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The Wages of Whiteness

Race and the Making of the American Working Class
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( 2,351 ratings, 102 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Wages of Whiteness examines the development of the concept of whiteness among the American working class in the 19th century. David R. Roediger explores how race influenced identity and economic status, arguing that white labourers defined their cultural identity in opposition to black people. This analysis helps uncover how racial distinctions played a crucial role in shaping socio-economic dynamics in the United States.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're interested in exploring the intersections of race and class in American history. It offers an insightful analysis of how the concept of whiteness has evolved in relation to the working class, providing a nuanced understanding of racial identity and its socio-economic implications. It's ideal for readers keen on understanding the historical foundations of race and labour dynamics.

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The classic history of how the identity of "white worker" came to be, and the awful results.

The classic history of how the identity of β€œwhite worker” came to be, and the awful results.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An enduring history of how race and class came together to mark the course of the antebellum US and our present crisis.

Roediger shows that in a nation pledged to independence, but less and less able to avoid the harsh realities of wage labour, the identity of "white" came to allow many Northern workers to see themselves as having something in common with their bosses. Projecting onto enslaved people and free Blacks the preindustrial closeness to pleasure that regimented labour denied them, "white workers" consumed blackface popular culture, reshaped languages of class, and embraced racist practices on and off the job.

Far from simply preserving economic advantage, white working-class racism derived its terrible force from a complex series of psychological and ideological mechanisms that reinforced stereotypes and helped to forge the very identities of white workers in opposition to Blacks.

Full of insight regarding the precarious positions of not-quite-white Irish immigrants to the US and the fate of working-class abolitionism, The Wages of Whiteness contributes mightily and soberly to debates over the 1619 Project and critical race theory.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

David R. Roediger's The Wages of Whiteness is recognised as a significant and insightful contribution to the study of race and class in American history. Reviewers highlight its compelling narrative on how white workers in antebellum America developed a social identity centred on 'whiteness,' with strong documentation and accessibility for a broad audience. This work is praised for illuminating the complex intertwining of race and labour, offering a profound understanding of the American working class and its historical formation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781839768309

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 November 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Kathleen Cleaver
  • Preface by Priyamvada Gopal

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 227g

Pages: 240

About the Author

David Roediger is widely credited as a founder of Critical Whiteness Studies. He writes as a historian and interdisciplinary scholar of race and labor in the US. Educated in public schools and in social movements, his major books include Wages of Whiteness, Seizing Freedom, and How Race Survived US History.

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