America's Working Man

America's Working Man Work, Home, and Politics Among Blue Collar Property Owners

by David Halle

University of Chicago Press, 1984
Cloth: 978-0-226-31365-8 | Paper: 978-0-226-31366-5 | Electronic: 978-0-226-22936-2
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226229362.001.0001

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ABOUT THIS BOOKAUTHOR BIOGRAPHYTABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Over a period of six years, at factory and warehouse, at the tavern across the road, in their homes and union meetings, on fishing trips and social outings, David Halle talked and listened to workers of an automated chemical plant in New Jersey's industrial heartland. He has emerged with an unusually comprehensive and convincingly realistic picture of blue-collar life in America. Throughout the book, Halle illustrates his analysis with excerpts of workers' views on everything from strikes, class consciousness, politics, job security, and toxic chemicals to marriage, betting on horses, God, home-ownership, drinking, adultery, the Super Bowl, and life after death. Halle challenges the stereotypes of the blue-collar mentality and argues that to understand American class consciousness we must shift our focus from the "working class" to be the "working man."

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

David Halle is professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part 1: Life outside Work

1. The Residential Setting

2. Leisure

3. Marriage and Family

Conclusion to Part 1

Part 2: Blue-Collar Work and the Automated Factory

4. An Automated Plant: Overview

5. The Production Worker in an Automated Plant

6. Support Workers: Mechanics, Laboratory Technicians, Packagers, Warehouse Workers

Conclusion to Part 2

Part 3: The Limits of Mobility at Work: Solidarity and Dispute

7. Occupational Mobility and Security

8. Solidarity and Dispute

Conclusion to Part 3

Part 4: Politics and Class Consciousness

9. Politics and the Structure of Power: Democracy and Freedom

10. Position in the System of Production: The Concept of the Working Man

11. Position outside Work: Income Level, Standard of Living, and Residential Situation

12. Nationalism and Populism

Conclusion to Part 4

Part 5: A Sociology of the Mediocre: Religion, Ethnicity, and National Rituals

13. Religion

14. Ethnicity

15. National Holidays and Cults

16. Conclusion: Class and Politics in America

Appendix: Supplementary Tables

Notes

Bibliography

Index