White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America by Joan C. WilliamsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is one of those books where the author has apparently “noticed” something in the way people understand what is called here the white working class. What she noticed was that as a group they tended to highly value family and tradition. And in terms of life goals, they aren’t aspiring to be urban intellectuals, they want to live the lives they are familiar with, but with less pressure to make more money. They tend to make enough that they do not qualify for government programs, which informs their thoughts on those programs, and which subsequently sways their beliefs and votes.
The purpose of this book I believe is to provide a reframing of popular thought on conservative voters. I appreciate the attempt, and can see how Williams’ description could hold water. The traditions and the goals that she wrote about hadn’t had as much play in the media I consume. The last part of the book read quite differently, focusing on voting, and it felt like there was a political (or more “intellectual”) bias here. I enjoyed the beginning, not so much the end.
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