The American Middle Class

December 1, 2017

Rycroft (economics, Univ. of Mary Washington, VA) sheds light on the American dream and the middle class. Each of the seven parts in each volume starts with essays on broad subjects such as home ownership and is followed by specific topics such as redlining and homelessness. The book examines how middle-class expectations have been defined and investigates economic theory, education, labor, health, crime, and culture. Part 6, "Norms and the American Middle Class," is the most eclectic, covering issues that didn't fit neatly in the other parts (homophobia, school prayer, etc.). Many of the entries, such as those on body image, autism, drug trafficking, and cancer, are general and don't address the impact on the middle class. Some information is already dated. For example, the essay on affirmative action cites the Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas but does not mention the court's June 2016 ruling. The overview essay on health care hints at changes to the Affordable Care Act, but that section is likely to be obsolete soon given the current political landscape. Overall, the pieces are well written and range in tone from dry looks at economic theory to engaging explorations of individuals such as Harvey Milk. VERDICT Of interest to high school and college students.--Susanne Caro, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2017
What is the middle class, and how did it become part of the American dream? This new resource attempts to define the middle class and examines the issues facing Americans today. The editors and contributors are academics and professionals working in government and nonprofit organizations. The encyclopedia is organized in seven sections, with a prologue that provides an overview with essays defining the middle class and portraits of the ethnic/racial and LGBT groups within the class. Each section looks at a broad topic, such as economic uncertainty; politics and public policy; education, housing, and labor; health; crime; norms; and culture and media. Within each section, there are entries covering a wide range of subjects affecting the middle class: American capitalism in the twenty-first century, feminism, marijuana legislation, home ownership, health and health care, hate crimes, American family ideals, and media portrayal of the middle class. Each section begins with an overview essay. The essays and entries are two to three pages in length, with resource lists and cross-references. Tables, charts, and graphs augment the text. Each volume contains a complete table of contents, which makes it easy to locate relevant material. The index indicates main entries with boldface type.This is an excellent resource for high-school, public, and academic libraries. Anyone doing research in the social sciences will find this detailed portrait of contemporary American society very useful.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)