequality, Growing gulf between rich and the rest of us by H. Sklar
Gender and sexism, Sex and gender through the prism of difference by M.B. Zinn, P. Hondahneu-Sotelo, and M. Messner
Ethnicity and nationality, Is this a white country, or what? by L. Rubin
Sexuality and heterosexism, "You talkin' to me?" by J. Kilbourne
Structure of social institutions by M.L. Andersen and P.H. Collins
Work and economic transformation, Race, class, gender, and women's works by T. Amott and J. Matthaei
Families, Our mothers' grief, racial-ethnic women and the maintenance of families by B.T. Dill
Media and culture, Racist stereotyping in the English language by R.B. Moore
Health and social welfare, Can education eliminate race, class, and gender inequality? by R.A. Mickelson and S.S. Smith
State institutions and violence, First Americans, American Indians by C.M. Snipp
Social change and sites of change by M.L. Andersen and P.H. Collins
Sites of change, Starbucks paradox by K. Fellner
Processes of change, How the new working class transform urban America by R.D.G. Kelley

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Sociology, Social Justice, Politics, Race, Gender

600 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

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

[Damien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the Winter of 2003; while I had been against racism, classism, and (hetero)sexism for my whole adult life, I didn't realize how serious all these issues really were until I read this anthology.
Sure, I always knew they were serious issues, but like most Americans, I almost felt like MY particular life was some how unaffected by them, or that freedom from institutionalized oppression was "just around the corner".
Since I was a young child, I knew that things were wrong on many levels, but when I asked about these things, I was often discouraged by family members, teachers, and peers. Many of the contributions to this book answer many of those questions- yeah, it all started coming back to me- and more importantly, for the first time I was starting to understand why people went to such lengths to hide the truth.
I wonder if I read it again, I'll like it as much as I did when I first read it- cover to cover, in fact- but at the time it was a real eye opener.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, an excellent collection of essays that shows clearly what is wrong with the world and how deeply and insidiously the lives of so many people are affected by power imbalances in our society.

It looks like I won't be finishing this book.

Some fucker stole it off my desk at work last night.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of essays that introduced me to concepts like the feminization of labor, exposed me to unique perspectives regarding class solidarity, and taught me about Latinx and indigenous cultures in the US. That being said, these articles were definitely dated as many of them heralded back to the 80s and the most recent being published in the 90s. It also seemed like so many of the essays were alluding to Crenshaw's intersectionality but had never heard the term. They repeatedly mentioned the need to recognize the multiple identities of an individual but often as more of an afterthought in the concluding paragraph rather than a focus of the essay. I'm sure I'll reference this in future work!

[Teri Pardue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an impressive collection of essays on issues surrounding diversity in American society (areas of diversity covered include race, class, gender sexuality, and ethnicity).
The essays are so varied and of differing quality so it’s hard to comment on content as a whole -other than to say it’s a mixed bag. However, it’s hard to imagine a more complete collection.

Many of the essays sparked thoughtful conversations and challenged my own thinking. There were a dozen or so that were so poorly written and meandering that I questioned their inclusion. The book could have benefited from more thoughtful culling on the part of the editors to make it higher quality.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. After growing up in the 1960's and 1970's in Atlanta, Georgia, I got to see the civil rights movement and the women's liberation movement up close and was involved because my parents were liberals who fought for blacks and other minorities to have equal rights, were feminists, and who also fought even then for gay rights. I am fortunate to have been raised by people who set me on the same path of caring about social justice.

How far have we come in seeing social justice? Not as far as I would like. Look at the current presidential race and the 2012 elections where Republicans have sought to disenfranchise those who they fear would vote for Democrats. Look at the birthers who despite seeing both of Barack Obama's birth certificates (long and short form) published, hearing Hawaiian officials discuss the fact that his birth was registered at the time of birth and the fact that the hospital where he was born sent them the registration info and have their own records, etc still insist he is a Kenyan Muslim because he is half black. The issue of race, gender, and class are very much alive.

In gender, the war on women's reproductive rights is as fierce now as it was in the 1960's and 1970's with Republicans and religious conservatives battling to control each woman's vagina and uterus.

As for class, the 1% seeks to get richer off the backs of the 99% and continue to send American jobs abroad so to exploit men, women, and children in other countries. They also seek to destroy the social safety net so to offer the wealthy tax breaks.

With ethnicity, we have Asians who are high achievers and Hispanics who break and enter into country illegally and all of the issues involved with this.

So, race, gender, and class all are topics that are very much alive and well and important right now. My only complaint about the book is that some of the essays about blacks make the presumption that they are perpetual victims when in fact, they have the same opportunities to go to college and have a good life as anyone. I have lived through the years of the changes and hate to see writers like Shapiro in his essay in this book come up with nonsense like his assertion that blacks can't catch up with whites financially because whites get inheritances and blacks don't. This is absurd. Most of us do not get where we are because of any inheritance. 99% of us are not Mitt Romney. This is a class issue, not a racial one.

This is an excellent anthology of very readable essays on these topics that are well worth interacting with.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book used for $72.00 for Soc class this Fall. Realize that I read it when my daughter took the class some years ago! Still good. This book is a difficult read, at times, due to the complex subject matter and the small font! Most of the essays I really enjoy but the class quizzes on essays not so much! Really difficult quizzes so far! So much for acing the class but I love it and am learning a lot!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading excerpts from this for my culture class, and it is really good. It is a collection of essays, but with the concept that race, gender, and class are not simply seperate categories, but form a complex matrix that affects every individual and our society as a whole. The book consistently reminds us that race, gender, and class are social constructs, and their meanings are evolving.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite textbook ever...

[esther]

A quote I saw was from this book: “The idea that objectivity is best reached only through rational thought is a specifically Western and masculine way of thinking – one that we will challenge throughout this book.”

So. Will I even be able to make it through this book with my sanity intact and/or without throwing it across the room, I have no idea. Is this what studying sociology does to people?

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of essays from many different sources. Completely eye-opening about a range of topics, specifically linking what makes humans unique through the lens of intersectionality in each case. Won't read like a novel but will absolutely keep you interested if you're ready to dive deep on diversity and the intersectionality of the things which define us.

[Corvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the textbook I'm required to use for a course I'm teaching. This edition is from 2020, and it's ok, but I am supplementing it with additional readings that address disability and sexuality in more depth.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great narrative introduction to social critical theory.

[Hana Cohen]

CULTURAL DIVERSITY class

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a good introduction to intersectionality and race/class/gender analysis but that also means that the work included can feel very surface-level at times. If you're totally new to this kind of work, this will likely be a revelation. If you've been immersed in it already, use this as a jumping off point to find the authors and ideas you're most interested in.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding collection of short stories and essays on life as people are forced to lead them. Some humorous, so heart-wrenching, but all worth reading. Yes, it was purchased as a class book, yes, it is going on my book shelf as it is worth re-reading.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using for Intro to Sociology. Would be good for any multiculturalism class. But good use of actually reading articles rather than just generally lecturing on the subjects. Short, very user friendly articles that are accessible to intro students.

[Hena · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read some bits, t'was interesting
innit

[Lauramaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this and similar anthologies for a class and really enjoyed it.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting collection of stories and essays on the topic. Highly recommended.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of my favorite textbooks to date.

[T. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

anthology; in several editions now

[Nancy Babbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that explores the intersecting relationships of power and privilege within socially constructed systems of race, class and gender.

[Kelsey Byers · Rating 4 out of 5]

another interesting collection of essays and articles