The Meaning of Difference: American Constructions of Race, Sex and Gender, Social Class, and Sexual Orientation

A collection of readings that offers an integrated and comparative examination of contemporary American constructions of race, sex, social class, and sexual orientation. The book is divided into three sections, each beginning with an essay, written by the editors, providing a broad conceptual framework with which to approach the readings. Section I, "Constructing Categories of Difference", with subsections on race, sex, class, and sexual orientation, tries to answer the question "what is....?" Section II deals with "Experiencing Difference", with readings and first hand accounts written specifically for this book. Section III, "The Meaning of Difference", offers subsections on Law and Politics which includes an essay summarizing Supreme Court Cases, and also subsections on the Economy, Science, and Popular Culture. As opposed to most books which emphasize victimization and oppression, Rosenblum and Travis include what is positive about being a member of a particular group, promoting a sense of hopefulness about peoples ability to change themselves and the world around them.