| | |  | Identity & Access Management | Home » » Constraint Of Race: Legacies Of White Skin Privilege In America | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | A challenging new approach to understanding the evolution of American social policy and the racial politics shaping it. Rather than focusing on the disadvantages suffered by blacks in the American welfare state, Linda Faye Williams looks at the other side of the coin: the advantages enjoyed by whites. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Linda Faye Williams | | Paperback:
| 429 pages | | Publisher:
| Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt) | | Publication Date:
| August 30, 2004 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0271025352 | | Product Length:
| 8.92 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.96 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.97 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.28 pounds | | Package Length:
| 8.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.3 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 3 reviews |
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8 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Public policy virtually sanctions racial discriminationMay 09, 2005
By Robin Orlowski
"political activist"
Using the later 20th/early 21st century as her canvas, Linda Faye Williams paints a disturbing and all too true portrait of American social policy's inherently racialized construct. Our formal declarations of `equal opportunity' are undercut by the cultural reality of racist social policy. Like Dorothy Roberts, she argues that gender and racial hierarchies intersect to specifically disadvantage black women.
Unlike Robert's earlier work, this book goes all the way back to the emancipation era and covers many more issue areas beyond reproduction. When the federal government has intervened for racial equality, it has only done so in periods which are relatively fleetingly in comparison to the magnitude of the problem.
Williams has her most provocative research in a chapter on the black community's consistent support for President Bill Clinton (1993-2001). Blacks had consistently supported the Clinton administration at levels which easily overshadowed the total support simultaneously received from white voters. Although she does not provide a detailed analysis of intra- African American socioeconomic issues, Williams does ask us to consider how goals and stereotypes subtly but pervasively co-exist in public policy programs.
Those ultimately racialized voter patterns were established and then further solidified even as Clinton signed `welfare reform' which specifically built off the specter of the `welfare queen'; a presumably African American woman who lived off of the government instead of having a `job' and then raising her kids `right'. Ironically, before the federal welfare program became racially integrated in the 1960's, the white welfare recipients were intentionally supposed to stay at home with their children and not work outside of the home specifically so that their children would grow up `right'.
Williams correctly recognizes that any `universal' public policy does fact take on racial connotations because of our society's fundamentally racialized nature. People who prefer the status quo (and the ensuing racial constructs) are not going to be happy with a program which then attempts to equalize the playing field for all Americans. Talking about democracy is one thing, but sharing it with somebody who looks different from the self still makes many Americans and our public officials uncomfortable in spite of their `tolerant' public demeanor.
This book is an essential read for people studying race/ethnicity, but I also think it needs to be at the top of public administration reading lists. Conceeding that public policy is not value neutral is the first step in making a society which truly is equal.
Excellent ReadFeb 19, 2012
By -B.Jones
The late Dr. Williams was an amazing writer. The text, "The Constraints of Race" provides all the missing components to the question, "What exactly happened after slavery?" I wish I would have had the pleasure of meeting her. Thank God her legacy still lives on.
Outstanding Reference Book on Class, Race & GenderOct 23, 2008
By L. Fields
I would highly recommend this book as a great reference when studying race and gender. Dr. Williams' book is an outstanding publication that should be required reading for political science students.
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