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Purchasing Power: Black Kids and American Consumer Culture by Elizabeth Chin, Professor of Anthropology

What does it mean to be young, poor, and black in our consumer culture? In order to move beyond the stereotypical images of black children obsessed with status symbols, Elizabeth Chin spent two years interviewing poor children living in New Haven, Connecticut, about where and how they spend their money. An alternative image of the children emerges, one that puts practicality ahead of status in their purchasing decisions. This book, full of personal anecdotes and compelling stories, acknowledges the profound constraints under which the poor and working class must struggle to survive in a wealthy society.

Paperback, University of Minnesota Press 2001

ISBN 0816635110Binding Tradepaper

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