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18+ Works 1,182 Members 7 Reviews 2 Favorited

About the Author

Frances Fox Piven, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, is an expert in the development of the welfare state, political movements, urban politics, voting, and electoral politics. She has taught at numerous universities in show more the United States and Europe and is the author of many books, including the bestselling Poor People's Movements (with Richard Cloward). The recipient of numerous academic and public awards for her work, she lives in New York City. show less
Image credit: Boston Globe

Works by Frances Fox Piven

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Legal name
Piven, Frances Fox
Birthdate
1932-10-10
Gender
female
Nationality
USA (1953)
Canada (birth)
Birthplace
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Places of residence
Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, USA
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Education
University of Chicago (BA|City Planning|1953)
University of Chicago (MA|City Planning|1956)
University of Chicago (PhD|City Planning|1962)
Occupations
political scientist
professor
Relationships
Keller, Evelyn Fox (sibling)
Cloward, Richard A. (second husband)
Organizations
Democratic Socialists of America
City University of New York
American Sociological Association
Awards and honors
American Sociological Association Career Award for the Practice of Sociology (2000)
Charles McCoy Career Achievement Award of the Caucus for a New Political Science of the American Political Science Association (2004)
Mary Lepper Award of the Women's Caucus of the American Political Science Association (1998)
American Sociology Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Political Sociology
Tides Foundation Award for Excellence in Public Advocacy (1995)
Annual Award of the National Association of Secretaries of State (1994) (show all 10)
President's Award of the American Public Health Association (1993)
Lee/Founders Award of the Society for the Study of Social Problems
Eugene V. Debs Foundation Prize
C. Wright Mills Award
Short biography
Frances Fox Piven was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. The family moved to the USA when she was a baby and she became naturalized citizen. She was raised in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York, and earned a BA degree in City Planning in 1953, an MA in 1956, and a PhD in 1962, all from the University of Chicago. She became a political scientist and sociologist and taught at Boston University and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, where she has been since 1982. She is internationally renowned for her contributions to social theory and for her social activism on behalf of the poor and working people. During her career, she has served on the boards of the ACLU and the Democratic Socialists of America, and has also held offices in several professional associations, including the American Political Science Association and the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Dr. Piven is the author or co-author of more than 200 articles published in academic journals, books, popular publications and journals since 1965, some of which have been republished numerous times. Her scholarship has been translated into many languages, and is noted for its boldness, analytical power, and clarity. Her books include Poor People's Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail (1977). She was married to her long-time collaborator Richard Cloward, a professor at Columbia University, until his death in 2001.

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Reviews

This got a great review in Z Magazine.
 
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lschiff | Sep 24, 2023 |
I dropped it for now in large part because I am just a bit exhausted on political reading. I picked it up out of curiosity, since I know Glenn Beck had been harping on and on about the writings of this professor. The professor does work and advocates theories to empower poor people to stand up for their rights. It's that simple. She also argues, quite effectively, than when poor masses lack the power, legitimacy, mechanisms, so on to participate fully in the democratic process (usually because the elites have done their best to repress them), the only option left is to be disruptive. That is, in fairly simple terms, the essence of the book. The book is a collection of Fox Piven's writings from the 1960s to close to today. I dropped it because, as I mentioned, I am a bit exhausted with political writing. But some of the writing is pretty dense. This is a book where you can basically read an essay or two, maybe pick one of the older ones, then read one of the latter ones, and you basically get the gist of it. So, while I think reading some of her writings is worth it, a whole book may be a bit too much.… (more)
 
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bloodravenlib | Aug 17, 2020 |
I read this book as an undergrad and my lasting impression is that it went on forever. As a resource on poverty and the welfare system, this book can't be beat. It's worth the time but is so chock full of information that it warrants more than one glance.
 
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WabiWasabi | 2 other reviews | Feb 27, 2008 |

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Works
18
Also by
7
Members
1,182
Popularity
#21,746
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
7
ISBNs
44
Languages
2
Favorited
2

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