Unequal childhoods Class, race, and family life

In this worthy successor to the original volume published nearly a decade ago (CH, Apr'04, 41-4975), the original book remains intact, and three entirely new chapters have been added. Twelve families that were in the original study were reinterviewed 10 years later, and these interviews bring into even sharper focus how young people's life chances are greatly affected by whether they came from working-class or middle-class families as they attempt to attain their educational goals in early adulthood. Despite the fact that both classes greatly endorse ideas of educational advancement for their children, it is the middle-class children who realize their educational ambitions, and the working-class children who get sidetracked. The first edition of this book deservedly won much critical acclaim and was adopted by many undergraduate sociology classes for the clarity it brought to demonstrating stratification principles vividly and personally. Lareau (Pennsylvania) is a most gifted teacher, and her unrivaled communications skills make this book an indispensable acquisition for libraries and students to readily understand social class dynamics in the contemporary US. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. W. Feigelman Nassau Community College

In this thought-provoking book, Lareau (sociology, Temple Univ.) challenges the widely held perception of America as "the land of opportunity," where anyone, no matter what his or her background, can rise to great heights of achievement. Instead, she asserts, differences in child-rearing practices among social classes (race notwithstanding) profoundly influence the ways in which children think about and conduct themselves in the larger world as they grow up. Using richly detailed case studies, Lareau identifies those behaviors and compares those associated with the "concerted cultivation" typical of middle-class parenting (e.g., after-school programs) with the "accomplishment of natural growth," her name for the parenting style of harried working-class and poor parents. While the enriched activities of middle-class children put them in good stead in school, athletics, and other social situations, they may come at the cost of overscheduling and stress. Conversely, while working-class children may long to be on soccer teams or go horseback riding, they learn to entertain themselves and have close family ties. This sensitive, well-balanced book is highly recommended for academic, special, and large public libraries.-Ellen D. Gilbert, Princeton, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.