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1. Class and the Military
2. Book of the Month: AWOL
3. November Actions Against Classism
4. Featured Resources on Class and the Military
5. Share your experience: Class Action Survey
6. Class Action House Parties
7. Call for Submissions
8. Class Action 'Zine
9. Upcoming Programs
10. Other Events
1. Class and The Military
Class Action’s theme this month is about class and the military. October was one of the bloodiest in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. is deeply divided over the war and the appropriate role the U.S. and our military should play in the world.
In the World War II generation and throughout U.S. history, military service was not class segregated. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s sons all served in the military when FDR was commander-in-chief. Today, in the post-Viet Nam generation, it is hard to find a member of Congress with a family member in uniform.
For over a generation, the U.S. has had a volunteer military –and even recruiters acknowledge that enlisting young people in elite colleges and institutions is virtually futile. The military is for “other people,” in code: poor and working class people. What does it mean that the voluntary military is largely made up ofworking class recruits? Is there a danger when the political elite is wealthy and disconnected from the experience of military service?
2. Book of the Month: AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes From the Military –and How It Hurts Our Country (New York: HarperCollins, 2006).
The authors, Kathy Roth-Douquet and Frank Schaeffer, both consider themselves “straddlers” between the lives of those in U.S. society with deep connections to the military and the elites who exist a million mental miles from military base life. Roth-Douquet’s husband is a Marine pilot serving in Iraq and Schaeffer’s son served as a Marine. As witnesses to the class gap between those who serve and everyone else, they’ve written a useful cross-cultural guide. Read more...
More information and other recent book recommendations can be found in our book corner.
3. November Actions Against Classism
People join the military for many reasons, be they personal, patriotic, or economic reasons, everyone has an answer to the question of why they serve. This Veterans Day Class Action recommends a personal action. Read more...
4. FEATURED RESOURCES: Articles and links to information on Class and the Military
Why I Serve
A personal essay fron Second Lt. John Renehan, a field artillery officer with the Third Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga. Before joining the Army Renehan practiced law. Read More...
The National Priorities Project Report on Military Recruiting.
A new analysis of military recruiting shows that the wealthier neighborhoods became even more under-represented in the Army in 2005 while low- and middle-income neighborhoods became more over-represented compared to 2004. Read more...
5. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE: Class Action's Survey asks for your experiences with Class and the Military
For those who have served (or are currently serving) in the military: Have you encountered classist attitudes about your choice to serve?
For everyone:
Do you see a class divide in terms of who serves in the military? What does this mean for the military and the country ?
Let us know at our survey page.
Read the varied responses to last month's survey.
6. Class Action House Parties
Class action has upcoming house parties in Cambridge, Arlington and Northampton, MA please contact us for details. If you can't attend please consider making a donation to our fall fundraising drive.
Interested in getting your friends and family talking about class while helping Class Action? Host a Class Action House Party!
Raise awareness while raising money to support this work.
Email Dana or call 413.585.9709 ext. 207 to find out more.
7. Call For Submissions
Class Action is guest editing an issue of Equity & Excellence in Education. We are currently soliciting manuscripts for a special theme issue on Class and Education. The deadline for submissions in November 15.
More info...
Call for Papers: Class Matters:
Working-Class Culture and Counter-Culture
The Annual Conference of the Working-Class Studies Association meets in St. Paul MN June 14-17, 2007
This conference will explore working-class culture in all its forms – activism, pop culture, the arts, storytelling, and more. Submit 1-page abstracts with a brief biographical statement by January 15, 2007
More info...
8. Class Action 'Zine
Over the summer Class Action intern Lani Blechman created “Class Warrior” the Class Action ‘zine. The ‘zine is 50 pages of articles, cartoons, artwork, facts and personal reflections aimed at reaching a new audience. Class Action is committed to getting ‘class’ talked about, so Lani thought if we published a ‘zine we could reach a different group of people and maybe help connect some folks who envision a better world.
The first edition of Class Warrior is meant to be a sort of dictionary—a way of expanding the vocabularies about class. We hope to continue to create new ways of getting the word out. If you'd like to order multiple copies of the 'zine (suggested donation $1 each) please contact us.
For more information or to download a PDF of the zine go here.
9. Upcoming Programs
THIS SATURDAY!
Exploring Class
November 4, 2006
Greenfield, MA
More info...
Kissing Across the Class Divide: A Workshop for Couples Talking About Class, Money, and Lifestyle Issues
November 19, 2006
Cambridge/Somerville, MA
More info...
Talking Class on Campus
November 9, 2006
Bryn Mawr,PA
More info...
"Diversity Matters Workshop: What's Class Got To Do With It?"
November 10, 2006
Phildelphia,PA
More info...
Economies of Gender
November 15, 2006
Evanston, IL
More info...
Economic Apartheid in America
November 15, 2006
Evanston, IL
More info...
Class Action Groups
Excess Baggage / Lovely Luggage
November 14, 2006
Amherst, MA
Please email us for more info...
Straddlers Group
November 29, 2006
Hadley, MA
Please email us for more info...
For information on joining a group please email us.
10. Other Events
Jennifer Ladd, co-founder of Class Action will be in a staged reading of "Women at War,"a new play based on interviews with women in the armed forces.
"Women at War" will be performed at 8:00 on November 10 and 11 at the Northampton Center for the Arts In Northampton, MA
Read Class Action's past eNews:
October 2006: Class and Televsion
September 2006: Class and Higher Education
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