Not Quite White: White Trash and the Boundaries of Whiteness - Wray, Matt

Clean, tight, unmarked; slightest wear to front inside edge; otherwise absolute minimal wear; appears unread; White trash. The phrase conjures up images of dirty rural folk who are poor, ignorant, violent, and incestuous ... Ranging from the early 18th century to the early 20th, this book documents the origins and transformations of the multiple meanings projected onto poor rural whites in the U.S. ... Part historical inquiry and part sociological investigation, this book demonstrates the power of social categories and boundaries to shape social relationships and institutions, to invent groups where none exist, and to influence policies and legislation that end up harming the very people they aim to help. It illuminates not only the cultural significance and consequences of poor white stereotypes but also how dominant whites exploited and expanded these stereotypes to bolster and defend their own fragile claims to whiteness. 
Near Fine
Soft cover
Duke University Press Books
2006
Durham, NC