The Politics of Identity: Solidarity Building Among America's Working Poor

by O'brien, Erin E.

• ISBN13: 9780791475027
• ISBN10: 0791475026
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-07-01
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr

Summary

Conventional wisdom believes that solidarity among the working poor is rare in the United States and Identity politics shoulders a large portion of the blame. The politics of Identity offers a fresh take on solidarity building and identity among America's working poor by placing workers' voices center stage throu8gh the use of fieldwork and in-depth interviews. The book provides the first empirical assessment of long standing theoretical debates over the effect of the effect of identity politics for developing additional solidarities that is politically relevant, theoretically rich, and highly readable. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Erin e.O'brien is assistant professor of political science at the university of Massachusetts Boston.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figure	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Identity and Solidarity: Existing Patterns And New Possibilities
Introduction	p. 3
Identity among the Working poor: Possibilities in Familiar Patterns	p. 21
Coalitional Workers Solidarity: Connecting As Members Of Distinct Demographic Groups
ôThey're Lot Usö: Understanding Coalitional Solidarity, Developing It, and the Role of Associational Identity Politics	p. 47
ôHey, It's Not My Faultö: Barriers to Coalitional Solidarity and Non-Role of Associational Identity Politics	p. 73
Collective Solidarity: The Working Poor Connecting Along A Shared Identity
ôI Got Workers'Backsö: Uncovering Collective Worker Solidarity, Developing It, and the Role of Associational Identity Politics	p. 93
ôBeing a Worker Doesn't Mean a Thing to Meö: The How and Why of Rejecting Collective Worker Solidarity	p. 121
Implications For Policy Change And Activism
Introduction To Part Four
ôIt's Time for Us to Really Do Somethingö:Key Points for Moving Everyday Feelings Surrounding Solidarity into Policy Change and Activism	p. 147
ôIt Could Get Politicalö: Everyday Uses of Collective Solidarity and identity Politics for policy Change and Activism	p. 153
ôI Would Go towards the Goal They're Trying to Reachö:Everyday Uses of Coalitional Solidarity and Identity politics for Policy Change and Activism	p. 171
Conclusion	p. 185
AppendixAGlossary of Key Terms	p. 199
AppendixbSample's Demographic Characteristics	p. 203
AppendixcInterview Schedule	p. 205
AppendixDResearch Design and Methodology	p. 213
Notes	p. 227
Works Cited	p. 239
Index	p. 263
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.