Category Archives: Class and the Media

Cultural and Political Diversity in the White Working-Class

Posted on November 9, 2020 by

Influential political analyst Ron Brownstein thinks American politics is all about answering this question: “How long can Paducah tell Seattle what to do?” The question resonates because metro areas vote so differently from small town and rural areas and because … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Class at the Intersections, Contributors, Issues, Jack Metzgar, Working-Class Politics | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Reality TV and Real Work in the Fishing Industry

Posted on October 12, 2020 by

Fishing may be the world’s second oldest profession, but the industry is about as visible as a quiet cousin at a family reunion. Unassuming, keeping to itself, it is largely ignored in talk about work and the economy.  All of … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, Work | Tagged , | 3 Comments

No Class: Why You Should Be Getting Your Labor News from Teen Vogue

Posted on August 31, 2020 by

Last Wednesday NBA players refused to take the court for their playoff games in order to protest the latest police shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who survived the shooting but is now paralyzed. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Labor and Community Activism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Working-Class Public Housing in the COVID Spotlight

Posted on August 24, 2020 by

The Covid19 pandemic has highlighted many inequalities experienced by working-class people — insecure work, unsafe work places, access to health care, housing conditions and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of colour. Mainstream media has also covered many … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Sarah Attfield, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Essential Work: The 2020 WCSA Awards

Posted on July 13, 2020 by

At the center of all the chaos and turmoil of 2020 has been the essential worker on the front lines—from healthcare workers treating those infected with COVID-19 to service workers of all kinds who have kept us fed, supplied, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and Education, Class and the Media, Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Working-Class Culture | Tagged | Leave a comment

“People Ain’t Gonna Come to Work if They Don’t Feel Safe”

Posted on May 11, 2020 by

If you live in Iowa, you get to see a little bit of how the sausage is made, so to speak, especially if it’s pork. It’s a common occurrence to see long semi-truck trailers on the highways, with round pink … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher R. Martin, Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Work | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Class, Capitalism, and Coronovirus at Disney’s Newest Attraction

Posted on March 30, 2020 by

Last week the Coronavirus forced Disney to announce that its American parks are now closed indefinitely, resulting in the longest interruptions of any kind since they opened in 1955 (Disneyland) and 1965 (Walt Disney World). Disney has been on my … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Class Anxiety: Parasite and Joker

Posted on March 2, 2020 by

A couple of weeks after the South Korean film Parasite won both Best Foreign Film and Best Picture, Donald Trump went on what the Washington Post called a “nationalistic cultural” rant about the film’s awards. He was upset that a … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, John Russo, Sherry Linkon, The Working Class and the Economy, Understanding Class | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Precarity Goes to the Movies

Posted on February 24, 2020 by

Two recent events, vastly different in scale and importance, nonetheless point to the importance of the concept of the precariat, a relatively new coinage for the class of exploited, underemployed and temp workers of the world. The Oscars’ celebration of … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

How Polarized Are We?

Posted on February 17, 2020 by

When I talk with relatives who are not only Trump voters but Trump enthusiasts, I feel pretty damned polarized – especially when I lose my temper and find myself saying some of the things my tribe often hatefully says about … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Jack Metzgar, Working-Class Politics | Tagged , , | 3 Comments