ABSTRACT
THE CALL FOR INCLUSION across disciplines has arrived at a time when the United States is reassessing the gains in the area of race relations, particularly in the face of continued segregation in our schools, communities, churches, and homes. Distinct boundaries dividing men and women of different racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds are exemplified in the data on salary and educational levels, housing markets, rates of unemployment and underemployment, and health care. Differences point to the existing gaps between the social, economic, and political worlds people live in and seriously challenge the assumptions that researchers and politicians have made about society based on groups depicted as “mainstream.” While the realities of the persons depicted as mainstream are affirmed and enhanced by a wide range of institutional mechanisms, they are not good informants about the social structure. As members of the status quo, their knowledge is embedded in ideological systems that justify their superior social positions, and, consequently, their experiences are quite limited. Understanding the everyday realities of race, class, and gender requires uncovering the knowledge gained from individuals negotiating between social boundaries and those who are considered “outsiders.” Persons of color who move from one social setting dominated by the white middle class to one dominated by an ethnic working class are aware of the different standards of behavior governing each domain.
