Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Framing Class: Media Representations of Wealth and Poverty in America

Framing Class explores how the media, including television, film, and news, depict wealth and poverty in the United States. Fully updated and revised throughout, the second edition of this groundbreaking book now includes discussions of new media, updated media sources, and provocative new examples from movies and television, such as The Real Housewives series and media portrayals of the new poor and corporate executives in the recent recession. The book introduces the concepts of class and media framing to students and analyzes how the media portray various social classes, from the elite to the very poor. Its accessible writing and powerful examples make it an ideal text or supplement for courses in sociology, American studies, and communications. Review A provocative and innovative book! Politicians pontificate on 'class warfare, ' yet know little about class realities that savvy social scientist Diana Kendall probes in depth. With a critical eye, Kendall assesses the validity of media framing of upper, middle, and working class Americans' lives, past and present. Remarkably little studied in contemporary social science and investigative journalism, U.S. class images and experiences finally get the in-depth and comparative attention they deserve.--Joe R. Feagin, Texas A&M University The second edition of Framing Class is a real find! Ideal for classroom use: comprehensive, accessible, and engaging.--Abby L. Ferber, director, The Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion, University of Colorado Framing Class explains how media shape our (mis)conceptions of the class structure. An insightful, gracefully written, and entertaining book.--Dennis Gilbert, Hamilton College; author of The American Class Structure About the Author Diana Kendall is professor of sociology at Baylor University where she was named an Outstanding Professor. She is the author of numerous books, including The Power of Good Deeds and Members Only, as well as two bestselling textbooks, Sociology in Our Times and Social Problems in a Diverse Society.