1. The Lay of the Land -- 2. The Struggling Class -- 3. A Hazardous Life: The High Price of Being Poor -- 4. Sacrifice Zones: The Places We Call Home -- 5. Ordinary Things That Can Only Happen Here -- 6. The Burdens of Prejudice: Class and Race -- 7. The Burdens Women Face -- 8. The Face of A Movement? -- 9. The Myths We Live By -- 10. And Then, The Pandemic... -- 11. The Future We Want.
Summary:
"A portrait of struggling America and how it has been left behind"-- Provided by publisher. For the majority of Americans, hard times have long been a way of life. Some work multiple low-wage jobs, others face the squeeze of stagnant wages and rising costs of living. Sociologist Celine-Marie Pascale talked with people across Appalachia, at the Standing Rock and Wind River reservations, and in the bustling city of Oakland, California. Their voices offer a wide range of experiences that complicate dominant national narratives about economic struggles. Yet Living on the Edge is about more than individual experiences. It's about a nation in a deep economic and moral crisis. It's about the long-standing collusion between government and corporations that prioritizes profits over people, over the environment, and over the nation's well-being. It's about how racism, sexism, violence, and the pandemic shape daily experience in struggling communities. And, ultimately, it's a book about hope that lays out a vision for the future as honest as it is ambitious. Most people in the book are not progressives; none are radicals. They're hard-working people who know from experience that the current system is unsustainable. Across the country people described the need for a living wage, accessible health care, immigration reform, and free education. Their voices are worth listening to--back cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.