ABSTRACT
Who are the grassroots warriors on the front lines of the war on poverty? Through in-depth interviews, Nancy Naples presents the voices of over sixty women--African American, Puerto Rican and white European American--who have fought for social and economic justice in the low-income neighborhoods of New York City and Philadelphia. These women, as community workers and activist mothers, contribute vital and often unpaid services to ther communities, offering complex political perspectives and empowering others. Naples reconceptualizes labor, mothering and politics from the standpoint of women committed to work and politically organize on behalf of low income urban communities. Her analysis reveals significant legacies from past social movements, and examines how gender, ethnicity and class influence political consciousness and practice.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |38 pages
Introduction
chapter |38 pages
Women Warriors in the War on Poverty
part |44 pages
The U.S. War on Poverty
chapter |23 pages
Contradictions of New Careers
chapter |20 pages
Community Action in Differing Political Contexts
part |48 pages
Motivations and Inspirations for Community Work
chapter |25 pages
Pathways to Community Work
chapter |22 pages
Activist Mothering, Community Caretaking, and Civic Work
part |48 pages
The Gendered Politics of Community Work
chapter |23 pages
Dynamics of Race, Class, and Feminist Praxis
chapter |24 pages
Intergenerational Continuity of Community Work
part |23 pages
Conclusion: Lessons for a Renewed War on Poverty