Media and Middle Class Moms

Written by nationally recognized anthropologists Conrad Kottak and Lara Descartes, this ethnography of largely white, middle class families in a town in the midwest explores the role that the media play in influencing how those families cope with everyday work/family issues. The book insightfully reports that families struggle with, and make work/family decisions based largely on the images and ideas they receive from media sources, though they strongly deny being so influenced.  An ideal book for teaching undergraduate family, media, and methods courses.

Lara Descartes is Associate Professor of Family Studies at Brescia University College. She earned her doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Her research interests include work and family, popular culture, and how identity factors (race, class, gender, geographic locale, etc.) impact family life. Conrad P. Kottak is the Julian H. Steward Collegiate Professor (and former Chair) of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. He has done ethnographic field work on work/family issues in Brazil, Madagascar, and the United States. His research interests also encompass global change, national and international culture, and mass media.

1. Media-ting Work and Family 2. Studying a Midwestern Town 3. Changing Images of Family and Work in the Media 4. HGTV and Sports Illustrated 5. Work-Family Choices 6. Everybody Had a Role and They All Were a Family 7. Isolation, Boundaries, and Connection: Six Case Studies 8. Comparison, Connection, and Common Ground