Customer Reviews

Women of the Upper Class (Women In The Political Economy)

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Great job of exploring the lives and problems of upper class women. My only complaint is that the book should be updated (though it doesn't seem dated at all) because it has a copyright of 1984. I have to wonder what, if anything, has changed since then. I love books written by academics that are written in plain English.

There are great tidbits about class scattered, or perhaps just tossed out, though out the book: like the fastest way to move up in class. You'll have to read the book because I won't give it away.

Women of "class" refers to upper class women; it is only they who have it. They view themselves and their children as special and better than others. They are snobs and they know it. They don't want the masses to know it so they pacify them by their so called charity work. There charity work is done to raise money for museums, art institutes, hospitals, clinics, etc. They are careful not to perform any real social change, not wanting to "rock the boat" (Ostrander). They have a bit of unnecessary guilt because they're wealthy, but the shame serves no purpose, because there is no shame in being prosperous.

Ms. Ostrander showed supreme objectivity in her writing. The tone of her book is honest and a little sad. This is one of those rare books that is worth reading again and again.