The American Middle Class: An Economic Encyclopedia of Progress and Poverty

ABC-CLIO has just released a new reference tool for those with interests in family and economics. Edited by Robert S. Rycroft, an professor of economics at the University of Mary Washington, The American Middle Class: An Economic Encyclopedia of Progress and Poverty  is a two-volume set that

explores a disparate multitude of issues associated with being middle class in America. It addresses a range of questions and subtopics, including the meaning of the term “middle class”; how middle class status is expressed by both the majority and the various minorities that make up the American mosaic; what economic pressures are bearing down on the middle class; and how economists and others attempt to make sense of the economic issues of the day. Readers will also better understand how political institutions and public policies are shaping the way the middle class views the world; how labor, housing, education, and crime-related issues have influenced the development and growth of the middle class; the norms of the middle class versus those of other classes in society; and the role of culture and media in shaping how members of the middle class view themselves—and how they are viewed by others.

I was invited to contribute the selection on hate groups among the American middle class, a topic of particular concern to me as the KKK has scheduled a cross burning event in my hometown this weekend.

Above, the cover of The American Middle Class: An Economic Encyclopedia of Progress and Poverty, edited by Robert S. Rycroft.