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LIMBO: BLUE-COLLAR ROOTS, WHITE-COLLAR DREAMS

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Limbo Critical Book Review

Presented to

Jennifer Enderlin

Arkansas Tech University

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OL 4963

Organizational Leadership Capstone

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by

Tiffany Reinhold

T01309407

Date Submitted
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Lubrano, A. (2004). Limbo: Blue-collar roots, white-collar dreams. Wiley.

Introduction

Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams was written by Alfred Lubrano. As the title

suggests, Lubrano grew up in a blue-collar family though he did not feel as if he belong with

those who used their strength to do their job. He was more interested in books and finding

answers. To raise out of the blue-collar class, Lubrano first had to go to college. Lubrano

continued his education at Columbia University where he became a reporter.

Lubrano has been reporting since 1980 when he first got a job for a daily paper located in

Columbus, Ohio. Since 1992, Lubrano has been a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and a

commentator for National Public Radio. Lubrano is known for writing about poverty, class,

culture, family, and the way we live. In his book, Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams, his

main subject is class and how those who move through the social ladder handle the experiences

that go along with the move.

Summary

Alfred Lubrano grew up in Brooklyn, New York where his family was blue-collar.

Despite being born blue-collar, Lubrano realized that he did not quite fit in with the tough

workers that made up the blue-collar class though due to his upbringing he did not quite fit in

with those of the white-collar class either. Due to his inability to feel as if he belonged in either

class, Lubrano was deemed a Straddler.

A Straddler is an individual who was born blue-collar but has made the rocky transition

to middle class (11). They are seen as being part of two worlds due to their past as a blue-collar

and their new middle-class status. These individuals do not usually feel as if they fit in any of the
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classes. Lubrano interviewed many Straddlers to get their stories and compared their stories to

his own.

Throughout the book, Lubrano tells us his own story of how he transitioned from blue-

collar to white-collar and even includes the stories of those he interviewed. His story begins

when he was in college, and he explains the differences in classes. He goes on to explain how

difficult it is to fit in as a Straddler and how the differences clash. It seems as if the main classes

are from two different worlds with how they behave, talk, and think. Those who are blue-collar

are known to be hard-working and helpful to those around them while those in middle class are

more interested in individual achievement and personal ambition (28).

After college, Lubrano was able to get his first job at a daily paper in Columbus, Ohio.

Whenever he could, Lubrano would go back home to visit with his family. His Columbus friends

who were middle class were shocked with how much Lubrano would go home to visit when they

themselves would barely go home and their families lived within twenty miles. During these

visits, Lubrano would only see the good things he had left behind. It was not until he had moved

back home that he was truly shocked by the differences that he could now see.

The classes use their communication skills in different ways as well. When Lubrano told

his father how much he was being paid and how he was being treated, his father’s response was

for Lubrano to be physical with his boss and say rude things. Lubrano had to tell his father that

he could not treat his boss that way because he had to worry about “office politics and corporate

bile-swallowing” (142). Many Straddlers comment about a communication gap between

themselves and those individuals from middle class. They were having difficulty relating and

understanding them.
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Critical Evaluation

The purpose of this book was to give people a way to understand what happens when a

person goes from a blue-collar setting to a white-collar setting. Lubrano wished to give the

people who had moved through the social ladder a chance to share their experiences and to give

those who plan to move through the social ladder a reference to look to. This book allows other

Straddlers to view others’ stories and experiences and know that what they feel, and experience

is normal. I believe that Lubrano did accomplish his goal with this book mainly because I,

myself, was able to relate to the stories given. This book showed me that some of the experiences

that I have met are normal and that others have felt the same as I have.

I do not believe that the author approached the subject with any biases. It appears he only

used an analytical view throughout the book despite having his own experiences recorded. With

the information that he gives, he also seems to give us an idea of what he felt during these

moments in his life. I do not believe that the author’s experiential, philosophical, cultural, or

social perspectives influenced his conclusions.

One strength that this book had was that it included multiple views from different

individuals that were so-called Straddlers. This allowed the author to show how their experiences

compared to his own personal experiences. He also allowed it to where you could view how their

experiences may have differed. The Straddlers that were included in the book did come from

various backgrounds though they were blue-collared. This allowed them to show how their

experiences were coming from their backgrounds. A person who is from a blue-collar family and

is wanting to climb the social ladder would benefit the most from reading this book. They would

be able to relate to the experiences and see how changing social classes may impact their lives.
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A weakness that I perceived is that we only get to see what it is like for those who are from a

blue-collar setting move up to middle class. While this is certainly helpful to those who are from

a blue-collar setting, it does not really help those who are from middle class and are raising up to

a higher-class setting. We can view how an individual from a blue-collar background interacts

with those of another class, but we do not get to see how those from a higher class interact with

those in a lower class. Those from a higher class would not benefit much from reading this book.

The most they would get is an understanding of how it is for those from a blue-collar

background.

The author effectively draws claims from the material being presented. He uses clear and

concise communication throughout the entire book. Connections between claims and evidence

are made clearly and logically. Those from a blue-collar background are known for not dealing

with office politics, but as someone who is now a Straddler and works in an organization type

occupation, they must work within these office politics. Straddlers then must figure out a way to

keep hold of their roots while navigating the office. Many have a very difficult time with this and

must work on it constantly while other times their roots get the better of them.

I do not believe that the author had to resort to suppressing contrary evidence to make the

thesis credible. His main thesis was showing how those from blue-collar backgrounds handled

moving to a middle-class setting. I believe that the author’s case is proved as he was able to get

multiple interviews to back his own experiences and used those to come to his conclusion.

Conclusion

My overall evaluation of this book is that it is educational and is beneficial to those who

read it. I would recommend this book to any individual that is working on climbing their way up

the social ladder from a blue-collar background. Due to the experiences that are described
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throughout the book, an individual will be able to relate to them and even begin to understand

why some things seem to be difficult to understand. This book gives an individual a reference to

look to when they are having difficulty in their new middle-class setting.

One thing that I did learn about social class issues is how difficult it is to put aside our

background and learn new ways to handle situations. I also learned that despite the lives we live,

we hardly ever mingle with those of another class unless they are family. Those who are

Straddlers tend to mingle with the most classes and that is only because where they came from is

different than where they are now. Knowing that I will need to work on how not to be so honest

to those of another class will help me to carry future conversations since I tend to be quite honest

and direct when I communicate. `