Decolonisation Books

Book SynopsisAre we what we eat? What does food reveal about how we live and how we think of ourselves in relation to others? And why do people have a strong attachment to their own cuisine and an aversion to the foodways of others? This title examines how people use the metaphor of a principal food in conceptualizing themselves in relation to other people.Trade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 1993 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Sociology and Anthropology, Association of American Publishers "As in [Ohnuki-Tierney's] Monkey as Mirror, where she follows her metaphor deep into the prejudices of Japanese society, so she here finds that rice has been given a major role in historical formulation of the idea of self... Beautifully, even elegantly, presented... An important volume which traces this chosen means of identity and makes understandable the various anomalies that it would seem to have occasioned."--Donald Richie, The Japan Times "An important and timely book on the Japanese sense of self and the link to the sacredness of rice agriculture."--Drew Gerstle, The Times Higher Education SupplementTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. vii*Acknowledgments, pg. ix*A Note to the Reader, pg. xii*One. Food as a Metaphor of Self: An Exercise in Historical Anthropology, pg. 1*Two. Rice and Rice Agriculture Today, pg. 12*Three. Rice as a Staple Food?, pg. 30*Four. Rice in Cosmogony and Cosmology CLEARLY,, pg. 44*Five. Rice as Wealth, Power, and Aesthetics, pg. 63*Six. Rice as Self, Rice Paddies as Our Land, pg. 81*Seven. Rice in the Discourse of Selves and Others, pg. 99*Eight. Foods as Selves and Others in Cross-cultural Perspective, pg. 114*Nine. Symbolic Practice through Time: Self, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, pg. 127*Notes, pg. 137*References Cited, pg. 149*Index, pg. 171

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Book SynopsisSince the 1960s the number of highly educated professionals in America has grown dramatically. This title challenges these characterizations, showing that claims about the distinctive politics and values of the professional stratum have been overstated.Trade Review"Brint's important book ... tackles very large and complex questions about the changing roles of the professions in advanced capitalist societies... It continues lines of analysis that have been pursued since the classic turn-of-the-century works of sociology, and it does so with great success."--Contemporary Sociology "Brint's important book ... tackles very large and complex questions about the changing roles of the professions in advanced capitalist societies... It continues lines of analysis that have been pursued since the classic turn-of-the-century works of sociology, and it does so with great success."--Dietrich Rueschemeyer, Contemporary SociologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsCh. 1Introduction: Professionals and the Character of American Democracy3Pt. 1The Professional Stratum in America21Ch. 2Professions as Organization and Status Category23Ch. 3Professions in the Political Economy I: Spheres and Sectors45Ch. 4Professions in the Political Economy II: Markets66Ch. 5Culture and Politics81Ch. 6The Rhythms of Political Change104Pt. 2Experts, Intellectuals, and Professionals127Ch. 7The Influence of Policy Experts129Ch. 8The Moral Imagination of Intellectuals150Ch. 9Professionals and Politics in Postindustrial Societies175Ch. 10Conclusion: The Transformation of the Professional Middle Class and the Future of Intellectuals202Notes213Index265

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Book SynopsisHow does an ethnographer write about violence? How can he remain a scholarly observer when the country of his birth is engulfed by terror? How does an anthropologist write an ethnography without transforming it into a pornography of violence? This book discusses such questions.Trade ReviewWithout doubt one of the most important accounts of nationalist violence to be published in recent years... Charred Lullabies is a major addition to the growing theoretical and ethnographic literature on contemporary political violence. tav GhoshTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsNotes on TransliterationIntroduction31Of Heritage and History132History's Entailments in the Violence of a Nation433Violent Measures, Measured Violence724Mood, Moment, and Mind1045Embodied Terror1356Suffering Nation and Alienation1547Crushed Glass: A Counterpoint to Culture194Notes213Glossary of Frequently Used Terms and Abbreviations229References231Index241

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Book SynopsisEvokes and contrasts two forms of firewalking and religious healing. This book includes the Anastenaria, a northern Greek ritual in which people who are possessed by Saint Constantine dance dramatically over red-hot coals, and, American firewalking, one of the more spectacular activities of New Age psychology.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1991 "As a contribution to postmodernism, it reveals the possibilities and paradoxes inherent in that movement. As a contribution to the ethnography of ritual healing, the book confirms the basic theory and provides comparative data."--American AnthropologistTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. ix*List of Illustrations, pg. xi*Preface, pg. xiii*Introduction, pg. 1*I. The Festival of Saints Constantine and Helen, pg. 10*II. The Interpretation of Religious Healing, pg. 50*III. The Anastenaria, pg. 64*IV. From Illness and Suffering to Health and Joy, pg. 84*V. History, Folklore, Politics, and Science, pg. 132*VI. The Celebration of Community in a Changing World, pg. 168*VII. A Full Moon Firedance in Maine, pg. 214*VIII. The American Firewalking Movement, pg. 253*IX. Contemporary Anthropology in a Postmodern World, pg. 289*Bibliography, pg. 307*Index, pg. 327

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Book SynopsisValued for their sensual and social intensity, Greek dance-events are often also problematical for participants, giving rise to struggles over position, prestige, and reputation. This book explores how the politics of gender is articulated through the body at these culturally central celebrations in a class-divided northern Greek town.Table of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. vii*List of Illustrations, pg. ix*Preface, pg. xi*Introduction, pg. 1*Chapter One. Place, Distinctions, Identities, pg. 28*Chapter Two. Gender, Household, and Community, pg. 49*Chapter Three. Everyday Sociability as Gendered Practice, pg. 64*Chapter Four. Dancing Signs: Deciphering the Body in Wedding Celebrations, pg. 89*Chapter Five. The Orchestration of Association in Formal Evening Dances, pg. 134*Chapter Six. Male Prestige and the Eruption of Conflict, pg. 171*Chapter Seven. Ambivalent Pleasures: Dance as a Problem for Women, pg. 188*Chapter Eight. Aphrodite's Tables: Breakdown, Blame, and Female Sexuality, pg. 206*Chapter Nine. Because of the Dance, pg. 225*Works Cited, pg. 235*Index, pg. 245*Backmatter, pg. 253

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Book SynopsisTracing devotion to Mary to psychological and historical processes that began in the fifth century, this title answers questions: What explains the many reports of Marian apparitions over the centuries? Why has the Marian cult always been stronger in certain geographical areas than in others?Trade Review"The contention is made that at the root of the Marian cult is the poverty-created father-ineffective family, a family structure in which Oedipal desires in both sons and daughters are intensified... [A] fascinating and provocative read."--Elizabeth A. Johnson, Journal of Church and State "[Recommended] not only for the wealth of information and the carefully wrought argument that it presents, but also for its potential utility in destroying or at least casting doubt on the idols that prevent us from seeing more clearly and more insightfully the bases of faith and theological conviction."--W. W. Meissner, S.J., M.D., Theological Studies

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Book SynopsisOffering a compelling inquiry into public events ranging from the building of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial through ethnic community fairs to pioneer celebrations, this title explores the stories, ideas, and symbols behind American commemorations over the last century.Trade Review"Mr. Bodnar treats his highly controversial subject matter in a factual and evenhanded manner. And given the precariousness of nationality in recent times, interest in the subject of this important study is sure to increase."--Ray Oldenburg, The New York Times Book Review "Bodnar has made an insightful contribution to a lively area of contemporary cultural studies... Anyone interested in the social meaning of public ceremonials will want to come to terms with this thoughtful book."--Paul Boyer, American Historical Review "Bodnar is at his best in discussing varieties of public memory within ethnic groups, but the book also shines in its treatment of the post-World War II attempt to build a consensus in public memory and the rapid disintegration of that effort during the 1960s. A fine contribution to this emerging historical topic; for informed laypersons as well as specialists."--Library Journal

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Book SynopsisBy the 1920s in Central Europe, it had become a truism among intellectuals that natural science had "disenchanted" the world, and in particular had reduced humans to mere mechanisms, devoid of higher purpose. This title shows that in fact the story of holism in Germany is a politically heterogeneous story with multiple endings.Trade Review"Anne Harrington has confirmed the status of German culture in the first half of this century as the principal crucible of modernity."--Daniel Johnson, The Times Literary Supplement "Reenchanted Science succeeds marvelously in demonstrating the complexity with which science is embedded in its own historical and cultural moment... A great sense of nuance and a deftly constructed narrative... Hardly any study of Weimar culture has so masterfully evoked the complexity of its history with such clarity of exposition."--Luke Springman, ConfigurationsTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionCh. 1The "Human Machine" and the Call to "Wholeness"3Ch. 2Biology against Democracy and the "Gorilla-Machine"34Ch. 3World War I and the Search for God in the Nervous System72Ch. 4"A Peacefully Blossoming Tree": The Rational Enchantment of Gestalt Psychology103Ch. 5The Self-Actualizing Brain and the Biology of Existential Choice140Ch. 6Life Science, Nazi Wholeness, and the "Machine" in Germany's Midst175Conclusion207Notes213Bibliography275Index303

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Book SynopsisShows how seemingly irrational business decisions, inspired in part by the self-interest of the owners but also by their nostalgia for the game, transformed baseball into the national pastime.Trade Review"An astute examination of how baseball emerged as the national pastime... Things liven up when [White] looks at the gambling and cheating that were a part of the game early in the century, and when he examines the growth and economic importance of night baseball and of radio and TV broadcasts... Baseball cognoscenti will find plenty to chew on here."--Kirkus Reviews "Mr. White, an affectionate but agreeably dry-eyed student of the game ... is unfailingly interesting about the influence of Hank Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio on American attitudes about ethnicity, on the business culture of an industry in which competitors also are partners, on the evolution of the relationship between major league teams and the journalists who cover them... Mr. White's insights are frequently accompanied by fascinating facts."--George F. Will, The New York Times Book Review "Remarkable. This is one of the first books about baseball that doesn't confuse the game with the author's lost boyhood, his failure to connect with Dad, or the end of American innocence... one of the most original studies of baseball in years."--Jesse Berrett, LA Weekly "... perceptively examines the ways baseball mirrored a changing American society in the first half of this century...White paints an especially vivid picture of the evolution of the ballpark from a small wooden structure; through the concrete-and-steel boom of 1908-15...White is also strong on the pervasiveness of gambling and game-throwing, and how baseball's barons responded by inventing the rhetoric of its pure, pastoral roots."--Jeff Z. Klein, New York Newsday "This book should provide real insight into [baseball's] glorious past, and why it is no accident that we remember that past as glorious."--Richard J. Tofel, The Wall Street Journal "[White] is poignant in his description of the decline of the pastoral setting, as a new generation of owners found profit in suburbia. This study represents the best of serious research into American baseball history."--Sol Gittleman, Journal of Interdisciplinary HistoryTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction3Ch. 1The Ballparks10Ch. 2The Enterprise, 1903-192347Ch. 3The Rise of the Commissioner: Gambling, the Black Sox, and the Creation of Baseball Heroes84Ch. 4The Negro Leagues127Ch. 5The Coming of Night Baseball160Ch. 6Baseball Journalists190Ch. 7Baseball on the Radio206Ch. 8Ethnicity and Baseball: Hank Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio245Ch. 9The Enterprise, 1923-1953275Ch. 10The Decline of the National Pastime316Notes331Index355

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Book SynopsisExamines religious conversion. This book argues that conversion is an interpretive act that belongs in the realm of cultural criticism. It examines key moments in colonial and postcolonial history to show how conversion questions the limitations of secular ideologies, particularly the discourse of rights central to the British empire.Trade ReviewWinner of the 1999 Harry Levin Prize, American Comparative Literature Association Winner of the 1999 James Russell Lowell Prize, Modern Language Association Winner of the 2000 Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize, South Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies "Outside the Fold is an intriguing and wide-ranging set of essays exploring the meaning of conversion. But beyond that, it is a commentary on the transcultural experience of colonialism and modernity."--David Mosse, Journal of the Royal Anthropological InstituteTable of ContentsList of illustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPt. 1Dissent and the Nation1Ch. 1Cross Currents3Ch. 2A Grammar of Dissent44Pt. 2Colonial Interventions73Ch. 3Rights of Passage: Converts' Testimonies75Ch. 4Silencing Heresy118Ch. 5Ethnographic Plots153Ch. 6Conversion Theosophy, and Race Theory177Pt. 3The Imagined Community209Ch. 7Conversion to Equality211Ch. 8Epilogue: The Right to Belief240AppendixThe Census of India, 1901255Notes261Select Bibliography297Index317

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Book SynopsisSome periods in history are marked by stability in cultural values; at other times, values undergo rapid change. This work addresses this complex process and develops a theory to explain both how values originate and how they spread. It analyzes the crucial role that small communities of critical thinkers play in developing new ideas.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1998 "Rochon has written an important book that is a very welcome contribution to the scholarly discourse on movements and culture, particularly because it focuses on the cultural effects of movement activities... This book is a 'must' for scholars in the field of cultural studies."--American Journal of Sociology "This well-documented and well-illustrated book presents a new theoretical framework that increases understanding of the processes of cultural change and makes a significant contribution to the literature. Highly recommended."--E-StreamsTable of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables Preface Data Sources PART ONE: Theoretical Perspective CHAPTER ONE Adaptation in Human Communities CHAPTER TWO Critical Communities and Movements CHAPTER THREE The Acceptance of New Cultural Values PART TWO: Microfoundations CHAPTER FOUR The Creation of Solidarity CHAPTER FIVE Political Engagement PART THREE: Social and Political Structures CHAPTER SIX Diffusion of Change in Society CHAPTER SEVEN Political and Social Alliances CHAPTER EIGHT Advancing Our Understanding of Cultural Change References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"To understand human evolution, we require, among other things, a theory describing the dynamics of culturally acquired phenotypes. In this book, Cavalli-Sforza and Feldman present a series of theoretical models that represent an important beginning toward such a theory."--BioScience

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Book SynopsisJean Baudrillard is widely recognized as one of the most important and provocative writers of our age. This book is the third (after America and Cool Memories) in a series of personal records in hyper-reality. It is suitable for those concerned with the debates about postmodernism and the state of theory on the social sciences and humanities.Trade Review"Sharp, sombre, brilliant, explosive, these fragments rarely fail to find their targets: the basic supposition of the superiority and triumphant progress of our technological rationality - and our 'current forms of despair'." Mike Gane, Loughborough University

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Book Synopsisaeo This book offers a wide--ranging overview of current theoretical work in media and communication studies, which is one of the most rapidly growing areas of the social sciences today. aeo The volume is interdisciplinary in character, and the authors show how communication theory intersects with social theory and cultural studies.Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors. Acknowlegements. Communication in a Post-Mass Media World: David Crowley and David Mitchell. Part I: Communication and the Mediation of Social Worlds:. 1. Social Theory and the Media: John B Thompson. 2. Medium Theory: Joshua Meyrowitz. 3. A Recursive Theory of Communication: Klaus Krippendorff. Part II: Messages, Meanings, Discourse:. 4. Discourse and Cognition in Society: Teun A Van Dijk. 5. Risk Communication and Public Knowledge: William Leiss. 6.Talk, Text and History: Conversation Analysis and Communication Theory: Deidre Boden. Part III: Contingency, Reflexivity, Post-Modernity:. 7. The Mode of Information and Postmodernity: Mark Poster. 8. In the Realm of Uncertainty: The Global Village and Capitalist Postmodernity: Ien Ang. 9. By Whose Authority? Accounting for Taste in Contemporary Popular Culture: James M Collins. Part IV: Communication and Public Interests:. 10. Mass Communication and the Public Interest: Denis McQuail. 11. Electronic Networks, Social Relations and the Changing Structure of Knowledge: William Melody. 12. Communication and Development: Majid Tehranian. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Contours of American Politics takes a fresh look at the political culture of the United States. In its complexity and diversity, America fascinates. Its politics are brash and exciting, and its political impact upon the wider world is profound.Trade Review‘Jon Roper's elegant book about aspects of American political culture should prove accessible to students encountering American politics for the first time at university whilst also challenging more advanced students. Well-grounded in an understanding of American film and literature, this intelligent text provides an enjoyable and thoughtful account of the social contexts of American government and politics' Nigel Bowles, St Anne's College, Oxford ‘Jon Roper's treatment of American politics stands as refreshingly different from the standard textbook on this subject. Roper has creatively integrated the essentials of the US political system with the persistent influence of the American historical experience and the often-overlooked impact of American cultural tensions. From his clever Huckleberry Finn metaphors to his invocation of images from classic American films, Roper has produced a readable and thoughtful text, one which reflects an awareness of the reader as well as a solid scholarly foundation. He is at his finest when reminding readers that current debates in domestic and foreign policy take place not in a vacuum, but in a vibrant historical and cultural context' Harold Molineu, Department of Political Science, Ohio University "Roper has produced a lively and entertaining book which not only covers all the essential factual detail needed for a student text but also provides fresh insight for the specialist as well". Michael Boyle. International Relations Theory. "There is much to admire in Roper's interpretation...Roper writes well; the book never fails to sustain reader interest" Richard M. Merelman, Political Science QuarterlyTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. 1 Lighting Out for the Territory. 2 The Politics of Nostalgia. 3 The Challenges of the Constitution. 4 The Framework of Government. 5 Playing the Political Game. 6 Making Headlines. 7 Faultlines. 8 In Country. 9 Back on the Raft. Notes. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Contours of American Politics takes a fresh look at the political culture of the United States. In its complexity and diversity, America fascinates. Its politics are brash and exciting, and its political impact upon the wider world is profound.Trade Review‘Jon Roper's elegant book about aspects of American political culture should prove accessible to students encountering American politics for the first time at university whilst also challenging more advanced students. Well-grounded in an understanding of American film and literature, this intelligent text provides an enjoyable and thoughtful account of the social contexts of American government and politics' Nigel Bowles, St Anne's College, Oxford ‘Jon Roper's treatment of American politics stands as refreshingly different from the standard textbook on this subject. Roper has creatively integrated the essentials of the US political system with the persistent influence of the American historical experience and the often-overlooked impact of American cultural tensions. From his clever Huckleberry Finn metaphors to his invocation of images from classic American films, Roper has produced a readable and thoughtful text, one which reflects an awareness of the reader as well as a solid scholarly foundation. He is at his finest when reminding readers that current debates in domestic and foreign policy take place not in a vacuum, but in a vibrant historical and cultural context' Harold Molineu, Department of Political Science, Ohio University "Roper has produced a lively and entertaining book which not only covers all the essential factual detail needed for a student text but also provides fresh insight for the specialist as well". Michael Boyle. International Relations Theory. "There is much to admire in Roper's interpretation...Roper writes well; the book never fails to sustain reader interest" Richard M. Merelman, Political Science QuarterlyTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. 1 Lighting Out for the Territory. 2 The Politics of Nostalgia. 3 The Challenges of the Constitution. 4 The Framework of Government. 5 Playing the Political Game. 6 Making Headlines. 7 Faultlines. 8 In Country. 9 Back on the Raft. Notes. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisA A well--written, innovative book, which makes an important contribution to current debates about the role of communication technology in society. A Based upon his own case studies, Hutchby shows how human conversation is being shaped by technological media such as the telephone, the Internet and video--conferencing.Trade Review"'Postmodern babble has done little to help us understand how contemporary communication technologies have changed our world. This book fills a crucial gap in our knowledge by sticking to a focus on how ordinary people actually interact with these technologies. Using the insights of conversation analysis in an easy to understand way, this impressive volume will be required reading for students of work, technology, organizations and cultural studies." David Silverman, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Goldsmiths' College, London Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Technologies for Communication. Chapter 2: The Communicative Affordances of Technological Artifacts. Chapter 3: Communication as Computation?. Chapter 4: Talk in Interaction. Chapter 5: The Telephone: Technology of Sociability. Chapter 6: Telephone Interaction and Social Identity. Chapter 7: Technological Mediation and Asymmetrical Interaction. Chapter 8: Computers, Humans, Conversation. Chapter 9: Virtual Conversation. Chapter 10: Conclusion: A Reversion to the Real?. Appendix: Transcription Conventions. Bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisMen and Masculinities is one of the most comprehensive texts ever published on the sociology of masculinity. Wide--ranging and accessible, it considers all the key themes, concepts and writings informing this increasingly important area of study.Trade Review"This book is exemplary in its scholarly range, addressing all the significant debates on men and masculinities with a crisp, balanced, clarity." Professor Lynne Segal, Birkbeck College ‘Steeped in feminist theory, and drawing from a wide range of social science research, Men and Masculinities offers a considered and comprehensive introduction to this rapidly expanding field.' Professor Michael Kimmel, SUNY at Stony BrookTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction.. 1. Masculinity – Illusion or Reality?. Men's Nature, Men's History. Natural Men?. Masculinities in History. Functionalism and the Male Sex Role. Gender and Functionalism. Perspectives on Sex/Gender Roles. Psychoanalytical Perspectives. Freud. Jung. From 1st to 2nd Wave (Pro)Feminism. Multiplicity, Materiality – and Illusion. Multiple Masculinities. The Materiality of Men's Violences. Material Actualities – a global perspective. Conclusion. 2. The Personal and the Political: Men and Feminism. A Crisis of Masculinity or a Moral Panic?. A Discourse of Crisis. The Crisis Discourse in Politics and Public Policy. The Male Crisis in Perspective. Men as a Political Category. The Discursive Connection. Men's Responses to Feminism. Marking Differences. Political Polarisations. Black and Latino Men, Black and Latino Masculinities. Gay Male Liberation and Queer Theory. Concluding on Changing Men (and Women).. 3. Power and Resistance. Structural Models of Gender Power. Juridico-Discursive Theories. Patriarchy. Hegemonic Masculinity. Gender Order. Masculinism. Power as Discursive. Bringing Back the Resisting Subject. A Foucauldian Analysis. The Discursive Subject of Power. Summary. 4. Public Men. He's Leaving Home: The heroic male project. Myths and Icons. An Heroic Male Project – building empires. Work, Management and the Professional. Men at Work. Men as Managers. Masculinity and Professionalism. Time to Play. Gendered Time. Gendered Leisure.. Summary. 5. Private Men. The Private ‘I'. Fathers and Families. Friendships and Relationships. Men's Relationships. Men's Friendships. Pure Relationships. Sexualities. Trust, Intimacy and Emotion. Trust. Intimacy. Emotions and Feelings. Endings and Openings. 6. Marking Male Bodies. Male Bodies. Male Bodies in Process. Throwing Like a Boy. Materialising Male Bodies. Gazing at the Male Body. Race Man. A Gay Body of Men. Ageing Male Bodies. Summary. 7. Desires of The Masculine Subject. The Masculine Subject. Masculine Ontology. Desire To Be (a man). Implications and Conclusion. Notes. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisConfronting Culture offers a clear and accessible discussion and analysis of the complex field of the sociology of culture, and how it compares with approaches developed within cultural studies. * An accessible guide to the complex field of the sociological study of culture.Trade Review"This is a most satisfying book! It covers so much, so well – the entire field of culture and its various interpretations. I do not know of any book quite like it." Charles Lemert, Wesleyan University "This original and admirable textbook fills an important gap in the literature. The “sociology of culture” has crucial implications for our understanding of the concept of culture itself, so the book should appeal not just to students of sociology, but also to that far wider constituency, the area of “cultural studies”. No other text, to my knowledge, fulfils this function and the authors have risen to the challenge of covering such a large compass of material very successfully." John Tomlinson, Nottingham Trent University "Confronting Culture is a truly excellent contribution to the enhancement of the sociology of culture. It combines beautifully a direct appreciation of the significance of culture with an acute analytical perspicuousness." Roland Robertson, University of Aberdeen "This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of culture. The authors argue that the sociological study of culture is crucial for understanding what goes on both within and between particular groups and societies, and more generally for understanding human social life. They provide a detailed definition of culture, and relate it to sociological approaches developed in Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States. In particular, attention is paid to the Frankfurt School, British and American mass cultural theorists, the work of Bourdieu, and poststructuralist and postmodernist thought. The impact of globalisation and reflexivity upon culture and its study is also addressed. The authors conclude that the sociology of culture will continue to make an important contribution to understanding fundamental aspects of the human condition." Sage Race RelationsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction: Sociology and Culture. 1. Setting Up the Terrain: Classical Sociology and Culture. 2. High German Seriousness: The Frankfurt School on Culture. 3. An American Tragedy? Mass Culture in the USA. 4. Reading from Right to Left: Culturalism in England. 5. The Empire of Signs: The Semiotics of Culture. 6. Phantasmagoria: Postmodernism and Culture. 7. In the French Style: The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. 8. The Land of the Free? Production of Culture in America and Elsewhere. Conclusion: Globalization, Reflecivity and the Future. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisConfronting Culture offers a clear and accessible discussion and analysis of the complex field of the sociology of culture, and how it compares with approaches developed within cultural studies. * An accessible guide to the complex field of the sociological study of culture.Trade Review"This is a most satisfying book! It covers so much, so well – the entire field of culture and its various interpretations. I do not know of any book quite like it." Charles Lemert, Wesleyan University "This original and admirable textbook fills an important gap in the literature. The “sociology of culture” has crucial implications for our understanding of the concept of culture itself, so the book should appeal not just to students of sociology, but also to that far wider constituency, the area of “cultural studies”. No other text, to my knowledge, fulfils this function and the authors have risen to the challenge of covering such a large compass of material very successfully." John Tomlinson, Nottingham Trent University "Confronting Culture is a truly excellent contribution to the enhancement of the sociology of culture. It combines beautifully a direct appreciation of the significance of culture with an acute analytical perspicuousness." Roland Robertson, University of Aberdeen "This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of culture. The authors argue that the sociological study of culture is crucial for understanding what goes on both within and between particular groups and societies, and more generally for understanding human social life. They provide a detailed definition of culture, and relate it to sociological approaches developed in Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States. In particular, attention is paid to the Frankfurt School, British and American mass cultural theorists, the work of Bourdieu, and poststructuralist and postmodernist thought. The impact of globalisation and reflexivity upon culture and its study is also addressed. The authors conclude that the sociology of culture will continue to make an important contribution to understanding fundamental aspects of the human condition." Sage Race RelationsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction: Sociology and Culture. 1. Setting Up the Terrain: Classical Sociology and Culture. 2. High German Seriousness: The Frankfurt School on Culture. 3. An American Tragedy? Mass Culture in the USA. 4. Reading from Right to Left: Culturalism in England. 5. The Empire of Signs: The Semiotics of Culture. 6. Phantasmagoria: Postmodernism and Culture. 7. In the French Style: The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. 8. The Land of the Free? Production of Culture in America and Elsewhere. Conclusion: Globalization, Reflecivity and the Future. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisSteinert applies Horkheimer and Adornoa s theory of the a culture industrya to contemporary culture and demonstrates the relevance of the analysis for the twenty--first century. Sets out to explain precisely what is meant by the term a culture industrya , providing an accessible exposition of the key themes and concepts.Trade Review"Adorno and Horkheimer’s analysis of the cultural industry remains an important model for understanding contemporary media culture. Heinz Steinert provides an excellent presentation of Adorno and Horkheimer’s perspectives on media culture and useful instructions on how to read their text and the products of culture industry, helping to enable his readers to become cultural critics of contemporary culture and theoretical discourse." --Douglas Kellner, University of California at Los Angeles "Understanding "culture industry" is central to both critical theory and contemporary public life. Heinz Steinert's account is both the best introduction to the subject and an important update for a new era. It should be read widely." --Craig Calhoun, New York UniversityTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. Introduction: the pleasures of criticism. Chapter 1: Approaching culture industry: recommended equipment. Tools 1: The text: Horkheimer and Adorno’s ‘Culture Industry’ of 1944/1947. Tools II: Cultural experience: analysing the products of culture industry. Tools III: Reflexivity: writing field notes. Field notes I: Why are you smiling, Leonardo?. Autonomy and mass deception – a case of Dialectic of Enlightenment. Field notes II: The President as the bad guy – Clint Eastwood’s ‘absolute power'. The structure of the ‘Culture Industry’ essay. Field notes III: Heartburn and Telephone Sex. Chapter 2: On method: look carefully, think thoroughly, and do not let yourself be taken in. Skoteinos, or how to read Adorno. Texts that do not need readers. Authoritarian realism versus reflexive dialectics. Field notes IV: Woody Allen, or the film critics’ blindness to irony. Countertransference and analysing the working alliance. The everyday and the reflexive approach to texts. Analysing the working alliance. How to conduct a thorough and skilful interpretation. Field notes V: Talk Radio – insulting the audience. Chapter 3: The production of cultural commodities. Problems involved in producing cultural commodities. Fordist standardization: ‘Uniform as a whole and in every part. False identity. Reality doubled. Fordist cultural commodities. Organized markets – organized production. Developments in the mode of production. Field notes VI: Exoticism and Music. Working alliances in the cultural history of the twentieth century: bourgeois, modern, avant-garde and reflexive. The development of reflexivity in the twentieth century. Field notes VII: The obsolescence of high culture’s critique of society: the case of Carolee Schneemann. Chapter 4: What is wrong with consensual entertainment?. Amusement – ‘released from every restraint’ or the ‘prolongation of work’?. Field notes VIII: Clowns, performers and shows – the not quite so respectable arts. Culture as advertising – advertising as potlatch. Field Notes IX: Ahlers Collection on Tour: The Art Event. Chapter 5: The conditions of belonging: the appropriation of the audience. ‘Ironically, man as a member of a species has been made a reality by the culture industry [monopoly capitalism]’. Field notes X: Can we find Hitler funny?. What can the public want?. ‘It’s good to see you here in such numbers tonight!’. Culture industry’s impact on consumers. Analysing ‘the audience’ from the audience’s perspective. Field notes XI: Total control of your life. Chapter 6: Culture industry politics. Structural populism. Field notes XII: Why Princess Diana’s death was so moving. Chapter 7: Intellectuals in the supermarket: perplexed. Professional and lay critics of media and society. Wrong television cannot be viewed rightly. Social criticism and culture. Critical theory in enhanced culture industry. Field Notes XIII: Woody Allen’s Manhattan Operettas. Notes. Select bibliography of works by Adorno and Horkheimer. Index

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Book SynopsisThis absorbing book unravels the reasons for the enduring respect and reverence that Muhammad Ali commands long after the end of his athletic career. It will appeal to those teaching and studying cultural studies, social theory, sports studies, and sociology, as well as to general readers interested in Muhammad Ali.Trade Review"A brilliant meditation on celebrity and spectatorship and an astute cultural analysis of race and sport, Charles Lemert's Muhammad Ali is also an affectionate biography of one of the most significant figures of our age." Barry Glassner, University of Southern California, author of The Culture of Fear "Ali's fame was launched on the tide of his astonishing athletic prowess, but it was borne along by the spurting cross-currents of culture, race and politics which boiled so fiercely during the 1960s and 1970s. Lemert is excellent on Ali in relation to these cross-currents, but he also dares to dive deeper, into the secret waters of myth, totem and taboo which still underlie more of human thought and feeling than we may like to admit … This is a remarkably interesting and re-readable essay." Financial TimesTable of Contents1. From the Beginnings : GG is Gonna Whip Everybody. 2. Celebrity, Tricks, and Culture: Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee. 3. Trickster Queers the World: I Don’t Have to Be What You Want Me to Be. 4. The Irony of Global Cultures: No Viet Cong ever Called me Nigger. 5. Coming Home to the Heart of Darkness: When we were Kings. 6. Trickster Bodies and Cultural Death: You’ll Die One Day So Better Get Ready. Ali and the World: A Chronology. Notes. Acknowledgments. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis absorbing book unravels the reasons for the enduring respect and reverence that Muhammad Ali commands long after the end of his athletic career. It will appeal to those teaching and studying cultural studies, social theory, sports studies, and sociology, as well as to general readers interested in Muhammad Ali.Trade Review"A brilliant meditation on celebrity and spectatorship and an astute cultural analysis of race and sport, Charles Lemert's Muhammad Ali is also an affectionate biography of one of the most significant figures of our age." Barry Glassner, University of Southern California, author of The Culture of Fear "Ali's fame was launched on the tide of his astonishing athletic prowess, but it was borne along by the spurting cross-currents of culture, race and politics which boiled so fiercely during the 1960s and 1970s. Lemert is excellent on Ali in relation to these cross-currents, but he also dares to dive deeper, into the secret waters of myth, totem and taboo which still underlie more of human thought and feeling than we may like to admit … This is a remarkably interesting and re-readable essay." Financial TimesTable of Contents1. From the Beginnings : GG is Gonna Whip Everybody. 2. Celebrity, Tricks, and Culture: Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee. 3. Trickster Queers the World: I Don’t Have to Be What You Want Me to Be. 4. The Irony of Global Cultures: No Viet Cong ever Called me Nigger. 5. Coming Home to the Heart of Darkness: When we were Kings. 6. Trickster Bodies and Cultural Death: You’ll Die One Day So Better Get Ready. Ali and the World: A Chronology. Notes. Acknowledgments. Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this new book, Slavoj i ek and Glyn Daly engage in a series of entertaining conversations which illustrate the originality of i ek's thinking on psychoanalysis, philosophy, multiculturalism, popular/cyber culture, totalitarianism, ethics and politics.Trade Review"Slavoj Žižek has put the Soul back into philosophy." TLS "Audacious and vertiginous, this book is everything one expects from him, a heady mix of psychoanalysis, politics, theology, philosophy, and cultural studies that will leave the reader both exhausted and exhilarated. For those wishing to gain a brief overview of his central thesis or his application of Lacan to cultural studies, this is an informal and opportune text, an excellent introduction to Žižek by Žižek." -Marcus Pound, Bristol University "I am very impressed by how Žižek continues book after book to clarify, revise and deepen his thinking. This volume-ideal for the beginner, but with plenty to offer the practiced reader of Žižek as well- is a superb snapshot of where this most restless, iconoclastic and essential of contemporary theorists stands at the moment." – Henry Staten, University of Washington, Seattle. "Glyn Daly succeeds here in punctuating the febrile forward rush of one of the most distinctive and influential voices of our time, making it curl a little more deliberately around questions many would want to ask Žižek responds with wily candour, offering up original and substantive theoretical speculation alongside bits of professional biography and new glosses on his favorite cultural examples. As invigorating and substantial a conversation as any one is likely to come upon. – Joan Copjec, author of Imagine There’s No WomanTable of ContentsIntroduction. 1. Contexts and horizons: Opening the Space of Philosophy. 2. The Madness of Reason: Encounters of the Real Kind. 3. Subject of Modernity: Virtuality and the Fragility of the Real. 4. Tolerance and the Intolerable: Enjoyment, Ethics and Event. 5. Miracles do happen: Globalization(s) and Politics

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Book SynopsisThis major new book offers a much-needed introduction to the work of Siegfried Kracauer, one of the main intellectual figures in the orbit of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory.Trade Review"Our Companion in Misfortune is an evocative and engaging portrait with much fresh insight into Kracauer’s wide-ranging and imaginative work as theorist and critic of media and metropolitan experience. Gilloch successfully captures Kracauer’s distinctive voice in its mix of melancholy and sharp wit. Much more than an introduction, this book gives its due to Kracauer as a major figure in the orbit of Frankfurt School Critical Theory." Andreas Huyssen, Columbia University "Kracauer may “rest a while in peace”, but only for a while. Gilloch’s magisterial study, forces a return to Kracauer. Music, film, the city and his own literary attempts tie Kracauer to the modern. The book reveals a thinker who, in responding to the demands of his own time, writes and thinks in a way that addresses the contemporary. There is an acuity of thought that allows Kracauer to engage our modernity. Gilloch’s own power as a writer and a thinker is to stage that engagement. This is an invaluable book whose presence should be both welcomed and celebrated." Andrew Benjamin, Monash UniversityTable of ContentsOur Companion Introduced: An Intellectual Schwejk Part I From Inner Life: Sociological Expressionism Chapter 1 Small Mercies: The Spirit of our Times Chapter 2 Portraits of the Age Part II From Our Weimar Correspondent: The “Newest Germany” and Elsewhere Chapter 3 On the Surface: The Dialectics of Ornament Chapter 4 Berlin Impromptus Part III From the Boulevards: Paris of the Second Empire in Kracauer Chapter 5 Offenbach in Paris Chapter 6 Orpheus in Hollywood Part IV From the New World: Monstrous States, Mental Images Chapter 7 The Caligari Complex Chapter 8 Re-Surfacing Work Part V From the Screen: Redeeming Images, Remembered Things Chapter 9 Film, Improvisation and “The Flow of Life” Chapter 10 Film, Phantasmagoria and the Street Inconclusive: Penultimate Things

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Book SynopsisThis major new book offers a much-needed introduction to the work of Siegfried Kracauer, one of the main intellectual figures in the orbit of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory.Trade Review"Our Companion in Misfortune is an evocative and engaging portrait with much fresh insight into Kracauer’s wide-ranging and imaginative work as theorist and critic of media and metropolitan experience. Gilloch successfully captures Kracauer’s distinctive voice in its mix of melancholy and sharp wit. Much more than an introduction, this book gives its due to Kracauer as a major figure in the orbit of Frankfurt School Critical Theory." Andreas Huyssen, Columbia University "Kracauer may “rest a while in peace”, but only for a while. Gilloch’s magisterial study, forces a return to Kracauer. Music, film, the city and his own literary attempts tie Kracauer to the modern. The book reveals a thinker who, in responding to the demands of his own time, writes and thinks in a way that addresses the contemporary. There is an acuity of thought that allows Kracauer to engage our modernity. Gilloch’s own power as a writer and a thinker is to stage that engagement. This is an invaluable book whose presence should be both welcomed and celebrated." Andrew Benjamin, Monash UniversityTable of ContentsOur Companion Introduced: An Intellectual Schwejk Part I From Inner Life: Sociological Expressionism Chapter 1 Small Mercies: The Spirit of our Times Chapter 2 Portraits of the Age Part II From Our Weimar Correspondent: The “Newest Germany” and Elsewhere Chapter 3 On the Surface: The Dialectics of Ornament Chapter 4 Berlin Impromptus Part III From the Boulevards: Paris of the Second Empire in Kracauer Chapter 5 Offenbach in Paris Chapter 6 Orpheus in Hollywood Part IV From the New World: Monstrous States, Mental Images Chapter 7 The Caligari Complex Chapter 8 Re-Surfacing Work Part V From the Screen: Redeeming Images, Remembered Things Chapter 9 Film, Improvisation and “The Flow of Life” Chapter 10 Film, Phantasmagoria and the Street Inconclusive: Penultimate Things

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Book SynopsisBeast. Monster. Savage. Psycho. The glowering menace of Mike Tyson has spooked us for almost two decades. And still we remain fascinated. Why? Ellis Cashmorea s answer is disturbing: white society has created Tyson as vengeance for the loss of privilege produced by civil rights.Trade Review“A terrific read! This a fascinating study of a central figure in American life. Meticulously researched and perfectly timed, Tyson does more than any previous work to put Mike Tyson's story in its proper sprawling context.” Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated “Ellis Cashmore has gone beneath the persona of Tyson with intelligent sensitivity. He has pointed us towards the motives in the psyche of an extraordinary figure in the history of sport and analysed why Tyson remains such a figure of fascination to so many people.” John Goodbody, The Times “Ellis Cashmore’s book will fascinate and frustrate an unusually wide range of readers. He juxtaposes the biography of Mike Tyson against mini-narratives of other prominent athletes and celebrities, African American leaders, and contemporaneous incidents, allowing biographical narrative to unfold almost seamlessly into analysis and cultural history. In situating Tyson in his times, Cashmore offers an uncompromising critique of late twentieth-century US race relations, as well as presenting a compelling account of an intriguing career and life story.” Douglas Hartmann, University of Minnesota "His account is a well-written and fascinating attempt to help us understand this. It will undoubtedly appeal to a large readership. It is not a purely academic read, but neither is it a trashy hagiography. As such it deserves a broad audience outside of what is traditional for an 'academic' book." Guy Osborn, University of WestminsterTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii one INTRODUCTION: I WILL KILL YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS? 1 two IF YOU’D BE KIND ENOUGH, I’D LOVE TO DO IT AGAIN 13 three ARE YOU AN ANIMAL? IT DEPENDS 29 four LIKE WATCHING A SERENGETI LION RIP INTO A WARTHOG 43 five HIS VITAL ORGANS IN EXCHANGE FOR FORGIVENESS 60 six GOD’S PLANNING TO SCREW HIM 87 seven TO RAPE THE VIRGINAL BLACK PRINCESS 108 eight IN HANDCUFFS IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CRUISER 131 nine THEY BELIEVE WHITE MEN HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR BLACK SUCCESS 144 ten TIME TO LEAVE THE WHITE MAN’S WORLD 162 eleven FACTS ARE LOST IN THE PRECONCEPTIONS OF RACIAL GRIEVANCE 191 twelve GIVE HIM ENOUGH TIME AND THE NIGGER WILL COME OUT IN HIM AGAIN 213 thirteen THE DEBT OF THE GHETTO BOUND 231 fourteen YOU’D STILL LOOK AT ME AS A SCUMBAG 245 Bibliography 256 Index 260

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Book Synopsis''Baudrillard and the Media'' is the first in-depth critical study of Jean Baudrillard''s media theory. Rejecting the common positioning of Baudrillard within the discipline as a postmodernist it argues instead for the necessity of a fuller reading of his ideas and critical project. Merrin offers an overview and evaluation of his key arguments and themes, focusing especially upon the organising principle of his work: his theory of symbolic exchange and critique of the semiotic and of simulation. Upon this basis the book also resituates Baudrillard within media theory, developing an original, critical re-reading of his relationship with McLuhanism and arguing for the significance instead of hitherto neglected influences such as Boorstin. Emphasizing his critical value and contemporary relevance, ''Baudrillard and the Media'' also provides the most detailed exploration yet of Baudrillard''s theory of the non-event, considering its applicability throTrade Review‘Finally we have a book-length study of Baudrillard’s writing from the vantage point of media studies. Merrin is an excellent guide to what is arguably the central thread in the work of the theorist of simulations.’ – Mark Poster, University of California, Irvine ‘William Merrin has written a significant and original book that will transform conventional understandings of Jean Baudrillard’s alleged "postmodern" media theory. His radical Durkheimian interpretation, critique and conclusions will be seriously debated in media and communications studies and deserved so. Baudrillard and the Media is essential reading for anyone interested in Baudrillard or contemporary theories of media and simulation, symbolic exchange and semiotics.’ –John Armitage, Northumbria UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: 'There is No Theory of the Media': Baudrillard and Media Studies 1. Television is Killing the Art of Symbolic Exchange: Baudrillard's Theory of Communication 2. To Play With Phantoms: The Evil Demon of the Simulacrum 3. Are Friends Electric?: Baudrillard's Critique of McLuhan 4. The Delirious Spectacle of the Non-Event 5. Shreds of War Rotting in the Desert 6. 'Total Screen': 9/11 and The Gulf War: Reloaded 7. 'The Matrix Has You': Virtuality and Social Control 8. 'The Saving Power': The 'Reflex Miracle' of Photography Conclusion: 'Speculation to the Death': Baudrillard's Theoretical Violence Notes References Index

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Book Synopsis* a major new analysis of the hidden networks and alliances that lie behind George W. Busha s power * uncovers the ideological sources of the Bush Administration and its highly controversial a war on terrora * written by the celebrated French reporter and author of the best--selling book Busha s War. .Trade Review"Only Christians have their place in paradise, explained George W. to his own mother. If it is populated by people like him, then after reading this book one would rather go to hell." Le Canard enchaîné "The rise of the one-time alcoholic and business failure is fascinating reading." Defence Focus "In this scrupulously researched book based on a wealth of documents, the current President of the United States comes across as nothing other than a man under the influence." France Soir "What is new about Eric Laurent's book is that he puts names to the faces of those who haunt the corridors of the White House and lays bare the machinations that were set in motion more than thirty years ago, in the days following the Vietnam War, by certain multimilllionares who wanted to see the United States stripped of its image as a modern and open country and returned to an almost surrealist orthodox morality." Dernier HeureTable of ContentsChapter 1 Towards Apocalypse. Chapter 2 The 'Heritage' Connection. Chapter 3 The War of Ideas. Chapter 4 Enter the Moonies. Chapter 5 The Question of Israel. Chapter 6 Hawks and Doves. Chapter 7 The Middle East in Focus. Chapter 8 The New Jerusalem?. Chapter 9 The New Arms Race. Chapter 10 Cheney and Company. Chapter 11 A Corrupt Administration?. Notes. Index.

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Book Synopsis* a major new analysis of the hidden networks and alliances that lie behind George W. Busha s power * uncovers the ideological sources of the Bush Administration and its highly controversial a war on terrora * written by the celebrated French reporter and author of the best--selling book Busha s War. .Trade Review"Only Christians have their place in paradise, explained George W. to his own mother. If it is populated by people like him, then after reading this book one would rather go to hell." Le Canard enchaîné "The rise of the one-time alcoholic and business failure is fascinating reading." Defence Focus "In this scrupulously researched book based on a wealth of documents, the current President of the United States comes across as nothing other than a man under the influence." France Soir "What is new about Eric Laurent's book is that he puts names to the faces of those who haunt the corridors of the White House and lays bare the machinations that were set in motion more than thirty years ago, in the days following the Vietnam War, by certain multimilllionares who wanted to see the United States stripped of its image as a modern and open country and returned to an almost surrealist orthodox morality." Dernier HeureTable of ContentsChapter 1 Towards Apocalypse. Chapter 2 The 'Heritage' Connection. Chapter 3 The War of Ideas. Chapter 4 Enter the Moonies. Chapter 5 The Question of Israel. Chapter 6 Hawks and Doves. Chapter 7 The Middle East in Focus. Chapter 8 The New Jerusalem?. Chapter 9 The New Arms Race. Chapter 10 Cheney and Company. Chapter 11 A Corrupt Administration?. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisNo other country in the world evokes such contrasting sentiments as the United States of America. This is not new, but it has become particularly virulent in recent years. The reason is simple: after the end of the cold war America has remained the only super power in the world.Trade Review"If you want to understand American politics, its origins, development, and contemporary character, this is the book to read. Fabbrini possesses a masterful command of the complexities of the American political order, yet manages to convey them clearly and memorably. Throughout this compact book, he compares and contrasts American politics with West European politics, delivering broader insight into variations among democracies, while distinguishing his own perspectives from those of both America’s harshest critics and its most ardent apologists. An enormously engaging and satisfying read." George Breslauer, University of California, Berkeley "This is a work of the highest intellectual level. It reflects a mastery of the fields of American politics and of West European comparative politics. The author has the distinctive ability to be a past master of both subjects while retaining a vital critical distance from each. The book is exhaustively researched and clearly presented. After reading it, no American or European will look at the American political system in quite the same way again." Allen Lynch, University of VirginiaTable of ContentsPREFACE. CHAPTER. 1 - ANTI-AMERICANISM IN EUROPE. 1.1. Introduction. 1.2 Anti-Americanism in European Context. 1.3. America and the European Left. 1.4. America and the European Right. 1.5. America and the European Catholic Center. 1.6. Misunderstanding America. 1.7. Conclusion. CHAPTER 2 – A PLEBISCITARY DEMOCRACY?. 2.1. Introduction. 2.2. The Origins of Separated Government. 2.3. Congressional Government. 2.4. The Crisis of Congressional Government. 2.5. Presidential Government. 2.6. The Difficulties of Presidential Government. 2.7. Conclusion. CHAPTER 3 – A DEMOCRACY WITHOUT THE PEOPLE?. 3.1. Introduction. 3.2. The Characteristics of the Electoral System. 3.3 The Developments of the Electoral Process. 3.4. Why Americans don’t vote: the debate. 3.5. Political Parties from Decline to Transformation?. 3.6. Conclusion. CHAPTER 4 – A DEMOCRACY FOR THE RICH?. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. The American Commercial Republic. 4.3. The Neo-conservative Revolution. 4.4. The Weakness of the Democrats: The Two Clinton Presidencies. 4.5. The Anti-politics of the Elites: Term Limits and Recall. 4.6. The Social Implications of American Liberalism. 4.7 Conclusion. CHAPTER 5 – AN IMPERIAL DEMOCRACY?. 5.1. Introduction. 5.2. Foreign and Domestic Policy in America. 5.3. Hegemonic America and the Cold War. 5.4. The End of the Cold War and the First Gulf War. 5.5. The 1990s and the Schizophrenic Power. 5.6. George W. Bush’s America and the Second Gulf War. 5.7. Conclusion. CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS – AMERICA AS A METHOD. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2. American Exceptionalism. 6.3 The Societal and Institutional Antinomies. 6.4. Political Change and American Antinomies. 6.5. America: a Model or a Method?. 6.6. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisNo other country in the world evokes such contrasting sentiments as the United States of America. This is not new, but it has become particularly virulent in recent years. The reason is simple: after the end of the cold war America has remained the only super power in the world.Trade Review"If you want to understand American politics, its origins, development, and contemporary character, this is the book to read. Fabbrini possesses a masterful command of the complexities of the American political order, yet manages to convey them clearly and memorably. Throughout this compact book, he compares and contrasts American politics with West European politics, delivering broader insight into variations among democracies, while distinguishing his own perspectives from those of both America’s harshest critics and its most ardent apologists. An enormously engaging and satisfying read." George Breslauer, University of California, Berkeley "This is a work of the highest intellectual level. It reflects a mastery of the fields of American politics and of West European comparative politics. The author has the distinctive ability to be a past master of both subjects while retaining a vital critical distance from each. The book is exhaustively researched and clearly presented. After reading it, no American or European will look at the American political system in quite the same way again." Allen Lynch, University of VirginiaTable of ContentsPREFACE. CHAPTER. 1 - ANTI-AMERICANISM IN EUROPE. 1.1. Introduction. 1.2 Anti-Americanism in European Context. 1.3. America and the European Left. 1.4. America and the European Right. 1.5. America and the European Catholic Center. 1.6. Misunderstanding America. 1.7. Conclusion. CHAPTER 2 – A PLEBISCITARY DEMOCRACY?. 2.1. Introduction. 2.2. The Origins of Separated Government. 2.3. Congressional Government. 2.4. The Crisis of Congressional Government. 2.5. Presidential Government. 2.6. The Difficulties of Presidential Government. 2.7. Conclusion. CHAPTER 3 – A DEMOCRACY WITHOUT THE PEOPLE?. 3.1. Introduction. 3.2. The Characteristics of the Electoral System. 3.3 The Developments of the Electoral Process. 3.4. Why Americans don’t vote: the debate. 3.5. Political Parties from Decline to Transformation?. 3.6. Conclusion. CHAPTER 4 – A DEMOCRACY FOR THE RICH?. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. The American Commercial Republic. 4.3. The Neo-conservative Revolution. 4.4. The Weakness of the Democrats: The Two Clinton Presidencies. 4.5. The Anti-politics of the Elites: Term Limits and Recall. 4.6. The Social Implications of American Liberalism. 4.7 Conclusion. CHAPTER 5 – AN IMPERIAL DEMOCRACY?. 5.1. Introduction. 5.2. Foreign and Domestic Policy in America. 5.3. Hegemonic America and the Cold War. 5.4. The End of the Cold War and the First Gulf War. 5.5. The 1990s and the Schizophrenic Power. 5.6. George W. Bush’s America and the Second Gulf War. 5.7. Conclusion. CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS – AMERICA AS A METHOD. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2. American Exceptionalism. 6.3 The Societal and Institutional Antinomies. 6.4. Political Change and American Antinomies. 6.5. America: a Model or a Method?. 6.6. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA critical overview of one of the most pervasive digital technologies in the contemporary world. Written by two leading researchers in the field, with international renown and both industrial and academic experience.Trade Review"Storied mobile communication researchers Jonathan Donner and Richard Ling have given us a savvy, panoramic view of how mobile communication has changed and is changing lives around the world. They reveal how portable communication technology is affecting every level of human endeavor, from socioeconomic transformations in the developing world to mischief in the classroom. Their adroit treatment is required reading for anyone interested in the subject." James E. Katz, Rutgers UniversityTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. Chapter 1. Introduction: the quarter century beyond the Maitland commission report. Chapter 2. Short history of mobile communication. Chapter 3. Mobile communication in everyday life: 3 Billion New Phones. Chapter 4. Mobile communication in everyday life: New Choices, New Challenges. Chapter 5. Debates surrounding mobile communication. Chapter 6. Conclusion: Individual addressability, interlacing and the spillover of the control revolution

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Book SynopsisThe first volume in a new textbook series from Polity: key themes in family communication. The volumes are designed to introduce key topics in more depth than the standard overview textbook treatment.Trade Review"This comprehensive and thoughtful book has much to offer anyone striving to get a better understanding of children's communication development and how to capitalize on family communication strengths to nurture children as communicators. This book is a must read for family communication students as well as developmental researchers interested in relational processes across the lifespan."Michelle Miller-Day, Penn State University "Childhood takes center stage as Thomas Soch and Julie Yingling address the communication competencies and needs of that family's youngest members. This long awaited text positions children's positive relational outcomes as central to a child's communication development. The authors envision the family as the first communication environment where parents prepare children to interact competently and positively across developmental stages. the text focuses special attention on diverse family forms, optimal communication environments and child communicative development through an exploration of roles, rules, conflict and decision making."Kathleen Galvin, Northwestern UniversityTable of ContentsList of Tables and Figures. Preface. Chapter 1 Children are Family Communicators Too. Chapter 2 Children's Communication Development at Home. Chapter 3 Children's Communication in Family Units and Family Relationships. Chapter 4 Children and Family Roles & Rules. Chapter 5 Children and Family Decisions, Problems & Conflicts. Chapter 6 Children and Positive Communication Development at Home. Glossary. References. Author Index.

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Book SynopsisFamily Conflict takes a life course approach as it provides an accessible discussion of family conflict issues, processes, and outcomes. Chapters draw on recent theory and research regarding sub-systems and stages in family life to give readers resource-rich overviews of conflict in contemporary families. After the initial chapter presents the landscape of family conflict theory and research, chapters focus on conflict in couple relationships, parent-child relationships, sibling relationships, and in stepfamilies. The book concludes with a discussion of how specific work, health, and disability challenges facing today's families influence, and are influenced by, conflict interactions. Family Conflict will be essential reading for students of family communication, family researchers, professionals who work with families in various stages of life, and anyone who desires a deeper understanding of their own family conflict processes.Trade Review"Scholars and students alike will appreciate this highly accessible volume. The authors masterfully weave together multiple perspectives to cogently capture the state of the art on family conflict."Brett Laursen, Florida Atlantic University"This is an excellent piece of well-balanced, integrative scholarship. The writing is precise yet engaging and the book will be an excellent introduction to family conflict for people new to the area and a useful resource for people already familiar with the topic."John Caughlin, University of IllinoisTable of ContentsDetailed Contents viiiTables and Figures xPreface xi1 Introduction to Family Conflict 12 Marital Conflict 223 Interparental Conflict, Post-Divorce, and Stepfamilies 524 Conflict between Parents and Children 825 Siblings in Conflict 1136 Conflict in the Face of Family Challenges: Work-Family Interface, Health & Disability, and Family Resilience 141Appendices 166References 175Index 197

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Book Synopsis* The first book to focus on the changes digital technologies have made on the production, circulation and consumption of photography. * Considers a range of digital cameras and their contexts, from prosumer SLRs to cameras embedded in mobiles.Trade Review"Hand proves to be a reliable guide in taking us throughwhat remains a rather bewildering landscape."European Journal of Communication"Photography is no longer a hobby or a discrete activity, and Martin Hand sets out in his lucid and engaging study just how it has become 'ubiquitous', modifying and making more visual a whole range of existing social practices."Tim Dant, Lancaster University"Hand's book sets contemporary photographic practices in the context of information technologies, changing cultural and economic forms, and a media-saturated society, and provides a lucid analysis of how these constitute "ubiquitous photography". Its combination of cultural theory, analytic insight, and ethnographic sensibility makes it indispensable reading for anyone seeking to understand contemporary visual culture."Anne Beaulieu, University of GroningenTable of ContentsDetailed Contents vi List of Figures viii Acknowledgements ix 1 Ubiquitous Photography: A Short Introduction 1 2 Visual Culture, Consumption and Technology 25 3 Images and Information: Variation, Manipulation and Ephemerality 59 4 Technologies and Techniques: Reconfiguring Camera, Photographer and Image 96 5 Memory and Classification: Between the Album and the Tag Cloud 143 6 Conclusion: Ubiquitous Photography and Public Culture 185 References and Bibliography 198 Index 215

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Book SynopsisWhy do citizens demand that their political systems be democratic, but tolerate autocratic rule within their organizations? Why do governments spend trillions to aid corporations in spite of intense opposition by the vast majority of their citizens? Why do most people accept cultural myths about economies and organizations in spite of contradictory evidence, while others resist them? This book argues that the answers lie in the power of organizational rhetoric--the strategic use of symbols to manipulate popular opinion and political power. Organizational Rhetoricmines the mythical systems that underlie corporate influence and explains how corporate rhetors use these mythologies to create and sustain preferential public policies and favorable images. Each chapter also examines resistance to these mythologies, and concludes with an illustrative case study. This accessible and engaging book asks readers to think carefully and critically about domination and resistance. MTrade Review"This book is smart, insightful, sometimes funny, sometimes alarming, and always engaging. Professor Conrad opens up space and offers useful guidelines for how to think more critically, carefully and responsibly about the rhetoric produced by and about organizations. The book is intellectually sophisticated yet accessible and Professor Conrad has chosen timely and compelling examples to help illustrate and clarify key ideas."Kathleen Krone, University of NebraskaTable of ContentsChapter 1: What is Rhetoric? What is Organizational Rhetoric? Why are they important? Chapter 2: Creating Topoi for Organizational Rhetoric Chapter 3: Constructing the Leadership Mythos Chapter 4: Organizational Rhetoric and Public Polity Making Chapter 5: Rhetoric and the Management of Organizational Identities, Images and Crises Bibiliography

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Book SynopsisWhy do citizens demand that their political systems be democratic, but tolerate autocratic rule within their organizations? Why do governments spend trillions to aid corporations in spite of intense opposition by the vast majority of their citizens? Why do most people accept cultural myths about economies and organizations in spite of contradictory evidence, while others resist them? This book argues that the answers lie in the power of organizational rhetoric--the strategic use of symbols to manipulate popular opinion and political power. Organizational Rhetoric examines the mythical systems that underlie corporate influence and explains how corporate rhetors use these mythologies to create and sustain preferential public policies and favorable images. Each chapter also examines resistance to these mythologies, and concludes with an illustrative case study. This accessible and engaging book asks readers to think carefully and critically about domination and resistancTrade Review"This book is smart, insightful, sometimes funny, sometimes alarming, and always engaging. Professor Conrad opens up space and offers useful guidelines for how to think more critically, carefully and responsibly about the rhetoric produced by and about organizations. The book is intellectually sophisticated yet accessible and Professor Conrad has chosen timely and compelling examples to help illustrate and clarify key ideas."Kathleen Krone, University of NebraskaTable of ContentsChapter 1: What is Rhetoric? What is Organizational Rhetoric? Why are they important?Chapter 2: Creating Topoi for Organizational RhetoricChapter 3: Constructing the Leadership MythosChapter 4: Organizational Rhetoric and Public Polity MakingChapter 5: Rhetoric and the Management of Organizational Identities, Images and CrisesBibiliography

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Book SynopsisCommunicating Emotion at Work chronicles the rich emotional experiences of employees drawn from a broad cross-section of industries and occupations. It takes a decidedly positive approach, recognizing that emotional communication is a vital and creative response to the challenges of life in complex organizations.Trade Review"This book promises to be required reading for students of organizational communication. No one is better suited than Vince Waldron to provide a state-of-the-art explanation of this important set of issues." Ted Zorn, University of Waikato, New Zealand "This book offers a rich tapestry of the emotional fabric of organizational life. Drawing on recent research, it situates emotional communication as an essential feature of occupational roles, work relationships, and moral judgment. Its superb examples entice the reader through sharing the joys and traumas of the modern workplace." Linda L. Putnam, University of California, Santa Barbara "As someone who has studied and taught about emotions in organizations for many years, I have been consistently disappointed that most books gloss over communication when exploring the issues of work and feelings. Well, I am no longer disappointed! Vince Waldron's book Communicating Emotion at Work presents a thoughtful and meaningful treatment of how emotions, communication, and work intersect to complicate work life in recognized and unrecognized ways. Waldron also goes beyond looking solely at individual-level communication by exploring the organizational, societal, and global factors impacting communication and emotion in organizations. If you're a serious scholar of emotions and communication at work, this book is a key resource you must have on your shelf. Bravo!" Professor Pam Lutgen-Sandvik, University of New Mexico, USA "A thorough and thoroughly engaging read, Communicating Emotion at Work provides an up-to-date overview of the complex role of emotion in the workplace. The cases and illustrations, along with the author's accessible writing style, make this an ideal book for undergraduate and advanced undergraduate classes. It is also a ‘must have' for practitioners and scholars interested in the topic." Patricia Sias, Washington State UniversityTable of ContentsList of Figures and Tables. Preface 1 Emotional Connections: Intersections of Communication, Work, and Feeling. 2 Communicating Emotion: Levels of Organization and Forms of Expression. 3 Emotional Occupations. 4 Work Relationships: Getting Emotional with Peers, Supervisors, and Others. 5 Emotion and Organizational Morality. 6 Emotional Trends. References.

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Book Synopsis* First single authored introduction to an emergent area of media studies. * Media Archaeology is a hot topic which is principally concerned with providing more of a historical view of new media and technology. * This book lays out the key ideas, thinkers and examples to give readers an entry point to this complex area.Trade Review"Provides the urgently needed map into this new field's extensive domain, but also for those already familiar the book is an excellent read." New Formations "Essential reading for anyone interested in the interdisciplinary ties between art, technology and media … Dr Parikka's cutting-edge text contextualizes media archaeology in relation to other key media studies debates while also presenting an engaging and accessible overview for students of media, film and cultural studies." Creative Boom "An exciting and excitable contribution to cultural theory." Reviews in History "A lively introduction to its subject that illuminates exciting avenues for both scholarship and aesthetic practice, and the book should be of interest to Parikka’s fellow travelers as well as anyone wanting a critical overview of this challenging approach to modern media culture." New Media and Society "What Is Media Archaeology? offers important methodological drives that direct our attention to the artistic, mathematical, and non-written ways in which this truly interdisciplinary field is developing." Literary & Linguistic Computing "Jussi Parikka offers a lucid, concise, and highly readable account of a new and exciting field - media archaeology. He demonstrates that contemporary media forms are rooted to the past by multiple threads - untangling them helps us understand the media frenzy that currently surrounds us." Erkki Huhtamo, University of California Los Angeles "A fabulous map of media archaeology that, as its subject compels, produces its territory anew." Matthew Fuller, Goldsmiths "Parrika's adroit combination of depth and brevity takes readers rapidly on wide ranging journeys into exploring contemporary media." Journal of American Studies of Turkey "A welcome fresh perspective on methodologies to carry out research on contemporary media cultures – a real antidote to the hype of new technologies that is characteristic not only of technology journalism but also of so much media studies work. A worthy read." Media, Culture & Society "The most comprehensive coverage to date of this fascinating area of study. Parikka's book offers an excellent overview of connections between the material and social aspects of media technology. He provides a thorough review of the diverse and sometimes contrasting theoretical foundations and provides a host of concrete examples of media-archaeological practice that serve to bridge the gap between heady theoretical trajectories and the concerns of practicing artists, users and other readers who take their technology seriously." Paul DeMarinis, Stanford UniversityTable of ContentsList of Images page vi Acknowledgements vii 1 Introduction: Cartographies of the Old and the New 1 2 Media Archaeology of the Senses: Audiovisual, Affective, Algorithmic 19 3 Imaginary Media: Mapping Weird Objects 41 4 Media Theory and New Materialism 63 5 Mapping Noise and Accidents 90 6 Archive Dynamics: Software Culture and Digital Heritage 113 7 Practising Media Archaeology: Creative Methodologies for Remediation 136 Conclusions: Media Archaeology in Digital Culture 159 Notes 168 Bibliography 181 Index 197

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Book Synopsis* Synthesizes literature from a wide variety of disciplines to examine family interaction in the context of stressful situations. * Designed as a textbook within Polity s Key Themes in Family Communication series. * Looks at the topic of stress and coping across the individual, relational and family levels.Trade Review"Maguire's Stress and Coping in Families is currently the only available textbook in the family communication literature to focus exclusively on the importance of managing the wide range of stressors experienced in contemporary family life. The work provides a solid foundation to help students understand the nature of stress and the significance of communication in positive coping."Thomas J. Socha, Old Dominion University "Stress and Coping in Families weaves together a comprehensive and accessible synthesis of the processes by which families and family members experience and cope with stress. This well-balanced resource supplements research across disciplines with the bright and dark sides of communicative stress and coping, innovates a heuristic communication model, and breathes life into concepts through well-conceived examples and authentic case studies."Jody Kellas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln "In this important new volume, Katheryn Maguire illustrates the complex role that family interaction plays in creating, maintaining, and relieving stress. Maguire synthesizes research from diverse fields including communication, psychology, and family sociology, and offers a unique model of communication-based coping processes. She provides fascinating analyses of stress in three distinct family contexts that will bring both laughter and tears to her readers. Researchers, teachers, and practitioners interested in stress and family interaction should read this book."Anita L. Vangelisti, University of Texas at AustinTable of ContentsDetailed Table of ContentsList of Figures and TablesPrefaceAcknowledgementsPART I FAMILY STRESS THEORY AND RESEARCHChapter 1 Stress in the Mind and BodyChapter 2 Stress and the FamilyChapter 3 Coping with Family StressChapter 4 Communication within the Stress and Coping ProcessesPART II FAMILY STRESS AND COPING IN CONTEXTChapter 5 Stress and Coping during a Wartime DeploymentChapter 6 Stress and Coping during Catastrophic IllnessChapter 7 Stress and Coping during the Transition to ParenthoodReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisWhile disagreement persists in most contemporary organizations, how employees express dissent at work and how their respective organizations respond to it vary widely. This book provides students, scholars, and practitioners with an understanding of dissent as an important aspect of workplace communication.Trade Review"This scholarly acknowledgement of the vital role of dissent is refreshing and long overdue." Choice "Kassing convinces the reader that the question of organizational dissent is of singular importance in the study of organizational communication. The book provides an interesting synthesis of the attitude research designed to tease out the intricacies of dissent, and it is replete with the stories of some of our most important dissenters." Tim Hegstrom, San Jose State University "Dissent in Organizations is an important book for students, scholars, and indeed citizens in general. Kassing widens and deepens our understanding of why and how dissent occurs in organizations. Above all, this book helps to build an important bridge between our understanding of what we do during a huge proportion of the hours of our lives - that is, work - and our common commitment to democratic practices." George Cheney, University of Texas at Austin "Dissent in Organizations is a ‘must read' if you have ever made suggestions for change and been surprised at others' reactions. The book provides an insightful and interesting integration of research on dissent across multiple disciplines. It is full of excellent examples that have immediate relevance to managers and employees across all types of organizations." Linn Van Dyne, Michigan State UniversityTable of ContentsDetailed Table of ContentsList of Tables and FiguresPrefaceChapter 1: Why is Organizational Dissent Relevant?Chapter 2: What is Organizational Dissent?Chapter 3: How Do We Make Sense of Organizational Dissent?Chapter 4: What Triggers Organizational DissentChapter 5: How Do Employees Express Dissent?Chapter 6: Upward Dissent Anyone?Chapter 7: Can Organizational Dissent Be Managed Well?References

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