Class Matters
Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists
Published on 1. April 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
177 pages
978-0-86571-523-3 (ISBN)
Description
Movements for social change could be more powerful it they had more class diversity -- a factor that has limited their size and clout in the past. But attempting to cross class barriers has frequently left middle-class activists frustrated, with few resources to turn to for help. Based on interviews with 40 diverse activists and thinkers, this book fills this gap by demystifying this taboo topic. A guide to building bridges across class lines and collaborating more effectively in mixed-class social change efforts, it is designed in lively, highly readable short 'bites', full of stories, ideas, quotations, tips and resources.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Gabriola Island
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
b&w photos
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 190 mm
Weight
400 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-86571-523-3 (9780865715233)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Betsy Leondar-Wright
Content
OVERVIEW -- Working Definitions; Reality Check: Who Has How Much Money?; How Did I Come to Write Class Matters?; Activists Interviewed for Class Matters; Why Do We Need Cross-Class Alliances?; Two Stories of Cross-Class Alliances; Are There Class Cultures? CLASS AND OUR OTHER IDENTITIES -- Identity Politics, Race, and Class; African American Class Dynamics; Sisterhood and Solidarity; GLBT and C; Working-Class White Men. SOME PLACES WE MEET -- Middle-Class Organisers in Working-Class Communities; Labour-Community Coalitions; Electoral Politics; Environmental Justice;Defending the Safety Net. OBSTACLES TO ALLIANCES -- Classism from Our Mouths; Internalised Classism; Working with Socially Conservative, Economically Progressive People; Unequal Control over Information and Money; Working-Class Rage and Mistrust; Counterculture Lifestyle Clashes; Invisible Walls; Inner Barriers for Middle-Class Activists; Dynamics with Owning-Class Activists. BUILDING ALLIANCES -- Tips from Working-Class Activists; Sharing Resources and Control; The Ally's Balancing Act; Reducing Classism in Non-profit Organisations; Walking the Talk in Our Individual Lives; Cross-Class Dialogue; Conclusion: Stepping Forward, Building Bridges. RESOURCES -- Organisations and Websites; A Few Great Books on Class; Discussion Questions; Sample Classism Workshop Agenda. INDEX.