Scenes from the American Working Class - (Politics, Literature, & Film) by Steven Michels & Lee Trepanier (Hardcover)

About the Book

The twelve chapters of Scenes from the American Working Class: This Hard Land use the lens of political theory to explore the working life of Americans as it has been depicted in popular culture. It covers a wide range of experiences and voices from the past hundred-plus years.

Book Synopsis

What have depictions of the working class in popular culture added to our understanding of the professional lives of Americans? Scenes from the American Working Class: This Hard Land offers twelve unique and profound answers from some of the most impactful and timeless novels (O! Pioneers, Ann Vickers, and Native Son), films (Blue Collar, Wall Street, and Other People's Money), television shows (The Wire and Mad Men), songs (the work of Bruce Springsteen), and poems (Natasha Tretheway's "Drapery Factory, Gulfport, Mississippi, 1956").
Key themes include the turn from agrarianism to industrialism and post-industrialism; the challenges particular to women, new immigrants, and workers of color; and the relationship between the demands of the workplace and the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy. Also explored is the extent to which having a productive and fulfilling working life is essential to living a life of meaning and purpose.
Although there is a significant gap between the rhetoric and the reality of the "American dream," these portrayals all give a glimpse into the resiliency and optimism of workers and why the country continues to be a land of hope.

Review Quotes

"Steven Michels has assembled a rich collection of essays exploring working-class representations in multimedia. Scenes from the American Working Class: This Hard Land is a strong contribution to the growing field of working-class studies." --Ira Shor, Professor Emeritus, City Universtiy of NY Graduate Center

About the Author

Steven Michels is professor of political science at Sacred Heart University and the author of Sinclair Lewis and American Democracy (2017)