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About this book
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.
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.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Scenes from the American Working Class by Steven Michels in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & North American History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-Title
- Series
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction: How America Works
- 1 All the Past We Leave Behind: Willa Catherâs O Pioneers! and the Agrarian Vision
- 2 Trouble in the 10018 Zone: Incommunicability and Working-Class Frustration in King Vidorâs Street Scene
- 3 Sinclair Lewisâ Ann Vickers: Seeking a WorkâLife Balance
- 4 Native Son and the Myth of Mobility
- 5 Ortega y Gassetâs Mass Man, Strife, and Work in the Thought of Elmer Kelton and Eric Hoffer
- 6 The Working Class in Schraderâs Blue Collar
- 7 Financialism versus the Working Class in Wall Street and Other Peopleâs Money
- 8 âpushing into the hum of the machinesâ: Textiles and Womenâs Labor in Black and White
- 9 When It Ainât Your Turn: Striving for Meaningful Work in The Wire
- 10 Happiness Is a Moment before You Need More Happiness: Happiness, Mad Men, and Locke
- 11 Severed Selves and the Search for Meaning
- 12 Is a Dream a Lie? Hope, Cruel Optimism, and Bruce Springsteenâs Working Class
- About the Contributors
- Index
- Acknowledgments