<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining. But rigorous sociology, it is not.
Review: Lilian Rubin writes with an empathy that could only come from being the product of a working-class family herself. Unfortunately, the baggage which Rubin's brings along on her study tends to butt in inappropriately. In the chapter on the subject's childhood, for example, Rubin concludes that all of the subjects must have been unhappy during their early years because she could recall her "own impoverished background." It did not matter to Rubin that her subjects "implored, even commanded [her], to believe they had happy home lives as children." It should also be noted that this study was conducted in 1972. While there is a fairly significant new introduction which Rubin wrote in 1992, the text of the book is unchanged. Certainly much has changed in the past twenty years. Both in terms of the jobs of the working-class, the sex lives of working-class couples, the reasons they marry, and even the definition of working-class itself. In short, an interesting read by a talented writer. But rigorous sociology it is not.
Rating:
Summary: Anecdotal and entertaining, but limited.
Review: This book would probably be a lot of use to a writer or screenwriter who was researching the working-class family in the early 70s. The stories are interesting and the writing is fluid and compelling. It gives a good slice of life from several perspectives. It *might* be of interest to a historian as anecdotal material, but it's good to note that this is a small sample of interviews carried out by a writer who obviously had her own agenda with the subject matter. I bought it second-hand and don't regret the time to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: informative
Review: Though not perfect, Rubin's work sheds light on many of the inter-personal and inter-gender plaues on America's working class families. Most importantly, Rubin writes with a believable sensitivity that heightens the text's effictiveness.
<< 1 >>
| 
