Cut Adrift makes an important and original contribution to the national conversation about inequality and risk in American society. Set against the backdrop of rising economic insecurity and rolled-up safety nets, Marianne Cooper's probing analysis explores what keeps Americans up at night. Through poignant case studies, she reveals what families are concerned about, how they manage their anxiety, whose job it is to worry, and how social class shapes all of these dynamics, including what is even worth worrying about in the first place. This powerful study is packed with intriguing discoveries ranging from the surprising anxieties of the rich to the critical role of women in keeping struggling families afloat. Through tales of stalwart stoicism, heart-wrenching worry, marital angst, and religious conviction, Cut Adrift deepens our understanding about how families are coping in a go-it-alone age--and how the different strategies on which affluent, middle-class, and poor families rely upon not only reflect inequality, but fuel it.
Table of contents :
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: One Nation Under Worry
1. From Shared Prosperity to the Age of Insecurity: How We Got Here
2. Forging Security in an Insecure Age: The Study
3. Downscaling for Survival: Laura Delgado
4. The Upscaling of Security at the Top: Brooke and Paul Mah
5. Holding On at the Middle: Gina and Sam Calafato
6. When Religion Fills the Gap: Laeta and Kapo Faleau
7. Debt and Hope: Eddie and Chelsea Jenner
Conclusion: The Social Cost
Epilogue: The Families Today
Notes
References
Index