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A review by mephistia
Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life by Annette Lareau
5.0
I really enjoyed this. It was engaging, well-written and well-performed research. I liked that Lareau also acknowledges potential biases and the limitations of the study. I am impressed by the methodology and her findings that economic class has more of an impact on on upbringing than race, also (clearly) the disparate impact of race in our country does mean that people of color are disproportionately affected by the impacts of class discrimination and bias in addition to the reality of racially motivated discrimination.
While I thought her thesis, research, and conclusions were presented in a clear, even, and neutral tone, I did notice in the class discussion about the text that several of my classmates appeared to take personal issue with her research and conclusions -- a running theme was that she was "wrong" about this or that objective observation because it hadn't been like that in the students (name income type) family. Lareau's findings are examples of generalized information that largely hold true in broad populations -- however, they are generalized, and there are always exceptions to the rule. So if you read this book and think, "Oh, it's all bunk, my childhood wasn't like that!" -- that does not negate the validity of her research and findings.
Beyond the longitudinal research and follow-up interviews, Lareau also draws from a wealth of statistical and economic data to support her findings. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about the long-term role of economic status on childrearing, adult income, and the reproduction of class systems in the United States.
While I thought her thesis, research, and conclusions were presented in a clear, even, and neutral tone, I did notice in the class discussion about the text that several of my classmates appeared to take personal issue with her research and conclusions -- a running theme was that she was "wrong" about this or that objective observation because it hadn't been like that in the students (name income type) family. Lareau's findings are examples of generalized information that largely hold true in broad populations -- however, they are generalized, and there are always exceptions to the rule. So if you read this book and think, "Oh, it's all bunk, my childhood wasn't like that!" -- that does not negate the validity of her research and findings.
Beyond the longitudinal research and follow-up interviews, Lareau also draws from a wealth of statistical and economic data to support her findings. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about the long-term role of economic status on childrearing, adult income, and the reproduction of class systems in the United States.