092 - Plenary Session. Social Class in Daily Life

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Abstract

Social class divisions are powerful forces in American society: they influence the rituals of daily life, they cast a long shadow over the life course, and they are thrown into sharper relief in times of crisis. This panel shows a range of ways in which class divisions matter. Jay MacLeod, author of the classic work, Ain’t No Makin’ It, will make a rare appearance at an ASA meeting to discuss the impact of class on life chances over the life course. Linda Burton will share the results of a thirty-year ethnographic study of low-income mothers. Her study highlights the interweaving of race and class in their lives. Eric Klinenberg, drawing on recent data on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, will show how the experiences of this natural disaster varied by class. William Julius Wilson will be the discussant on this Saturday plenary session.

Sub Unit

• Plenary and Presidential Panels

Session Organizer

• Annette Lareau, University of Pennsylvania

Presider

• Annette Lareau, University of Pennsylvania

Individual Presentations

• Outclassed - Jay MacLeod, Parish of All Saints and Author

• Cities, Class, and Climate Change: An Autopsy of Superstorm Sandy - Eric Klinenberg, New York University

• Racializing Low-Income Rural Mothers: A Thirty-Year Ethnography of Race, Class, and Socioeconomic Inequality - Linda Marie Burton, Duke University

Discussant

• William Julius Wilson, Harvard University