The Making of the Slave Class

Sound Bite

You can only be a king if you have many peasants. You can only have the super-rich if you have many who are poor. And this is the basis for class.A nationally recognized instructor in class, race, American culture, economic development and poverty issues, Jerry Carrier offers the personal story of a working class man's early life in poverty combined with a very cogent dissection of the signals and mechanisms that create and maintain the class system in the United States which determines who will prosper and who will fail.

About the Book

Class is America's forbidden thought. Class and culture rigidly control who we are, who we associate with, and how much money we can earn. American class culture determines who will prosper and who will fail. This culture and the debilitating consequences that make the American slave class are the subject of The Making of the Slave Class.

Written for a general audience, this book is the first historical and cultural analysis of the American class system and the poverty created by it. It could be easily categorized as a work of sociology, history, anthropology or economics. The book analyzes class through all these disciplines.

Not that long ago, the head of the Mormon Church summarized what many Americans believe or at least subconsciously accept when he said, "There is a reason why one man is born white rich and with many blessings and another is born black with very few; God has determined each man's proper reward." And while he was widely and deservedly criticized for his remarks, it wasn't because a majority does not believe his views, but rather that they deemed him politically incorrect for bringing race into the question and for saying aloud what many think quietly and keep to themselves.

The American class system is a topic that has not received a great deal of attention from American writers. There are no comprehensive books on the subject that analyze class and poverty from cultural, economic and historic perspectives. This book does the job. Among the few books on the subject are such works as Bobos in Paradise by David Brooks and Class by Paul Fussell, both of which make fun of, belittle and attempt to make literary class war upon the working class in their books. This book fires back.

Introduction

Perhaps you may be offended by the premise of this book: that there is an American slave class, and that it is caused by our culture, particularly by our Christian culture, and by government policies that insure its continued existence. As the author, all I ask is that you read this book before making any judgment.In addition there are some who may be outraged by the use of the word slave and the phrase slave class, believing that these somehow belittle the brutality of pre-Civil War slavery.

This book makes no such comparison. Slavery has many forms, some more brutal than others. And while some of the most brutal acts of American slavery occurred before the Civil War, these acts do not excuse or lessen the brutality committed on the current slave class, which includes but is not limited to many of the heirs of those pre-Civil War slaves.

Information

The Making of the Slave Class by Jerry Carrier presents a detailed analysis of the American class system, focusing on the creation and persistence of a working-class underclass that the author refers to as the "slave class." The book argues that this underclass is not simply the result of individual failings or economic fluctuations, but is deeply embedded in American culture, government policies, and particularly the influence of Christian cultural values.

Carrier examines the historical roots of the American class structure, tracing it back to European traditions and the influence of Puritanism, which emphasized the importance of knowing one's "place" in society and serving one's superiors. The book explores how these cultural and religious values have shaped attitudes toward work, education, and social mobility, often reinforcing barriers that limit the advancement of working-class and poor Americans. The author also discusses the impact of predestination beliefs and the Puritan work ethic on the acceptance of poverty and inequality.

The book provides a comprehensive glossary of terms related to social class, economics, and community development, helping readers understand key concepts such as redlining, the Community Reinvestment Act, predatory lending, and gentrification. Carrier delves into the economic mechanisms that sustain poverty, including the role of banks and financial institutions in restricting access to credit for low-income communities. He describes how practices like redlining and "self-cleaning ovens" have systematically excluded the poor from financial services, contributing to the deterioration of neighborhoods and displacement of residents through gentrification.

Carrier also shares personal experiences growing up working-class, illustrating how education and upward mobility can be fraught with cultural alienation and familial tension. He discusses the challenges faced by working-class individuals who pursue higher education and the phenomenon of anomie— social disconnection, which we may experience when we move between classes.

The book addresses the political and social dynamics surrounding class, including the rise of Christian conservative influence in American politics and its effect on working-class communities. It critiques middle-class biases in defining social norms and examines movements such as New Urbanism, which, despite intentions to create mixed-income communities, often fail to accommodate or welcome low-income residents.

Overall, The Making of the Slave Class offers an interdisciplinary exploration of how class operates in the United States, combining sociology, history, economics, and personal narrative to reveal the structural and cultural forces that maintain economic inequality and limit social mobility. The book challenges readers to reconsider widely held assumptions about poverty, success, and the American dream.