内容简介
Thefamilyisourhaven,theplacewhereweallstartoffonequalfooting—orsoweliketothink.Butifthat’sthecase,whydosomanysiblingsoftendivergewidelyinsocialstatus,wealth,andeducation?Inthisgroundbreakingandmeticulouslyresearchedbook,acclaimedsociologistDaltonConleyshattersournotionsofhowourchildhoodsaffectus,andwhywebecomewhoweare.Economicandsocialinequalityamongadultsiblingsisnottheexception,Conleyasserts,butthenorm:overhalfofallinequalityiswithinfamilies,notbetweenthem.Anditiseachfamily’sown“peckingorder”thathelpstofostersuchdisparities.Movingbeyondtraditionallyacceptedtheoriessuchasbirthorderorgeneticstoexplainfamilydynamics,Conleyinsteaddrawsuponthreemajorstudiestoexploretheimpactoflargersocialforcesthatshapeeachfamilyandtheindividualswithinit.FromBillandRogerClintontothestoriesofhundredsofaverageAmericans,hereweareintroducedtoanAmericawhereclassidentityiseverchangingandwheresiblingscannotnecessarilyfollowthesamepaths.Thisisabookthatwillforeveralterourideaoffamily.
作者简介
DaltonConleyisdirectoroftheCenterforAdvancedSocialScienceResearchandprofessorofsociologyandpublicpolicyatNewYorkUniversity.HeisalsoadjunctprofessorofcommunitymedicineatMountSinaiSchoolofMedicineandaresearchassociateattheNationalBureauofEconomicResearch.HisessayshaveappearedintheNewYorkTimes,theLosAngelesTimes,andSalon,amongotherpublications.HispreviousbooksincludeHonkyandBeingBlack,LivingintheRed:Race,Wealth,andSocialPolicyinAmerica.ConleylivesinNewYorkCity.