BOOK REPORT

Book Report on Race, class, and gender in the United States by Paula Rothenberg



Abstract

The review of the book "Race, class, and gender in the United States", compiled and edited by Paula S. Rothenberg is done to illustrate the women issues of the repressive nature. The author in the book particularly talks on the perceptive issues occurring on the women's side especially the situations they undergo. It depicts perceptive that exists on a number of issues such the gender, race, and class. She says that if at all they are insensitive, then they lack some traits and she views this as not being true women. Most women are silenced before they can contribute towards anything hence have no voices in any matter. The book shows that the women's situation is drained off meaning and guilt means tripped. The experience under this situation of oppression is that of censure, exposure to chastisement, and deprivation. The requirement for the oppressed persons is to maintain themselves contented and cheerful most of the time. This signals their tameness and compliance in that kind of situation. The author of the book gives a true picture of the situation women go through to act as a revelation.

Book Report on Race, class, and gender in the United States by Paula S. Rothenberg

Introduction

Race, class, and gender are some of the hardest issues to teach and negotiate in the sociological classroom. Rothenberg has made a significant contribution help ease this challenge. She edited an excellent collection of articles on race, class, and gender inequality designed to help instructors teach this notorious triad more effectively. This book, which is best suited for high school or lower division undergraduate courses, has a broad appeal and may be used in Sociology, Women's Studies, or other social science disciplines. In a little over 600 pages, the articles cover a wide array of topics including the social construction of gender, white privilege, poverty statistics, racial profiling, and homophobia in schools, to name a few. For students who find any particular topics or themes appealing, Rothenberg provides a list of suggested readings at the end of each section.

Discussion

Rothenberg organized this collection of over 100 essays into eight parts. Instead of dividing her chapters by ethnic group or system of oppression, she refreshingly divides them in a more conceptually sophisticated manner. First, she introduces articles that explain how race, gender, sexual orientation, and the underclass are social constructions. The essays in this part are graded in personal experiences. This entails making interdisciplinary analysis, making connections, and exploring contradictions. They are done particularly well by Sandra Lipsitz Bem, Ruth Hubbard, and Jonathan Ned Katz. The social construction of gender is explained more effectively than the social construction of race in this section. Part Two of the collection provides a series of essays that are more theoretically informed than most of the other sections. As a result, they push readers to start thinking more sociologically and more abstractly. Sethi's article on racism in language is a powerful ...