Hard Work Is Not Enough

Gender and Racial Inequality in an Urban Workspace

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Urban, Cultural Studies, African-American Studies, Gender Studies
Cover of the book Hard Work Is Not Enough by Katrinell M. Davis, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Katrinell M. Davis ISBN: 9781469630496
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: November 14, 2016
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Katrinell M. Davis
ISBN: 9781469630496
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: November 14, 2016
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

The Great Recession punished American workers, leaving many underemployed or trapped in jobs that did not provide the income or opportunities they needed. Moreover, the gap between the wealthy and the poor had widened in past decades as mobility remained stubbornly unchanged. Against this deepening economic divide, a dominant cultural narrative took root: immobility, especially for the working class, is driven by shifts in demand for labor. In this context, and with right-to-work policies proliferating nationwide, workers are encouraged to avoid government dependency by arming themselves with education and training.

Drawing on archival material and interviews with African American women transit workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Katrinell Davis grapples with our understanding of mobility as it intersects with race and gender in the postindustrial and post–civil rights United States. Considering the consequences of declining working conditions within the public transit workplace of Alameda County, Davis illustrates how worker experience--on and off the job--has been undermined by workplace norms and administrative practices designed to address flagging worker commitment and morale. Providing a comprehensive account of how political, social, and economic factors work together to shape the culture of opportunity in a postindustrial workplace, she shows how government manpower policies, administrative policies, and drastic shifts in unionization have influenced the prospects of low-skilled workers.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Great Recession punished American workers, leaving many underemployed or trapped in jobs that did not provide the income or opportunities they needed. Moreover, the gap between the wealthy and the poor had widened in past decades as mobility remained stubbornly unchanged. Against this deepening economic divide, a dominant cultural narrative took root: immobility, especially for the working class, is driven by shifts in demand for labor. In this context, and with right-to-work policies proliferating nationwide, workers are encouraged to avoid government dependency by arming themselves with education and training.

Drawing on archival material and interviews with African American women transit workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Katrinell Davis grapples with our understanding of mobility as it intersects with race and gender in the postindustrial and post–civil rights United States. Considering the consequences of declining working conditions within the public transit workplace of Alameda County, Davis illustrates how worker experience--on and off the job--has been undermined by workplace norms and administrative practices designed to address flagging worker commitment and morale. Providing a comprehensive account of how political, social, and economic factors work together to shape the culture of opportunity in a postindustrial workplace, she shows how government manpower policies, administrative policies, and drastic shifts in unionization have influenced the prospects of low-skilled workers.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Untidy Origins by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book Contesting the New South Order by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Revolution Is for the Children by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935 by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Puerto Rican Nation on the Move by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book Hearts Beating for Liberty by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book Isles of Noise by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book Ku-Klux by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book No Right to Be Idle by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Legend of the Black Mecca by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book America Is the Prison by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Pattern of Hardy's Poetry by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Soviet Model and Underdeveloped Countries by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book A Fabric of Defeat by Katrinell M. Davis
Cover of the book The Autobiographical Myth of Robert Lowell by Katrinell M. Davis
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy