Description
Book SynopsisFrom gated communities to Heaven''s Gate, the idea and practice of community in America have not only declined but mutated. In the process, Americans'' longing to be connected to something greater than themselves has intensified. This longing, coupled with an absence of genuine community alternatives, opens the way to counterfeit claims by those promoting economic rather than social agendas. This book examines ''counterfeit community'' as it has become manifest throughout contemporary American society_in housing, as it shapes our public spaces; in the workplace; in politics; in religion; and most recently, in cyberspace. Promises of community come from those hawking exclusive golf course housing developments, from shopping malls and shopping channels, from ''total quality management'' and mission statement rhetoric, from televangelists and electronic town meetings_and all lure us in, only to disappoint. As Counterfeit Community shows, building genuine community means no quick fixes and
Trade ReviewCounterfeit Community crackles with life as well as a certain healthy skepticism. The examples are down to earth, the range of topics John Freie pursues is delightful, and his probing observations are such a strength. Of course this is a controversial book, in its definition of what community should be and should not be and in terms of how the examples are read by the author. That is all to the good; it gets one thinking and sometimes even gets the blood moving. A sassy and valuable contribution to the whole community debate. -- Robert Booth Fowler, University of Wisconsin, Madison
In each of his six analyses, Freie develops a strong argument for how to strengthen genuine community. -- Gordana Rabrenovic, Northeastern University * Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences *
Freie's treatment of space from the perspective of ethics adds to an extensive literature in architecture, city planning, and postmodernism and is most welcome. -- Christine E. Gudorf * The Review of Politics *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Identifying the Counterfeit Chapter 2 Genuine Community Chapter 3 Housing Chapter 4 Public Spaces Chapter 5 The Workplace Chapter 6 Political Community Chapter 7 Religion Chapter 8 Cyberspace Chapter 9 Popular Solutions Chapter 10 Pathways to Genuine Community
