The Politics of Identity

List of Tables and Figure

Acknowledgments

PART I. IDENTITY AND SOLIDARITY: EXISTING PATTERNS AND NEW POSSIBILITIES

1. Introduction

2. Identity among the Working Poor: Possibilities in Familiar Patterns

PART I I. COALITIONAL WORKER SOLIDARITY: CONNECTING AS MEMBERS OF DISTINCT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS

3. "They're a Lot Like Us": Understanding Coalitional Solidarity, Developing It, and the Role of Associational Identity Politics

4. "Hey, It's Not My Fault": Barriers to Coalitional Solidarity and the Non-Role of Associational Identity Politics

PART III. COLLECTIVE SOLIDARITY: THE WORKING POOR CONNECTING ALONG A SHARED IDENTITY

5. "I Got Workers' Backs": Uncovering Collective Worker Solidarity, Developing It, and the Role of Associational Identity Politics

6. "Being a Worker Doesn't Mean a Thing to Me": The How and Why of Rejecting Collective Worker Solidarity

PART IV. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE AND ACTIVISM

Introduction to Part Four

"It's Time for Us to Really Do Something": Key Points for Moving Everyday Feelings Surrounding Solidarity into Policy Change and Activism

7. "It Could Get Political": Everyday Uses of Collective Solidarity and Identity Politics for Policy Change and Activism

8. "I Would Go toward the Goal They're Trying to Reach": Everyday Uses of Coalitional Solidarity and Identity Politics for Policy Change and Activism

9. Conclusion

Appendix A Glossary of Key Terms
Appendix B Sample's Demographic Characteristics
Appendix C Interview Schedule
Appendix D Research Design and Methodology

Notes
Works Cited
Index