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Summary Of Slims Table Duneier

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Sociologist Mitchell Duneiers’ book “Slims Table” unveils his 4 year ethnographic study of the black male in the inner city. The book mentally and physically takes place at “Slims Table” , located inside of the Valois Restaurant in downtown Chicago. At this establishment a group of working class men from different backgrounds come together and converse about several topics. This study disputes the social depiction of the African American male in the ghettos and challenges urban ethnography’s view on them. Duneiers’ research focuses and develops around the men of Valois, who are thought to be the “old heads”, where he argues that these black men are “vital, morally-grounded, responsible members of society.” This book tries to differentiate between …show more content…

This book changed how I think about the ghetto in general and sparks my interest in the change that has taken place over time. Duneier does a great job of changing the way we view the ghetto’s middle class throughout the insight that is apparent through his research. The ghetto and its civilians have completely changed over the years, resulting in a split between the old and the new. The book's sociological insights effect the way you think about this area and black urban males in general. Such insights such as wrongful stereotypes exist due to our society's perceptions of this social class. I believe this book should be read by anyone who is interested in research about the particular subjects of race, respectability and masculinity in urban America. This book changed my views and opened my eyes to the lives and culture of the black urban male and the changes that have taken place over time. Therefore, anyone who is opinionated toward this area should read this book; such as students, sociologists and journalists. This book is beneficial to its readers because it generates deep thought about how we view black males, their culture and stereotypes towards these ghetto areas. I didn't think this book was that important until I got halfway through it and then began to see its value. Our society still lives in a day and age where stereotypes heavily exist. This book can change your thought and provide information on understanding the changes and existence of urban black males in the

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