From the Edge of the Ghetto

Young examines how one group of African Americans conceptualizes the world of work, including the types of jobs that may be available and the skills and talents needed to find and do such jobs. Based on interviews with one hundred low-income African Americans in a suburb near Detroit, this study focuses on how people on the margins take stock of their situations and attempt to function in them. Young addresses the questions of what they think are the "good" jobs, how they assess their own skills, and how they connect the two. The author also explores how these individuals experience social categories such as race, class, and gender and how these impact their understanding of the world of work. --From publisher description.