Sharing the Dream White Males in Multicultural America

by Pulera, Dominic J.

• ISBN13: 9780826416438
• ISBN10: 0826416438
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-10-20
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

White males, 100 million strong, constitute approximately 35 percent of the U.S. population, a percentage that declines slightly each year. They matter very much to discussions of race, ethnicity, and gender in the US due to their numbers and the enormous influence they have wielded--and continue to wield. In this highly original and readable work, Dominic Pulera offers the broadest and most balanced treatment of the white male experience in American to date. He contends that virtually all white males are sharing the American dream with women and people of color, in response to the nation's changing demographics and the multicultural mindset that informs policies and attitudes in our nation. Some white males are sharing the dream voluntarily; others are doing so involuntarily. The author also explores the heterogeneity of white male America, taking into account such factors as age, ethnicity, ideology, social class, regional background, occupational status, and sexual preference. This timely workrelies on a broad range of sources, including extensive field research and hundreds of interviews along with the best primary and secondary sources available. It includes original historical treatments, discussion of contemporary dynamics, and comparative material that takes into account the experiences of peoples in other countries. In doing so, Pulera places white males in the context of America's ongoing transition from a predominantly white country to one where minorities are increasingly numerous and consequently becoming more visible.

Author Biography

Dominic J. Pulera is an author and commentator from Wisconsin, who writes and speaks about issues related to race, ethnicity, and gender. A member of numerous professional organizations for social scientists, Pulera has addressed academic audiences on every continent. In addition, he regularly appears on American radio and television

Table of Contents

Prologue: Sharing the Dream	1	(20)
Part One A NATION OF 100 MILLION	21	(102)
1. WHITE AND MALE
The White Man Cometh 23	54
Defining America	33	(9)
In and Out	42	(12)
2. REBIRTH AND REGENERATION	54	(33)
All American 55	87
Living in America	64	(9)
Words Matter	73	(14)
3. HETEROGENEOUS HEGEMONS	87	(36)
The Privileged Few?	89	(10)
Onward and Upward	99	(8)
Family Life	107	(16)
Part Two THE DIVERSITY IMPERATIVE
4. FAIR PLAY	123	(35)
Equality for All	126	(9)
The Value of Diversity	135	(8)
Keeping the Faith	143	(15)
5. THE POWER OF NUMBERS	158	(34)
Calling the Shots	161	(8)
The Vanguard	169	(10)
Playing the Game	179	(13)
6. THE AMERICAN PANTHEON	192	(35)
Alive and Well	195	(9)
Changing the Narrative	204	(9)
Legal Tender	213	(14)
7. BIG MOUTHS	227	(30)
Protean Poses	230	(8)
All Talk	238	(7)
Mad as Hell	245	(12)
8. CHANGING AMERICA	257	(35)
Going to Court	260	(9)
The Politics of Race and Gender	269	(10)
Taking the Initiative	279	(13)
9. THE PERILS OF PREJUDICE	292	(34)
On the Far Right	295	(9)
White Wrongs	304	(9)
Doing the Right Thing	313	(13)
Epilogue: Promises to Keep	326	(17)
Notes	343	(84)
Acknowledgments	427	(2)
Index	429