Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on remarkably frank, in-depth interviews with 160 successful men in the United States and France, Michhle Lamont provides a rare and revealing collective portrait of the upper-middle class--the managers, professionals, entrepreneurs, and experts at the center of power in society. Her book is a subtle, textured description of how these men define the values and attitudes they consider essential in separating themselves--and their class--from everyone else. Money, Morals, and Manners is an ambitious and sophisticated attempt to illuminate the nature of social class in modern society. For all those who downplay the importance of unequal social groups, it will be a revelation.
Table of ContentsTables and Maps Acknowledgments Note to the Reader Prologue: Sketching the Landscape: Some Illustrative Vignettes Ch. 1: The Questions and the Stage Ch. 2: The Importance of Being Honest: Keys to Moral Boundaries Ch. 3: The World of Success, Money, and Power: Keys to Socioeconomic Boundaries Ch. 4: Most of My Friends Are Refined: Keys to Cultural Boundaries Ch. 5: Explaining National Differences Ch. 6: The Nature of Internal Class Boundaries Ch. 7: Implications, Contributions, and Unanswered Questions Appendix I: Surveying the French and American Upper-Middle Classes Appendix II: The Research Sites Appendix III: Research Procedures Appendix IV: Ranking of Respondents on the Cultural, Moral, and Socioeconomic Dimensions Notes Bibliography Index
