SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2012
Edited by
Dr. Sonja M. Brown Givens
SUNY Empire State College
and
Dr. Keisha Edwards Tassie
Clayton State University
"Class is much more than Marx's definition of relationship to the means of production. Class involves behavior, your basic assumptions, how you are taught to behave, what you expect from yourself and from others, your concept of a future, how you understand problems and solve them, how you think, feel, act." – bell hooks, 2000 from Where we stand: Class matters
Project Overview
If taken literally, representations of women of color in popular culture suggest that they are more empowered, more influential and wealthier than ever before. Minute-by-minute presentations of the lavish lives of celebrity women like Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles and Kim Kardashian arguably imply that class elevation and exorbitant consumerism afford women of color the privilege of voice. By extension, women of color who are unable to acquire the commodity of voice (by means of their affluence) are relegated to a world of socio-political marginality and invisibility – a place often void of class consciousness with few avenues for active vocal participation (hooks, 2000). In this sense the terms poor and disprivileged provide limited means to understand the cognitive, behavioral, and psychological dimensions of class. In contrast, underserved women of color lack both material resources and acknowledgment – sometimes from within their own communities. This project illuminates the connections between class location(s) and communicative practices in relational, mediated, academic and interpersonal contexts.
Objective
This book will argue that (1) underserved women of color are virtually invisible in feminist scholarship; (2) their experiences communicating across class lines are challenging, at best; (3) their relegation is maximally institutional, and minimally material; (4) claiming voice for women of color is elusive because their role in feminist struggle is unclear.
Target Audience
The book is intended for use by scholars/professionals/practitioners in the areas of cultural studies, feminist/women’s studies, communication studies, sociology, psychology, community and human services, counseling and other related disciplines.
