On Shifting Ground examines how it is to become a man in a place and time defined by economic contraction and carceral expansion. Jamie J. Fader draws on in-depth interviews with a racially diverse sample of Philadelphia's millennial men to analyze the key tensions that organize their lives: isolation versus connectedness, stability versus "drama," hope versus fear, and stigma and shame versus positive, masculine affirmation. In the unfamiliar cultural landscape of contemporary adult masculinity, these men strive to define themselves in terms of what they can accomplish despite negative labels, as well as seeking to avoid "becoming a statistic" in the face of endemic risk.
Jamie J. Fader is a sociologist and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Temple University. She is the author of Falling Back: Incarceration and Transitions to Adulthood among Urban Youth.
“An insightful work that sheds new light on the strategies that marginalized men use to make ends meet, navigate public space, and form their identities. Of interest to both academics and the general public—including practitioners, activists, and community members—On Shifting Ground is a deeply researched and commendable contribution to the field.”—Jennifer Cobbina-Dungy, author of Hands Up, Don't Shoot: Why the Protests in Ferguson and Baltimore Matter, and How They Changed America
"On Shifting Ground chronicles the daily challenges of economically and socially vulnerable urban men as they negotiate expectations of masculinity in a classist and racist society. Jamie Fader’s work achieves a perfect balance between meticulous empirical data and erudite critical theory. Passionate and convincing, this text will leave the reader demanding social change—and equipped with the strategies to achieve it."—Edward W. Morris, author of Learning the Hard Way: Masculinity, Place, and the Gender Gap in Education
222 pp.6 x 9Illus: 2 tables
9780520380776$29.95|£25.00Paper
Dec 2023