{"product_id":"walking-mannequins-how-race-and-gender-inequalities-shape-retail","title":"Walking Mannequins: How Race and Gender Inequalities Shape Retail","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Walking Mannequins, sociologists Joya Misra and Kyla Walters present a focused study for readers interested in labor, gender, and race in contemporary retail. The book's biggest strength is its close attention to workers' voices and everyday practices, showing how employers and new surveillance technologies reproduce gendered and racialized beauty standards. This review explains why the book matters for scholars, activists, and retail managers who want a grounded, evidence-based account of how appearance rules and data-driven decisions shape the lives of clothing workers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFirsthand worker accounts:\u003c\/strong\u003e The authors center interviews and interactions to reveal how employees negotiate dress, size, and grooming expectations on the sales floor.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIntersectional analysis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Race and gender are examined together to show how both shape employer decisions and customer interactions in stores.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on surveillance:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book explains how new tracking technologies influence staffing and merchandising choices, often using flawed data.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eManagerial practices:\u003c\/strong\u003e Misra and Walters trace how rules on look and size are enforced, connecting policy to everyday inequality.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClear writing for non-specialists:\u003c\/strong\u003e The narrative is accessible, making complex sociological ideas useful for activists, students, and practitioners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWalking Mannequins will be most useful to readers in social sciences, labor studies, gender studies, and anyone working in or managing retail who wants to understand how appearance norms and racial hierarchies operate on the shop floor. Graduate students and instructors can use its interviews and analysis as case material for courses on work and inequality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking a how-to manual for retail operations or a broad history of fashion may want a different title; this book is narrowly focused on contemporary U.S. clothing retail and the intersection of workplace control, race, and gender rather than style trends or merchandising techniques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrong qualitative evidence: sustained worker voices provide convincing grounding for the authors' claims.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntersectional perspective: the combined focus on \u003cstrong\u003erace and gender\u003c\/strong\u003e clarifies how multiple systems of inequality operate together.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTimely discussion of technology: the critique of surveillance and data-driven decision-making connects labor practices to current corporate tools.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScope is specific: readers looking for broad comparative work across industries may find the focus on clothing retail limiting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLess emphasis on quantitative measures: those expecting detailed statistical modeling may prefer supplementary studies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWalking Mannequins: How Race and Gender Inequalities Shape Retail Clothing Work\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthors\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eJoya Misra, Kyla Walters\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRetail work, race, gender, surveillance\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGeographic focus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUnited States\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eQualitative interviews and workplace analysis\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntended audience\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScholars, students, activists, retail practitioners\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWalking Mannequins is a focused, evidence-rich study that illuminates how appearance regulation and new surveillance tools reinforce racial and gender hierarchies in clothing retail. It is a strong value for students and professionals seeking a grounded, intersectional account of workplace inequality and practical insight into how policy and technology shape everyday labor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the book rely on worker interviews?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, the authors foreground interviews and interactions to document how employees experience and respond to appearance rules.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this relevant to retail managers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, managers will find useful analysis of how rules and surveillance affect staffing and customer interactions, though it is not a management manual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the scope international?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo, the study focuses on clothing retail in the United States and examines contemporary workplace dynamics there.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joya Misra, Kyla Walters","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48763155022043,"sku":"0520384644","price":83.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/71capo3x_HL._SL1500.jpg?v=1778500346","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/walking-mannequins-how-race-and-gender-inequalities-shape-retail","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}