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Dignity of Working Men
In a sentence
A comparative sociological study of how American (white and Black) and French working-class men construct their self-worth and social boundaries, primarily through morality, in the face of economic decline and social change.
This book delves into the worldviews of American (white and Black) and French working-class men to understand how they define their dignity and worth in societies where traditional markers of success are increasingly out of reach. Through in-depth interviews, Michèle Lamont reveals that morality—specifically concepts like the "disciplined self" (hard work, responsibility) and the "caring self" (solidarity, generosity)—forms the core of their identity. This moral framework is then used to draw symbolic boundaries against other groups: white Americans critique Black people and the poor for lacking a work ethic, while Black Americans critique whites for being domineering and lacking solidarity. The book extends this comparative analysis to France, where workers similarly use morality to define worth but direct their criticism primarily at North African immigrants while expressing solidarity with the poor. This powerful study uncovers the cultural tools and structural conditions that shape how working-class men make sense of race, class, and immigration, offering a crucial perspective on the foundations of social inclusion and exclusion.
The four lenses
- Science
- Statistics
- Systems
- Strategy
The model
This model, inferred from Lamont's comparative study, posits that workers' structural position and national cultural context shape their moral worldviews (e.g., emphasis on a 'disciplined' vs. 'caring' self). These moral frameworks, driven by a quest for dignity, mediate the relationship between their conditions and their patterns of symbolic boundary-work, resulting in different forms of racial, class, and national inclusion and exclusion in the United States and France.
National Contextcontextual condition
The set of dominant cultural repertoires, historical narratives, and political ideologies available in a nation-state that shape citizens' worldviews, such as American individualism versus French republican solidarity.
Workers' Structural Positioncontextual condition
The objective economic and social conditions faced by working-class individuals, characterized by limited market power (no college degree), economic insecurity, declining living standards, and physical proximity to social problems like crime.
Institutional Solidarity Discoursecontextual condition
The relative availability of discourse from institutions like unions, progressive churches, or socialist parties that promote collective solidarity, as opposed to institutions promoting individualism.
Racial Group Membershipcontextual condition
An individual's self-identified racial group (e.g., white American, Black American), which structures their experience and access to cultural repertoires and is a primary axis of social categorization.
Quest for Dignity and Self-Worthpsychological state
The fundamental motivation of working-class men to establish a positive sense of self-worth and gain respect independently of their relatively low socioeconomic status, often by creating alternative hierarchies of value.
Emphasis on the Disciplined Selfpsychological state
A moral worldview that places supreme value on being hardworking, responsible, self-reliant, taking care of one's family, and adhering to traditional morality (e.g., anti-crime, anti-drugs).
Emphasis on the Caring Selfpsychological state
A moral worldview that places supreme value on solidarity, generosity, altruism, fighting for social justice, and maintaining warm, close interpersonal relationships.
Emphasis on Personal Integritypsychological state
A moral worldview that places high value on being straightforward, sincere, authentic ('not phony'), and standing up for one's principles even in the face of adversity.
Perceived Group Threatpsychological state
A sense that one's own group's economic position, cultural values, or physical security is being threatened by the presence and actions of an out-group.
Racial Boundary-Workbehavioral pattern
The act of creating symbolic distinctions between one's own racial group and a racial out-group, often by defining the out-group as morally deficient according to one's own core values.
Class Boundary-Workbehavioral pattern
The act of creating symbolic distinctions between one's own class and those 'above' (upper-middle class) and 'below' (the poor), using different moral criteria for each.
Immigrant Boundary-Workbehavioral pattern
The act of creating symbolic distinctions between native-born citizens and immigrants, often focused on issues of cultural assimilation, language, and perceived parasitism.
Creation of Alternative Hierarchiespsychological state
The cognitive outcome of boundary-work, wherein individuals construct a moral hierarchy of worth that is independent of, and often inverts, the socioeconomic hierarchy, allowing them to perceive themselves as superior or equal to higher-status groups.
How they connect
- national context → influences institutional solidarity discourse
- national context → influences emphasis on disciplined self
- workers structural position → influences quest for dignity
- workers structural position → influences perceived group threat
- institutional solidarity discourse → influences emphasis on caring self
- quest for dignity → influences creation of alternative hierarchies
- emphasis on disciplined self → influences racial boundary work
- emphasis on disciplined self → influences class boundary work
- emphasis on caring self → influences racial boundary work
- emphasis on caring self − influences class boundary work
- emphasis on personal integrity → influences class boundary work
- perceived group threat → influences immigrant boundary work
- racial group membership → moderates emphasis on caring self
A candidate measure
Dignity of Working Men — derived measurement candidates
National Context
Country of residence (USA/France).; Coding of national constitutions and legal frameworks for principles of individualism vs. republicanism.; Content analysis of major newspapers for themes of solidarity, individualism, and national identity.
self-report suitability: none
Workers' Structural Position
Level of educational attainment (highest degree).; Household income adjusted for local cost of living.; Perceived job security score (survey item).; Neighborhood crime rate and poverty concentration.
self-report suitability: medium
Institutional Solidarity Discourse
National or regional union density rate.; Percentage of vote for left-wing/social-democratic parties.; Content analysis of media, political speeches, and religious texts for solidarity-related keywords.
self-report suitability: low
Racial Group Membership
Self-reported race/ethnicity in a survey.
self-report suitability: high
Quest for Dignity and Self-Worth
Agreement with survey items such as 'Being a good person is more important than being rich.'; Ranking of 'being respected by my friends and family' as a life goal.; Coding of interview transcripts for spontaneous mentions of non-economic sources of self-worth.
self-report suitability: high
Emphasis on the Disciplined Self
Score on a multi-item survey scale measuring the importance of work ethic, responsibility, and traditional values.; Frequency count of 'disciplined' traits mentioned in descriptions of admired people in interviews.; Time-use diaries showing long work hours or engagement in home maintenance.
self-report suitability: high
Emphasis on the Caring Self
Score on a multi-item survey scale measuring the importance of solidarity, generosity, and altruism.; Frequency count of 'caring' traits mentioned in descriptions of admired people.; Self-reported hours spent in volunteering or informal helping activities.
self-report suitability: high
Emphasis on Personal Integrity
Score on a multi-item survey scale measuring the importance of sincerity, straightforwardness, and authenticity.; Frequency count of 'integrity' traits mentioned in descriptions of admirable people.; Behavioral measures in experimental games involving honesty.
self-report suitability: high
Perceived Group Threat
Agreement with survey items from established scales of group threat (e.g., 'Immigrants increase the crime rate').; Frequency of threat-related statements in interview transcripts.; Support for restrictive immigration or welfare policies aimed at out-groups.
self-report suitability: high
Racial Boundary-Work
Content analysis of interview data for spontaneous negative attributions to racial groups.; Social distance scales (e.g., Bogardus scale).; Implicit Association Test (IAT) scores measuring unconscious bias.
self-report suitability: medium
Class Boundary-Work
Content analysis of interview data for negative attributions to other classes.; Survey items asking for agreement with stereotypes about the rich and poor.; Analysis of social network composition for class homophily.
self-report suitability: medium
Immigrant Boundary-Work
Content analysis of interview data for negative attributions to immigrant groups.; Survey items measuring attitudes toward immigration levels and assimilation.; Voting behavior related to anti-immigrant parties or propositions.
self-report suitability: medium
Creation of Alternative Hierarchies
Coding of interview transcripts for instances of moral inversion of the status hierarchy.; Forced-choice survey items pitting moral worth against socioeconomic success (e.g., 'Who do you admire more: an honest plumber or a ruthless CEO?').
self-report suitability: high
The story
The reader The reader is a socially conscious individual, possibly an academic, policymaker, or student, who wants to understand the real-world perspectives of the working class, a group often stereotyped or ignored. They are frustrated by simplistic explanations for complex social issues like racism, class tension, and anti-immigrant sentiment.
External problem
It is difficult to get an authentic, nuanced understanding of how working-class people see the world, especially on sensitive topics like race and class, leading to flawed policies and social division.
Internal problem
The reader feels disconnected from a huge segment of their own society and worries they are operating with an incomplete or biased picture, making them feel ineffective or myopic.
Philosophical problem
It's wrong that the voices and worldviews of the working class—the supposed 'backbone' of society—are so often unheard and misunderstood, leading to a breakdown in social solidarity and democratic discourse.
The plan
- Explore the moral universe of American workers (both white and Black) to understand their core values.
- See how these moral values are applied to create boundaries around race, class, and immigration in the US.
- Compare the American experience with that of French workers to reveal what is unique and what is universal, leading to deeper insights.
Success
- The reader will gain a profound, evidence-based understanding of the cultural roots of social division.
- They will be equipped with a more empathetic and effective framework for thinking about and addressing inequality, racism, and class conflict.
- They will be able to see beyond stereotypes and engage with the complex realities of working-class life.
At stake
- The reader will remain reliant on stereotypes and media soundbites to understand the working class.
- The gap between the college-educated elite and the working class will widen, and social problems will continue to be addressed with ineffective, top-down solutions.
- Social solidarity will continue to erode as different groups fail to understand one another's fundamental worldviews.
Questions this book answers
- How do working-class men in the US and France construct a sense of self-worth and dignity when traditional measures of success are unattainable?
- What are the primary criteria (e.g., moral, socioeconomic, cultural) that working-class men use to draw boundaries between 'us' and 'them'?
- How do moral boundaries interact with racial and class boundaries in the worldviews of American and French workers?
- How and why do the patterns of social exclusion differ between white American, Black American, and white French workers?
- What cultural resources and structural conditions explain these national and racial differences in boundary-work?
Glossary
- National Context
- The set of dominant cultural repertoires, historical narratives, and political ideologies available in a given nation-state that shape citizens' worldviews, such as American individualism versus French republican solidarity.
- Workers' Structural Position
- The objective economic and social conditions faced by working-class individuals, characterized by limited market power (no college degree), economic insecurity, declining living standards, and physical proximity to social problems like crime.
- Institutional Solidarity Discourse
- The relative availability of discourse from institutions like unions, progressive churches, or socialist parties that promote collective solidarity, as opposed to institutions promoting individualism.
- Racial Group Membership
- An individual's self-identified racial group (e.g., white American, Black American), which structures their experience and access to cultural repertoires and is a primary axis of social categorization.
- Quest for Dignity and Self-Worth
- The fundamental motivation of working-class men to establish a positive sense of self-worth and gain respect independently of their relatively low socioeconomic status, often by creating alternative hierarchies of value.
- Emphasis on the Disciplined Self
- A moral worldview that places supreme value on being hardworking, responsible, self-reliant, providing for and protecting one's family, and adhering to traditional morality (e.g., anti-crime, anti-drugs).
- Emphasis on the Caring Self
- A moral worldview that places supreme value on solidarity, generosity, altruism, fighting for social justice, and maintaining warm, close interpersonal relationships.
- Emphasis on Personal Integrity
- A moral worldview that places high value on being straightforward, sincere, authentic ('not phony'), and standing up for one's principles even in the face of adversity.