Race, Class, & Gender
Common Bonds, Different Voices
📘 About This Book
How do race, class and gender interrelate? How does the interlocking of race, class and gender form patterns of social relations and develop into hierarchical orders? What are the dilemmas and contradictions created by the simultaneity of race, class and gender? How can feminist scholarship based on the complex understanding of the interlocking nature of race, class and gender transform our knowledge and social life? This anthology - derived from a special issue of the journal Gender & Society - seeks to bring a clearer understanding to these issues. The editors take the studies of race, class and gender beyond their usual context - that of social stratification - locating them in the wider sociological world. The br
📖 Summary
Published in 1996 and spanning 432 pages, Race, Class, & Gender, edited by Esther Ngang-ling Chow, is a vital and influential anthology originally derived from a special issue of the prominent academic journal Gender & Society. At its core, the book investigates the complex ways in which race, class, and gender interrelate, forming intricate patterns of social relations that eventually develop into rigid hierarchical orders. Instead of treating these three dimensions as isolated categories of identity, the collection of essays demonstrates how they simultaneously intersect, reinforce, and complicate one another in everyday social life. The text directly confronts the dilemmas and contradictions generated by this simultaneity, exploring how individuals experience overlapping systems of privilege and oppression. Furthermore, the volume challenges scholars and readers alike to rethink traditional academic approaches. The contributors move the study of race, class, and gender far beyond the narrow confines of conventional social stratification, successfully locating these dynamics within the wider sociological world. Through rigorous analysis and diverse perspectives, the anthology illustrates how feminist scholarship, when grounded in a comprehensive understanding of interlocking identities, possesses the transformative power to reshape both academic knowledge and broader social realities. By gathering critical insights into a single cohesive volume, Chow and her contributing authors provide a foundational resource for anyone seeking to understand the structural inequalities that shape human experiences and societal institutions.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Provides a deep exploration of intersectionality within sociology
Moves beyond traditional social stratification frameworks
Gathers valuable perspectives from a specialized journal issue
Offers transformative insights for feminist scholarship
⚠️ Cons
May feature dense academic language that is challenging for casual readers
Reflects the academic discourse of the mid-1990s
❓ FAQ
Who edited Race, Class, & Gender? +
The book was edited by Esther Ngang-ling Chow.
When was the book published? +
It was published in 1996.
How many pages are in the book? +
The book contains 432 pages.
Where did the content of this anthology originally derive from? +
It was derived from a special issue of the academic journal Gender & Society.
What is the primary analytical focus of the book? +
It focuses on the interlocking nature of race, class, and gender and how they form social hierarchies.
