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Book Description

"It is really worth a read…" -- Former Vice President Joe Biden, interviewed on Pod Save America

Now in paperback with a new Foreword by Mark Cuban and a new Preface by the author, White Working Class explains why so much of the elite's analysis of the white working class is misguided, rooted in class cluelessness.

Joan C. Williams, described as having "something approaching rock star status" by the New York Times, explains that many people have conflated "working class" with "poor"--but the working class is, in fact, the elusive, purportedly disappearing middle class. They often resent the poor and the professionals alike. But they don't resent the truly rich, nor are they particularly bothered by income inequality. Their dream is not to join the upper middle class, with its different culture, but to stay true to their own values in their own communities--just with more money. While white working-class motivations are often dismissed as racist or xenophobic, Williams shows that they have their own class consciousness.

White Working Class is a blunt, bracing narrative that sketches a nuanced portrait of millions of people who have proven to be a potent political force. For anyone stunned by the rise of populist, nationalist movements, wondering why so many would seemingly vote against their own economic interests, or simply feeling like a stranger in their own country, White Working Class will be a convincing primer on how to connect with a crucial set of workers--and voters.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. Contents
  7. Foreword
  8. Preface
  9. 1. Why Talk About Class?
  10. 2. Who Is the Working Class?
  11. 3. Why Does the Working Class Resent the Poor?
  12. 4. Why Does the Working Class Resent Professionals but Admire the Rich?
  13. 5. Why Doesn’t the Working Class Just Move to Where the Jobs Are?
  14. 6. Why Doesn’t the Working Class Get with It and Go to College?
  15. 7. Why Don’t They Push Their Kids Harder to Succeed?
  16. 8. Is the Working Class Just Racist?
  17. 9. Is the Working Class Just Sexist?
  18. 10. Don’t They Understand That Manufacturing Jobs Aren’t Coming Back?
  19. 11. Why Don’t Working-Class Men Just Take “Pink-Collar” Jobs?
  20. 12. Why Don’t the People Who Benefit Most from Government Help Seem to Appreciate It?
  21. 13. Can Liberals Embrace the White Working Class without Abandoning Important Values and Allies?
  22. 14. Why Are Democrats Worse at Connecting with the White Working Class Than Republicans?
  23. Conclusion
  24. Acknowledgments
  25. Notes
  26. Additional Reading
  27. Index
  28. About the Author
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