The Shame Game by Mary O'hara
What does it mean to be poor? For decades the dominant narrative in the United States and United Kingdom has been that it is caused by personal flaws, or bad life decisions. People living in poverty have been depicted as lazy, dependent, and irresponsible so regularly and for so long that it has powerfully affected how people see, think about, and treat their fellow citizens who are financially vulnerable. Drawing on a two-year storytelling project and her own experience of childhood poverty, this book by journalist and author Mary O'Hara argues for a radical overhaul of this fundamentally pernicious portrayal. We can't begin to address poverty until we actually see it clearly. To start the process of doing that, O'Hara turns not to pundits or social scientists, but to the real experts on poverty: the people who live it.
"A necessary book in divisive times" Jameela Jamil, actress and activist
"Following up on Austerity Bites, Mary O’Hara shows us why poverty sucks. Not just for the obvious reasons of struggle and deprivation, but because poverty is produced by a specific style of politics that revels in the shame of others, a politics where the US and the UK are past masters." Mark Blyth, Brown University and author of Austerity: The history of a dangerous idea
"The Shame Game is the book we need right now. Real stories, by people who have lived that story, smashing apart the divisive narratives around poverty that are so damaging to all of us." Kerry Hudson, Author, Lowborn
"In a time of extreme social and economic division, Mary O'Hara lifts the lid on who truly benefits from keeping us divided and how we can flip the script of poverty to make a fairer society for all. A powerful and important book." Mahsuda Snaith, author of How to Find Home
“Rich people should be required to read this book and poor people should be allowed to. I have rarely seen a more broad and beautiful picture of people who have done more with less than this book. O’Hara has woven a rich tapestry of joy and terror and talent and lost opportunities and the picture she draws is the most comprehensive description of poverty I’ve seen yet.” Linda Tirado, journalist and author of “Hand to mouth
"I worked with Mary, and she sees the potential of talent and magic in every kid and every adult. This book explores the absolute travesty of blaming each other." Conrad Murray, BAC Beatbox Academy
"Following up on Austerity Bites, Mary O’Hara shows us why poverty sucks. Not just for the obvious reasons of struggle and deprivation, but because poverty is produced by a specific style of politics that revels in the shame of others, a politics where the US and the UK are past masters." Mark Blyth, Brown University and author of Austerity: The history of a dangerous idea
"The Shame Game is the book we need right now. Real stories, by people who have lived that story, smashing apart the divisive narratives around poverty that are so damaging to all of us." Kerry Hudson, Author, Lowborn
"In a time of extreme social and economic division, Mary O'Hara lifts the lid on who truly benefits from keeping us divided and how we can flip the script of poverty to make a fairer society for all. A powerful and important book." Mahsuda Snaith, author of How to Find Home
“Rich people should be required to read this book and poor people should be allowed to. I have rarely seen a more broad and beautiful picture of people who have done more with less than this book. O’Hara has woven a rich tapestry of joy and terror and talent and lost opportunities and the picture she draws is the most comprehensive description of poverty I’ve seen yet.” Linda Tirado, journalist and author of “Hand to mouth
"I worked with Mary, and she sees the potential of talent and magic in every kid and every adult. This book explores the absolute travesty of blaming each other." Conrad Murray, BAC Beatbox Academy
Mary O’Hara is an award-winning journalist, author and producer. Her journalism appears in publications including The Guardian and Mosaic Science. She is the author of two books: The Shame Game: Overturning the Toxic Poverty Narrative (2020) & Austerity Bites: A Journey to the Sharp End of Cuts in the UK (2014) and is founder of the multi-platform anti-poverty initiative, Project Twist-It. Mary has directed/produced short films, run a comedy club, been a Fulbright Scholar at UC Berkeley and a producer and consultant on Getting Curious podcast with Jonathan Van Ness. In 2020 she was named Best Foreign Columnist at the Southern California Journalism Awards.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781447349266 |
| ISBN 10 | 1447349261 |
| Title | The Shame Game |
| Author | Mary O Hara |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Bristol University Press |
| Year published | 2020-02-27 |
| Number of pages | 232 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |