Overview

This work looks behind the media image of upper-class women and observes how these women use their societal power not only to benefit other, less-fortunate people but also to benefit themselves and their families. The personal narratives of elite women as they describe their views on philanthropy, the need for exclusivity in their by-invitation-only volunteer organizations (such as the Junior League and The Links), their childhood experiences and college years in prestigious schools and sororities, and the debutante presentations and other upper-class rituals in which they participate are drawn from Diana Kendall's ethnographic research. Participating in meetings and social functions with elite women in several Texas cities, along with conducting systematic interviews, the author gained access to elite women across racial and ethnic categories. The text offers insights and knowledge on the upper classes and how the charitable activities of privileged women contribute to the process of legitimation, maintaining an ideology of class-based and race-based segregation in the United States.

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9780742519756

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Reviews

An intimate participant-observation study of upper-class women in all of their many public roles, complete with revealing interviews. The Power of Good Deeds, a fascinating and powerful book, is sociology at its finest, using good ideas from many different sources and the best methods available to illuminate an important dimension of the class structure that is seldom addressed. -- G William Domhoff, University of California, Santa Cruz The Power of Good Deeds adds to the understanding of the lives of the upper classes. It is enjoyable reading and would be valuable for students of stratification, elites, or volunteer organizations in general. Journal Of Marriage and Family This study extends scholarship on elites in two important ways: first, by shedding light on the upper class of Texas, rarely the geographic site of scholarship on elites, and second, by incorporating in her sample elite women of color. The intersectionof race and social class in elite philanthropic organizations is a poignant and critical feature of this book, and the contradictions are striking... American Journal of Sociology Sociologist Diana Kendall's unprecedented 'insider' view substantially advances and expands our understanding of today's elite women, including African American and Latina as well as white Anglo women. While not ignoring the contributions of their philanthropic work to the public good, Kendall emphasizes the ways in which the women's everyday activities socially reproduce class and race divisions and inequalities, and shows how elite circles benefit the most from their own philanthropic activities. This revealing and engaging work counters still-echoing claims that class no longer matters in American life. -- Susan Ostrander, Tufts University This study extends scholarship on elites in two important ways: first, by shedding light on the upper class of Texas, rarely the geographic site of scholarship on elites, and second, by incorporating in her sample elite women of color. The intersection of race and social class in elite philanthropic organizations is a poignant and critical feature of this book, and the contradictions are striking. American Journal of Sociology

Sociologist Diana Kendall's unprecedented 'insider' view substantially advances and expands our understanding of today's elite women, including African American and Latina as well as white Anglo women. While not ignoring the contributions of their philanthropic work to the public good, Kendall emphasizes the ways in which the women's everyday activities socially reproduce class and race divisions and inequalities, and shows how elite circles benefit the most from their own philanthropic activities. This revealing and engaging work counters still-echoing claims that class no longer matters in American life.--Susan Ostrander

Author Information

Diana Kendall is associate professor of sociology at Baylor University. She is the author of several widely used textbooks, including Sociology in Our Times and Social Problems in a Diverse Society.

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