Race, Class, & Gender

In this anthology aimed at undergraduate students and general readers, Andersen (sociology, U. of Delaware) and Collins (sociology, U. of Maryland) collect 60 articles published from 1983 to 2012 in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and online on race, class, and gender and their impact on social issues and experiences in the US. They emphasize the importance of seeing the interconnectedness of these variables to understand the experiences of diverse groups and societal issues and events, as well as their link to other social variables. They present the readings within an intersectional framework to help students engage critically with its core concepts and use it to analyze different social institutions and issues. The first section contains essays on why race, class, and gender still matter, including personal narratives, followed by sections on race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality as linked through systems of power and inequality, and how race, class, and gender structure social institutions in the present and past. This edition has 20 new readings and a stronger focus on economic issues (including readings in the section on class), and a strengthened section on work and economic transformation to reflect the increased significance of economic issues. The final section has been revised to show different ways students can apply their understanding in different social sites. The text has a stronger section on sexuality, including a new essay on the media and discussion of the connections among racism, sexism, and homophobia, and work on young people and heterosexuality, sex trafficking, and connections among race, ethnicity, and sexuality. It revises introductions and adds new material on current issues, including the sub-prime mortgage situation, sustainability, women's rights as human rights, and hate crimes. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)