Postindustrial Peasants: The Illusion of Middle-Class Prosperity (Contemporary Social Issues)

By most accounts the economic vigor of the United States is unprecedented. Despite this collective wealth, the American middle class is struggling to live the American dream. In this timely and provocative new book, Leicht and Fitzgerald argue that middle class prosperity is an illusion. Indeed, there are many similarities between the modern American middle class, peasants in historically feudal societies, and sharecroppers in historically agrarian societies. Not satisfied with simply describing the plight of the middle class, the authors offer a multi-level recommendation designed to encourage an active response to the development of the modern "postindustrial peasant."