Intersections of Race, Gender, and Precarity: Navigating Insecurities in an American City

Stephanie Baran's book Intersections of Race, Gender, and Precarity: Navigating Insecurities in an American City argues that the US government often creates more problems than it solves when it comes to assistance, compounding poverty instead of escaping it. Through an ethnographic study of poverty and insecurity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the author reveals how people navigate situations of poverty and how local food organizations hide their more radical roots to protect food donations from white donors. The book highlights the gap between people's ideas of poverty and how people can experience upward mobility.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 234 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

In her book, Intersections of Race, Gender, and Precarity: Navigating Insecurities in an American City, Stephanie Baran makes a compelling argument that when it comes to providing assistance, the United States government often exacerbates rather than resolves issues. These institutions are not designed to create a road out of poverty; instead, they frequently exacerbate it. The author conducts a two-year ethnographic study of poverty and insecurity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to demonstrate how individuals cope with such circumstances. The study reveals how local food organizations with ties to the Milwaukee Chapter of the Black Panther Party conceal their more radical origins to protect food donations from white donors, thereby preserving white fragility. It is important to recognize that people are far more susceptible to poverty than they may realize, as evidenced by the Government Shutdown of 2019 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, their perceptions of poverty and the opportunities for upward mobility are often incomplete and inaccurate. Intersections of Race, Gender, and Precarity sheds light on this gap by focusing on how these factors manifest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Weight: 381g
Dimension: 231 x 154 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793608550