Search

In the fall of 1975 through the spring of 1977, as Grandin, an urban, public school in North Carolina, was desegregating, anthropologists Dorothy Holland, Margaret Eisenhart, Joe Harding, and Michael Livesay carried out an ethnographic study of the fifth and sixth grade classes. Their purpose was to understand how the students, teachers, administrators, parents, and other community members dealt with the requirement to desegregate their school. Originally published in 1978, their research relied on close-up methods that highlighted the interactional, cultural, and institutional processes of making race and race relations in the school. The book used the term "social race" to emphasize that race is a process. In today's expanded terminology, persons are raced (identified as racial) in social interactions and representations through positioning and discourse. Similarly race relations are made in day-to-day processes of interaction and meaning making. As a specific historical case, the context at Grandin cannot be generalized to contemporary educational settings. Much about public schools has changed since the 1970s. Nonetheless, forty years later, the barriers to more positive race relations are strikingly similar: fraught interactions across differences in interpersonal styles; symbolic encounters that mean different things to different groups; provocative, hurtful terminologies; a veneer of harmony that masks serious difficulties with conflict resolution; and a virtual lack of opportunity and skills for frank discussions about experiences of racism.

This anthology introduces some of the most influential literature shaping our understanding of the social and cultural foundations of education today. Together the selections provide students a range of approaches for interpreting and designing educational experiences worthy of the multicultural societies of our present and future. The reprinted selections are contextualized in new interpretive essays written specifically for this volume.

Is romance more important to women in college than grades are? Why do so many women enter college with strong academic backgrounds and firm career goals but leave with dramatically scaled-down ambitions? Dorothy C. Holland and Margaret A. Eisenhart expose a pervasive "culture of romance" on campus: a high-pressure peer system that propels women into a world where their attractiveness to men counts most.

STEM Education Reform in Urban High Schools gives a nuanced view of the obstacles marginalized students face in STEM education—and explores how schools can better support STEM learners. Reporting the results of a nine-year ethnographic study, the book chronicles the outcomes of various STEM education reforms in eight public high schools with nonselective admissions policies and high proportions of low-income and minoritized students: four schools in Denver, Colorado, and four in Buffalo, New York. Margaret A. Eisenhart and Lois Weis follow the educational experiences of high-ability students from each school, tracking the students' high school-to-college-to-career trajectories. Through interviews with students, educators, and parents, as well as classroom and campus observations, the authors identify patterns in the educational paths of students who go on to great success in STEM occupations and those who do not. They discuss common mechanisms that undermine the stated goals of STEM programming—opportunity structures that are inequitable, erosion of program quality, and diversion of resources—as well as social and cultural constructs (the figured worlds of STEM) that exclude many minoritized students with potential for success from the STEM pipeline. On a broader scope, the book explores how and why STEM education reform efforts fail and succeed. With an eye toward greater access to STEM learning, the authors show how lessons of past measures can inform future STEM initiatives.

A woman of many gifts, Margaret Fuller (1810–50) is most aptly remembered as America's first true feminist. Her 1845 work, Woman in the Nineteenth Century, is regarded as the United States' first feminist publication, a groundbreaking book that helped reshape gender roles for women as well as men. Fuller was one of the few female members of the Transcendentalist movement, and in her brief yet fruitful life, she was an author, editor, literary and social critic, journalist, poet, and revolutionary. This collection reflects the broad scope of Fuller's interests. Ranging from her early poetry to her reviews and essays, selections include the travelogue Summer on the Lakes, her contributions to the literary journal The Dial, and her unpublished journals.

In 'Margaret Sanger: An Autobiography,' readers are invited into the intimate historical narrative of a woman whose tireless advocacy for birth control marked a pivotal moment in women's healthcare and autonomy. The book is both a personal account and a chronicling of the social and legal obstacles that Sanger faced in her pursuit of women's reproductive rights. With eloquence and a bold literary style, she navigates readers through the pivotal moments of early 20th-century feminism, embedding her story in the larger tapestry of the socio-political climate that both informed and was reshaped by her work. The autobiography is not only a testament to the struggle for reproductive rights but also an important literary artifact in the context of women's studies. Margaret Sanger, driven by her experiences as a nurse and the plights of women she encountered, channeled her observations into activism and ultimately, writing. Her autobiography is a culmination of her life's work, written with the intention to illuminate the imperative nature of birth control and to secure its footing as a fundamental human right. The author's personal sacrifices, including arrest and exile, highlight her unwavering commitment to the cause and offer a profound look at resilience in the face of societal and institutional opposition. The importance of 'Margaret Sanger: An Autobiography' transcends its historical context and offers timeless insights into the struggle for gender equality. This book comes highly recommended to scholars of women's studies, those interested in the history of medicine and reproductive rights, and anyone who appreciates the power of one individual to incite significant change. Sanger's life story will not only educate readers about the arduous journey toward reproductive freedom but will also serve as an inspiring testament to the enduring spirit of advocacy.

A memoir consisting of episodes in the life of Margaret Benham. Its genesis was in the author's participation in "Save Your Life," a memoir-writing group.

A pioneer in the battle to establish birth control as a basic human right and a founder of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Sanger — a nurse who witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of unwanted pregancy — triumphed over arrest, indictment, and exile. Her autobiography is a classic of women's studies.

The book contains a full bibliography, missing only the last few years, and an introduction by Mead on her writings.