Russell Sage Foundation Books at Harvard University Press

In spite of an unprecedented period of growth and prosperity, the poverty rate in the U.S. remains high relative to the levels of the early 1970s and relative to those in many industrialized countries today. This book brings the problem of poverty in America to the fore, focusing on its nature and extent at the dawn of the 21st century.

Lamont takes us into the world inhabited by working-class men—the world as they understand it. Interviewing French and American working-class men who, because they are not college graduates, have limited access to high-paying jobs and other social benefits, she constructs a revealing portrait of how they see themselves and the rest of society.

This book explores the growing tension between the requirements of employers for a flexible work force and the ability of parents and communities to nurture their children and provide for their health, welfare, and education.

The story of West Indian immigrants to the United States is generally considered to be a great success. Mary Waters, however, tells a very different story. She finds that the values that gain first-generation immigrants initial success are undermined by the realities of life and race relations in the United States.