"Portrait of America describes our nation's changing population and examines through a demographic lens some of our most pressing contemporary challenges, ranging from poverty and economic inequality to racial tensions and health disparities. Celebrated author John Iceland covers various topics, including America's historical demographic growth; the American family today; gender inequality; economic well-being; immigration and diversity; racial and ethnic inequality; internal migration and residential segregation; and health and mortality. The discussion of these topics is informed by several sources, including an examination of household survey data, and by syntheses of existing published material, both quantitative and qualitative. Iceland discusses the current issues and controversies around these themes, highlighting their role in everyday debates taking place in Congress, the media, and in American living rooms. Each chapter includes historical background, as well as a discussion of how patterns and trends in the United States compare to those in peer countries"-- Provided by publisher.

"A Portrait of America describes our nation's changing population and examines some of its most pressing contemporary challenges, ranging from poverty and economic inequality to racial tensions and health disparities, through a demographic lens. Specifically, chapters cover the following topics: America's historical demographic growth; the American family today; gender inequality; economic well being; immigration and diversity; racial and ethnic inequality; internal migration and residential segregation; and finally health and mortality. The discussion of these topics is informed by several sources, including an examination of household survey data (such as from the U.S. Current Population Survey), as well as syntheses of existing published material, both quantitative and ethnographic. The book discusses current issues and controversies around each theme to highlight their role in everyday debates taking place in Congress, media, and in American living rooms. All the chapters include some historical background, as well as a discussion of how patterns and trends in the United States compare to those in other peer countries"-- Provided by publisher.