Remaking a Life - by Celeste Watkins-Hayes (Paperback)

About the Book

"In the face of life-threatening news, how does our view of life change--and what do we do it transform it? Remaking a Life uses the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a lens to understand how women generate radical improvements in their social well being in the face of social stigma and economic disadvantage. Drawing on interviews with nationally recognized AIDS activists as well as over one hundred Chicago-based women living with HIV/AIDS, Celeste Watkins-Hayes takes readers on an uplifting journey through women's transformative projects, a multidimensional process in which women shift their approach to their physical, social, economic, and political survival, thereby changing their viewpoint of 'dying from' AIDS to 'living with' it. With an eye towards improving the lives of women, Remaking a Life provides techniques to encourage private, nonprofit, and government agencies to successfully collaborate, and shares policy ideas with the hope of alleviating the injuries of inequality faced by those living with HIV/AIDS everyday"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In the face of life-threatening news, how does our view of life change--and what do we do it transform it? Remaking a Life uses the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a lens to understand how women generate radical improvements in their social well being in the face of social stigma and economic disadvantage. Drawing on interviews with nationally recognized AIDS activists as well as over one hundred Chicago-based women living with HIV/AIDS, Celeste Watkins-Hayes takes readers on an uplifting journey through women's transformative projects, a multidimensional process in which women shift their approach to their physical, social, economic, and political survival, thereby changing their viewpoint of "dying from" AIDS to "living with" it. With an eye towards improving the lives of women, Remaking a Life provides techniques to encourage private, nonprofit, and government agencies to successfully collaborate, and shares policy ideas with the hope of alleviating the injuries of inequality faced by those living with HIV/AIDS everyday.

From the Back Cover

"Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes examines the resiliency of women facing incalculable challenges, and she chronicles the power of activism to change their lives for the better. By confronting what Watkins-Hayes calls the "injuries of inequality" and the AIDS response, Remaking a Life urges leaders to deliver bold policy solutions to address the complicated intersection of healthcare, social support, economic assistance, and civic engagement that could tackle persistent crises such as chronic homelessness, the ever-widening drug epidemic and the ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS. She offers an under-appreciated, solutions-driven model that untangles how the public sector can help individuals and communities in crisis, and in so doing, Watkins-Hayes carves a path forward to progress."--Stacey Abrams, Founder and Chair of Fair Fight Action, Former Georgia House Minority Leader

"A brilliant book on political and personal transformation. For anyone interested in how activism and advocacy work to challenge inequality and transform state policy, while also remaking lives in local communities across the country, this book is a must read."--Cathy J. Cohen, author of Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics

"Important, thoughtful, and original."-- Mario Small, Harvard University

"A brilliant, ground-breaking analysis of how a diverse group of women living with HIV/AIDS transform their lives in the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges surrounding the pervasive and devastating consequences of a broad range of structural inequalities. A must read for scholars, activists, policy makers, various communities seeking to understand the continuing challenges of combatting HIV/AIDS as safety nets become more fragile."--Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women's Studies, Spelman College.

"Watkins-Hayes carefully weaves together life and policy histories to give voice to the struggles of women marginalized by society, honoring their transformative work and efforts to make meaning across the life course. Remaking a Life is a powerful read and one critical for so many researchers, students, policymakers, and advocates to engage." --Scott Allard, University of Washington

Review Quotes

"Watkins-Hayes' thoughtful book offers fresh insights into our current context. . . . reminds social workers that the most meaningful social science research is slow, intentional, and community-engaged."

-- "Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work"

"It is an exemplar of qualitative research and multimethod design. No exaggeration: Remaking a Life represents the very best sociology has to offer."

-- "American Journal of Sociology"

"Watkins-Hayes provides a nuanced analysis of the opportunities that the safety net offers these women whilst simultaneously highlighting the impact of systemic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal racism on their ability to accept and thrive using these resources."-- "U.S. Studies Online"

"This book about women living with HIV/AIDS is remarkably uplifting and encouraging. In her latest work, Professor Celeste Watkins-Hayes shares how these women are using their diagnoses to create radical, positive changes in their lives and communities. There are valuable lessons throughout that will help those living with HIV/AIDS, those loving them and those fighting for them."-- "Ms. Magazine"

About the Author

Celeste Watkins-Hayes is Professor of Sociology and African American Studies, and Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. She is also the author of The New Welfare Bureaucrats: Entanglements of Race, Class, and Policy Reform.