Why; Ann Laura Stoler asks; was the management of sexual arrangements and affective attachments so critical to the making of colonial categories and to what distinguished ruler from ruled? Contending that social classification is not a benign cultural act but a potent political one; Stoler shows that matters of the intimate were absolutely central to imperial politics. It was; after all; in the intimate sphere of home and servants that European children learned what they were required to learn of place and race. Gender-specific sexual sanctions; too; were squarely at the heart of imperial rule; and European supremacy was asserted in terms of national and racial virility.Stoler looks discerningly at the way cultural competencies and sensibilities entered into the construction of race in the colonial context and proposes that "cultural racism" in fact predates its postmodern discovery. Her acute analysis of colonial Indonesian society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries yields insights that translate to a global; comparative perspective.
#1717320 in Books 1999-06-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .75 x 6.00l; #File Name: 0520216733217 pages
Review
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful. just a bit disappointingBy not a naturalThis book is especially attractive for two important reasons: first; it offers an empirically informed judgment of the view that race and race effects on outcomes such as income cannot be wholly reduced to class and class effects. Second; it expands usual measures of socioeconomic status beyond education; occupational status; and income; to include personal wealth.However; the author's execution of his project; while informative and well written; is given to over-interpretation and; in some instances; it seems fair to say; misinterpretation. In truth; while race and class are not statistically coterminous; the role of personal wealth in the status attainment process is weak to non-existent. In summing up his ambitious analysis; however; the author loses sight of this and makes unsubstantiated claims for the efficacy of personal wealth.Nevertheless; this remains a good read. I suppose my disappointment stems largely from the fact that personal wealth was not a more effective addition to the usual socioeconomic composite. I thought the author was really on to something; but not in this analysis. Still; this is an engagingly ambitious book that any student of social stratification would benefit from reading.It is worth noting that the author; who is white; grew up in a predominately black area. This; I'm sure; helps to explain his sensitivity to issues involving racial minorities; since that for all practical purposes he once was one. Furthermore; when I read what I have written above; I realize that I did not give the author enough credit for the conceptual effort he put into this research; whatever the results. This is; indeed; a good book written by someone capable of thinking originally and executing quality research. He does; moreover; demonstrate decisively that race effects cannot be reduced to class effects; a finding or real interest.15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. One of the most thought-provoking books I've ever readBy ElizabethThis book is both meticulous and very clearly written. Every time I had; while reading Conley's analysis; a nagging question in the back of my head; he went on to address it in far more detail than had even occurred to me.Perhaps because of this thoroughness; _Being Black; Living in the Red_ fundamentally altered the way I think about certain social policies; and about race and wealth in general. It also interested me in sociology of inequality; a field about which I had known nothing. The book is incredibly informative about a matter of great public importance; but I appreciated that Conley seemed wary of overstating his case. I truly felt I was getting an honest; and extremely skillful; evaluation of the evidence.Under the circumstances; I'd be hard pressed to do anything but advise you to read this book at the first chance you get.10 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Significant ThinkingBy A CustomerWhat would the USA be like today if former slaves had were given the elusive "40 acres and a mule"? How are the black poor in America different from the white poor everywhere? Although I haven't yet read this book; I am familiar with the dissertation on which it was based. This book is a definate must read for anyone with an interest in poverty; ethnic studies or our modern power structure. Conley successfully anayzes the connection between poverty and property that will no doubt leave many readers with a fresh perspective on the hows and whys of many "underclass" issues. I am anxiously to read this updated version.
