The Reproduction and Maintenance of Inequalities in Interpersonal Relationships

Contemporary racism, sexism, and heterosexism all share an important feature: they rely on less overt forms of discrimination that preserve, protect, and mask the power of the dominant group. In this context, racism is colorblind, sexism is gender blind, and heterosexism is sexuality blind. This, however, creates all manner of issues for people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ folks who must navigate a culture that sees discrimination and inequality as a thing of the past. Indeed, despite the multitude of legal, social, and political advances made by these groups, inequality continues to persist, but often in a more subtle, covert, and often invisible manner. This edited book makes visible the multitude of subtle ways racism, sexism, and heterosexism persist in an era where many believe such inequalities are in the past. To do so, the authors contributing to this book focus on interpersonal relationships--as interpersonal relationships are one of the fundamental places where inequality is reproduced. The value of this edited volume comes from giving academics, students, and activists a more comprehensive understanding of what inequality looks like in the contemporary United States, and how this inequality is reproduced in our everyday relationships. This information will also be useful for social justice activists and policy makers who can rely on our research to make more informed decisions that benefit marginalized groups. This book serves as an insightful resource for academicians who are interested in better understanding the ways inequality is reproduced in the contemporary United States, and instructors teaching about how inequality has changed over time, what contemporary inequality/discrimination looks like, and social justice-oriented faculty who want to expose and identify inequalities in order to better make social change.