{"product_id":"the-american-nondilemma-racial-inequality-without-racism-9780871540805","title":"The American Non-Dilemma: Racial Inequality Without Racism","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Civil Rights movement of the 1960s seemed to mark a historical turning point in advancing the American dream of equal opportunity for all citizens  regardless of race. Yet 50 years on  racial inequality remains a troubling fact of life in American society and its causes are highly contested. In The American Non-Dilemma  sociologist Nancy DiTomaso convincingly argues that Americas enduring racial divide is sustained more by whites preferential treatment of members of their own social networks than by overt racial discrimination. Drawing on research from sociology  political science  history  and psychology  as well as her own interviews with a cross-section of non-Hispanic whites  DiTomaso provides a comprehensive examination of the persistence of racial inequality in the post-Civil Rights era and how it plays out in todays economic and political context. Taking Gunnar Myrdals classic work on Americas racial divide  The American Dilemma  as her departure point  DiTomaso focuses on \"the white side of the race line.\" To do so  she interviewed a sample of working  middle  and upper-class whites about their life histories  political views  and general outlook on racial inequality in America. While the vast majority of whites profess strong support for civil rights and equal opportunity regardless of race  they continue to pursue their own group-based advantage  especially in the labor market where whites tend to favor other whites in securing jobs protected from market competition. This \"opportunity hoarding\" leads to substantially improved life outcomes for whites due to their greater access to social resources from family  schools  churches  and other institutions with which they are engaged. DiTomaso also examines how whites understand the persistence of racial inequality in a society where whites are  on average  the advantaged racial group. Most whites see themselves as part of the solution rather than part of the problem with regard to racial inequality. Yet they continue to harbor strong reservations about public policiessuch as affirmative actionintended to ameliorate racial inequality. In effect  they accept the principles of civil rights but not the implementation of policies that would bring about greater racial equality. DiTomaso shows that the political engagement of different groups of whites is affected by their views of how civil rights policies impact their ability to provide advantages to family and friends. This tension between civil and labor rights is evident in Republicans use of anti-civil rights platforms to attract white voters  and in the efforts of Democrats to bridge race and class issues  or civil and labor rights broadly defined. As a result  DiTomaso finds that whites are  at best  uncertain allies in the fight for racial equality. Weaving together research on both race and class  along with the life experiences of DiTomasos interview subjects  The American Non-Dilemma provides a compelling exploration of how racial inequality is reproduced in todays society  how people come to terms with the issue in their day-to-day experiences  and what these trends may signify in the contemporary political landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45648267313205,"sku":"ByrdShop_0871540800","price":39.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780871540805.jpg?v=1781714750","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-american-nondilemma-racial-inequality-without-racism-9780871540805","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}