New Jersey Dreaming: Capital, Culture, and the Class of '58

New Jersey Dreaming follows anthropologist Sherry Ortner as she conducts research on her high school graduating class from Weequahic High School in Newark. The study centers on the Class of 1958, tracking the life trajectories of Jewish students who came from working-class and middle-class backgrounds in post-war America. Through interviews and historical research, Ortner documents the educational experiences, career paths, and socioeconomic mobility of her former classmates over several decades. She examines how factors like gender, ethnicity, family expectations, and the cultural environment of 1950s Newark influenced their choices and opportunities. The book combines personal narrative with scholarly analysis, using Ortner's position as both researcher and class member to explore questions of success, social class, and the American Dream. The work contributes to broader discussions about upward mobility, cultural capital, and the role of education in shaping life outcomes.

Readers found the book offers unique insights into social mobility and class through following the lives of high school classmates over 40 years. The anthropological approach resonated with many who appreciated seeing how ethnicity, gender, and family background shaped different paths. Readers highlighted: - Detailed research and interviews that brought individual stories to life - Clear connections between personal experiences and broader social trends - Effective balance of academic analysis and readable narrative Common criticisms: - Too much focus on the author's own experiences and perspective - Dense academic language in some sections - Some methodological issues with sample selection Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (12 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (6 reviews) One reader noted: "She manages to combine personal narrative with sociological analysis in a way that illuminates both." Another commented: "The theoretical framework sometimes gets in the way of the fascinating individual stories."

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🎓 Author Sherry Ortner conducted over 100 interviews with her former classmates from Weequahic High School in Newark, NJ, tracking down members of the Class of 1958 across the country. 📚 The book explores the dramatic transformation of Newark from a thriving, middle-class Jewish community in the 1950s to an area marked by urban decline and racial tensions following the 1967 riots. ⭐ Ortner is a distinguished anthropologist who turned her ethnographic lens on her own social class and community, making this both a personal memoir and scholarly work. 💫 The study reveals how Jewish families in 1950s Newark emphasized education and upward mobility so strongly that 90% of Weequahic High School graduates went on to college - an extraordinary rate for that era. 🏆 The book received the 2005 New Jersey Author Award from the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance and has become a significant contribution to studies of post-war American social mobility.