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American Jewish Year Book 2015: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities (American Jewish Year Book #115)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinThis Year Book, now in its 115th year, provides insight into major trends in the North American Jewish communities and is the Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities. The first two chapters of Part I examine Jewish immigrant groups to the US and Jewish life on campus. Chapters on “National Affairs” and “Jewish Communal Affairs” analyze the year’s events. Three chapters analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Centers, social service agencies, national organizations, overnight camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; academic resources, including Jewish Studies Programs, books, articles websites, and research libraries; and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries. For those interested in the North American Jewish community—scholars, service providers, volunteers—this volume undoubtedly provides the single best source of information on the structure, dynamics, and ongoing religious, political, and social challenges confronting the community. It should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in monitoring the dynamics of change in the Jewish communities of North America. Sidney Goldstein, Founder and Director, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, and Alice Goldstein, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University The American Jewish Year Book is a unique and valuable resource for Jewish community professionals. It is part almanac, directory, encyclopedia and all together a volume to have within easy reach. It is the best, concise diary of trends, events, and personalities of interest for the past year. We should all welcome the Year Book’s publication as a sign of vitality for the Jewish community. Brenda Gevertz, Executive Director, JPRO Network, the Jewish Professional Resource Organization
American Jewish Year Book 2016: The Annual Record of North American Jewish Communities (American Jewish Year Book #116)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinThe American Jewish Year Book, now in its 116th year, is the annual record of the North American Jewish communities and provides insight into their major trends. Part I presents a forum on the Pew Survey, “A Portrait of American Orthodox Jews.” Part II begins with Chapter 13, "The Jewish Family." Chapter 14 examines “American Jews and the International Arena (April 1, 2015 – April 15, 2016), which focuses on US–Israel Relations. Chapters 15-17 analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canadian, and world Jewish populations. In Part III, Chapter 18 provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, synagogues, Hillels, day schools, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. In the final chapters, Chapter 19 presents national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; Chapter 20 provides academic resources, including Jewish Studies programs, books, articles, websites, and research libraries; and Chapter 21 presents lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries.An invaluable record of Jewish life, the American Jewish Year Book illuminates contemporary issues with insight and breadth. It is a window into a complex and ever-changing world.Deborah Dash Moore, Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor of History and Judaic Studies, and Director Emerita of the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of MichiganA century from now and more, the stately volumes of the American Jewish Year Book will stand as the authoritative record of Jewish life since 1900. For anyone interested in tracing the long-term evolution of Jewish social, political, religious, and cultural trends from an objective yet passionately Jewish perspective, there simply is no substitute.Lawrence Grossman, American Jewish Year Book Editor (1999-2008) and Contributor (1988-2015)
American Jewish Year Book 2017: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities (American Jewish Year Book #117)
by Ira M. Sheskin Arnold DashefskyThe American Jewish Year Book, now in its 117th year, is the annual record of the North American Jewish communities and provides insight into their major trends. The first chapter of Part I is an examination of how American Jews fit into the US religious landscape, based on Pew Research Center studies. The second chapter examines intermarriage. Chapters on “The Domestic Arena” and “The International Arena” analyze the year’s events as they affect American Jewish communal and political affairs. Three chapters analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, synagogues, Hillels, day schools, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; academic resources, including Jewish Studies programs, books, journals, articles, websites, and research libraries; and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries.
American Jewish Year Book 2018: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities Since 1899 (American Jewish Year Book #118)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinThe American Jewish Year Book, now in its 118th year, is the annual record of the North American Jewish communities and provides insight into their major trends. The first two chapters of Part I include a special forum on "Contemporary American Jewry: Grounds for Optimism or Pessimism?" with assessments from more than 20 experts in the field. The third chapter examines antisemitism in Contemporary America. Chapters on “The Domestic Arena” and “The International Arena” analyze the year’s events as they affect American Jewish communal and political affairs. Three chapters analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, synagogues, Hillels, day schools, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; academic resources, including Jewish Studies programs, books, journals, articles, websites, and research libraries; and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries. Today, as it has for over a century, the American Jewish Year Book remains the single most useful source of information and analysis on Jewish demography, social and political trends, culture, and religion. For anyone interested in Jewish life, it is simply indispensable. David Harris, CEO, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Edward and Sandra Meyer Office of the CEO The American Jewish Year Book stands as an unparalleled resource for scholars, policy makers, Jewish community professionals and thought leaders. This authoritative and comprehensive compendium of facts and figures, trends and key issues, observations and essays, is the essential guide to contemporary American Jewish life in all its dynamic multi-dimensionality. Christine Hayes, President, Association for Jewish Studies (AJS)and Robert F. and Patricia R. Weis Professor of Religious Studies in Classical Judaica at Yale University
American Jewish Year Book 2019: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities Since 1899 (American Jewish Year Book #119)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinPart I of each volume will feature 5-7 major review chapters, including 2-3 long chapters reviewing topics of major concern to the American Jewish community written by top experts on each topic, review chapters on "National Affairs" and "Jewish Communal Affairs" and articles on the Jewish population of the United States and the World Jewish Population. Future major review chapters will include such topics as Jewish Education in America, American Jewish Philanthropy, Israel/Diaspora Relations, American Jewish Demography, American Jewish History, LGBT Issues in American Jewry, American Jews and National Elections, Orthodox Judaism in the US, Conservative Judaism in the US, Reform Judaism in the US, Jewish Involvement in the Labor Movement, Perspectives in American Jewish Sociology, Recent Trends in American Judaism, Impact of Feminism on American Jewish Life, American Jewish Museums, Anti-Semitism in America, and Inter-Religious Dialogue in America. Part II-V of each volume will continue the tradition of listing Jewish Federations, national Jewish organizations, Jewish periodicals, and obituaries. But to this list are added lists of Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Camps, Jewish Museums, Holocaust Museums, and Jewish honorees (both those honored through awards by Jewish organizations and by receiving honors, such as Presidential Medals of Freedom and Academy Awards, from the secular world). We expand the Year Book tradition of bringing academic research to the Jewish communal world by adding lists of academic journals, articles in academic journals on Jewish topics, Jewish websites, and books on American and Canadian Jews. Finally, we add a list of major events in the North American Jewish Community.
American Jewish Year Book 2020: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities Since 1899 (American Jewish Year Book #120)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinThe American Jewish Year Book, which spans three different centuries, is the annual record of the North American Jewish communities and provides insight into their major trends. Part I of the current volume contains the lead article: Chapter 1, “Pastrami, Verklempt, and Tshoot-spa: Non-Jews’ Use of Jewish Language in the US” by Sarah Bunin Benor. Following this chapter are three on domestic and international events, which analyze the year’s events as they affect American Jewish communal and political affairs. Three chapters analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, synagogues, Hillels, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; academic resources, including Jewish Studies programs, books, journals, articles, websites, and research libraries; and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries. While written mostly by academics, this volume conveys an accessible style, making it of interest to public officials, professional and lay leaders in the Jewish community, as well as the general public and academic researchers. The American Jewish Year Book has been a key resource for social scientists exploring comparative and historical data on Jewish population patterns. No less important, the Year Book serves organization leaders and policy makers as the source for valuable data on Jewish communities and as a basis for planning. Serious evidence-based articles regularly appear in the Year Book that focus on analyses and reviews of critical issues facing American Jews and their communities which are indispensable for scholars and community leaders.Calvin Goldscheider, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Ungerleider Professor Emeritus of Judaic Studies, Brown University They have done it again. The American Jewish Year Book has produced yet another edition to add to its distinguished tradition of providing facts, figures and analyses of contemporary life in North America. Its well-researched and easily accessible essays offer the most up to date scrutiny of topics and challenges of importance to American Jewish life; to the American scene of which it is a part and to world Jewry. Whether one is an academic or professional member of the Jewish community (or just an interested reader of all things Jewish), there is not another more impressive and informative reading than the American Jewish Year Book. Debra Renee Kaufman, Professor Emerita and Matthews Distinguished University Professor, Northeastern University
American Jewish Year Book 2021: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities Since 1899 (American Jewish Year Book #121)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinAcross three centuries, AJYB has provided insight into major trends. Part I of the current volume contains two chapters on Jewish Americans in 2020 by the Pew Research Center, including reactions from 16 prominent social scientists. Subsequent chapters analyze the development of Holocaust consciousness in America, recent domestic and international events as they affect the American Jewish community, and the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present lists of Jewish periodicals and broadcast media, Jewish Studies programs, books, journals, articles, websites, research libraries, and academic conferences and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries. This volume employs an accessible style, making it of interest to public officials, Jewish professional and lay leaders, as well as the general public and academic researchers.For more than 120 years the American Jewish Year Book has served as an indispensable resource for scholars, clergy, and lay leaders, providing crucial, detailed insights into demographic shifts and sociological trends in the North American Jewish community. The latest edition continues to fulfill these important needs with essential articles on the landmark Pew Report and the impact of the Holocaust in the American Jewish community and American in general. This is a must-have volume for any serious student of the contemporary Jewish world.Jeffrey Shoulson, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Professor of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, and English, Director Emeritus Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, University of ConnecticutThe American Jewish Year Book is a critical snapshot of Jews and Jewish Studies in the United States in a particular year, and a valuable resource for scholars studying the changes in Jewish communities and Jewish Studies in the United States (and beyond!) over time. The AJYB highlights major publications and data that are consistently used in research, and its scholarly essays contextualize the information in an easily readable context. The lists of important institutions and organizations are invaluable for someone interested in the broader Jewish experience (or, at the most practical, a Jewish organization in their neighborhood!).Michelle Margolis Chesner, Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies, Columbia University
American Jewish Year Book 2022: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities Since 1899 (American Jewish Year Book #122)
by Arnold Dashefsky Ira M. SheskinAcross three different centuries, the American Jewish Year Book has provided insight into major trends among Jews primarily in North America. Part I of the current volume contains two chapters: One is a critical assessment of the major American Jewish Population Surveys over the past fifty years (1970-2020). The second chapter is an assessment of the media coverage of Israel in the American Press. Subsequent chapters address recent domestic and international events as they affect the American Jewish community, and the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and World Jewish populations. Part II provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present lists of Jewish periodicals and broadcast media, Jewish Studies programs, books, journals, articles, websites, research libraries, and academic conferences as well as lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries. This volume employs an accessible style, making it of interest to public officials, Jewish professional and lay leaders, as well as the general public and academic researchers.The American Jewish Year Book is a tremendously useful resource for scholars, Jewish community professionals, pundits, clergy, and policy makers. For over a century, it has offered comprehensive insight into North American Jewish demography, sociology, and culture. It remains a vital source for comprehending the complexities of American and Canadian Jewish life.Robin Judd, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Hoffman Program for Leaders and Leadership in History, The Ohio State UniversityThe American Jewish Year Book is the first draft of history, documenting the trends and topics of interest for such an organized community. Looking through the 100+ volumes, we can track how discussions have changed over time, which concerns have returned, and how we arrived at the current point in time. It is a valuable tool for anyone interested in trends in American Jewish life.David Manchester, Director of the Berman Jewish DataBank and Director of Community Data and Research Development at The Jewish Federations of North America
American Jewry and the Oslo Years
by N. RubinThe Oslo Process of September 1993 to January 2001 ultimately brought about a permanent break in American Judaism's traditional wall-to-wall support for any Israeli government. Drawing on extensive new sources, Rubin analyzes what this meant for the American and Israeli Jewish communities—critical constituencies in past and future negotiations.
The American Journalist in the 1990s: U.S. News People at the End of An Era
by David H. Weaver G. Cleveland WilhoitWho are U.S. journalists? What are their backgrounds and educational experiences? Why did they choose journalism as an occupation? What do they think about their work? What are their professional and ethical values? What kinds of work do they consider their best? Do men differ from women on these questions? Do ethnic and racial minorities differ from the majority? Do journalists working for different print and broadcast news media differ? This book uses findings from the most comprehensive and representative study ever done of the demographic and educational backgrounds, working conditions, and professional and ethical values of 1,410 U.S. print and broadcast journalists working in the 1990s to answer these questions, including separate analyses for women and minority news people. It also compares many of these findings with those from the major studies of the early 1970s and 1980s. As such, it should be the standard reference on U.S. journalists for years to come. In addition, this study goes beyond the previous two in adding more open-ended questions to explain and enrich quantitative findings, in the belief that the numbers by themselves are not enough to provide explanations for the patterns that emerge. This book includes more of the journalists' own words to fill this gap, as well as an analysis of samples of their self-selected best work.
The American Journalist in the 1990s: U.S. News People at the End of An Era
by David H. Weaver G. Cleveland WilhoitWho are U.S. journalists? What are their backgrounds and educational experiences? Why did they choose journalism as an occupation? What do they think about their work? What are their professional and ethical values? What kinds of work do they consider their best? Do men differ from women on these questions? Do ethnic and racial minorities differ from the majority? Do journalists working for different print and broadcast news media differ? This book uses findings from the most comprehensive and representative study ever done of the demographic and educational backgrounds, working conditions, and professional and ethical values of 1,410 U.S. print and broadcast journalists working in the 1990s to answer these questions, including separate analyses for women and minority news people. It also compares many of these findings with those from the major studies of the early 1970s and 1980s. As such, it should be the standard reference on U.S. journalists for years to come. In addition, this study goes beyond the previous two in adding more open-ended questions to explain and enrich quantitative findings, in the belief that the numbers by themselves are not enough to provide explanations for the patterns that emerge. This book includes more of the journalists' own words to fill this gap, as well as an analysis of samples of their self-selected best work.
The American Journalist in the 21st Century: U.S. News People at the Dawn of a New Millennium (Routledge Communication Series)
by David H. Weaver Randal A. Beam Bonnie J. Brownlee Paul S. Voakes G. Cleveland WilhoitAn authoritative and detailed illustration of the state of journalistic practice in the United States today, The American Journalist in the 21st Century sheds light on the demographic and educational backgrounds, working conditions, and professional and ethical values of print, broadcast, and Internet journalists at the beginning of the 21st century. Providing results from telephone surveys of nearly 1,500 U.S. journalists working in a variety of media outlets, this volume updates the findings published in the earlier report, The American Journalist in the 1990s, and reflects the continued evolution of journalistic practice and professionalism. The scope of material included here is extensive and inclusive, representing numerous facets of journalistic practice and professionalism, and featuring separate analyses for women, minority, and online journalists. Many findings are set in context and compared with previous major studies of U.S. journalists conducted in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Serving as a detailed snapshot of current journalistic practice, The American Journalist in the 21st Century offers an intriguing and enlightening profile of professional journalists today, and it will be of great interest and value to working journalists, journalism educators, media managers, journalism students, and others seeking insights into the current state of the journalism profession.
The American Journalist in the 21st Century: U.S. News People at the Dawn of a New Millennium (Routledge Communication Series)
by David H. Weaver Randal A. Beam Bonnie J. Brownlee Paul S. Voakes G. Cleveland WilhoitAn authoritative and detailed illustration of the state of journalistic practice in the United States today, The American Journalist in the 21st Century sheds light on the demographic and educational backgrounds, working conditions, and professional and ethical values of print, broadcast, and Internet journalists at the beginning of the 21st century. Providing results from telephone surveys of nearly 1,500 U.S. journalists working in a variety of media outlets, this volume updates the findings published in the earlier report, The American Journalist in the 1990s, and reflects the continued evolution of journalistic practice and professionalism. The scope of material included here is extensive and inclusive, representing numerous facets of journalistic practice and professionalism, and featuring separate analyses for women, minority, and online journalists. Many findings are set in context and compared with previous major studies of U.S. journalists conducted in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Serving as a detailed snapshot of current journalistic practice, The American Journalist in the 21st Century offers an intriguing and enlightening profile of professional journalists today, and it will be of great interest and value to working journalists, journalism educators, media managers, journalism students, and others seeking insights into the current state of the journalism profession.
American Juvenile Justice
by Franklin E. ZimringAmerican Juvenile Justice is a definitive volume for courses on the criminology and policy analysis of adolescence. The focus is on the principles and policy of a separate and distinct system of juvenile justice. The book opens with an introduction of the creation of adolescence, presenting a justification for the category of the juvenile or a period of partial responsibility before full adulthood. Subsequent sections include empirical investigations of the nature of youth criminality and legal policy toward youth crime. At the heart of the book is an argument for a penal policy that recognizes diminished responsibility and a youth policy that emphasizes the benefits of letting the maturing process continue with minimal interruption. In this updated and expanded second edition, Zimring has included four new chapters with examinations on important topics including, US Supreme Court decisions of life sentences for minors, the elected use of juvenile courts over criminal court, punitive sex offender registration for juveniles, and appropriate tactics for juvenile justice reform.
American Juvenile Justice (Youth, Crime, And Justice Ser. #5)
by Franklin E. ZimringAmerican Juvenile Justice is a definitive volume for courses on the criminology and policy analysis of adolescence. The focus is on the principles and policy of a separate and distinct system of juvenile justice. The book opens with an introduction of the creation of adolescence, presenting a justification for the category of the juvenile or a period of partial responsibility before full adulthood. Subsequent sections include empirical investigations of the nature of youth criminality and legal policy toward youth crime. At the heart of the book is an argument for a penal policy that recognizes diminished responsibility and a youth policy that emphasizes the benefits of letting the maturing process continue with minimal interruption. In this updated and expanded second edition, Zimring has included four new chapters with examinations on important topics including, US Supreme Court decisions of life sentences for minors, the elected use of juvenile courts over criminal court, punitive sex offender registration for juveniles, and appropriate tactics for juvenile justice reform.
American Kinship: A Cultural Account
by David M. SchneiderAmerican Kinship is the first attempt to deal systematically with kinship as a system of symbols and meanings, and not simply as a network of functionally interrelated familial roles. Schneider argues that the study of a highly differentiated society such as our own may be more revealing of the nature of kinship than the study of anthropologically more familiar, but less differentiated societies. He goes to the heart of the ideology of relations among relatives in America by locating the underlying features of the definition of kinship—nature vs. law, substance vs. code. One of the most significant features of American Kinship, then, is the explicit development of a theory of culture on which the analysis is based, a theory that has since proved valuable in the analysis of other cultures. For this Phoenix edition, Schneider has written a substantial new chapter, responding to his critics and recounting the charges in his thought since the book was first published in 1968.
American Kinship: A Cultural Account
by David M. SchneiderAmerican Kinship is the first attempt to deal systematically with kinship as a system of symbols and meanings, and not simply as a network of functionally interrelated familial roles. Schneider argues that the study of a highly differentiated society such as our own may be more revealing of the nature of kinship than the study of anthropologically more familiar, but less differentiated societies. He goes to the heart of the ideology of relations among relatives in America by locating the underlying features of the definition of kinship—nature vs. law, substance vs. code. One of the most significant features of American Kinship, then, is the explicit development of a theory of culture on which the analysis is based, a theory that has since proved valuable in the analysis of other cultures. For this Phoenix edition, Schneider has written a substantial new chapter, responding to his critics and recounting the charges in his thought since the book was first published in 1968.
American Kinship: A Cultural Account
by David M. SchneiderAmerican Kinship is the first attempt to deal systematically with kinship as a system of symbols and meanings, and not simply as a network of functionally interrelated familial roles. Schneider argues that the study of a highly differentiated society such as our own may be more revealing of the nature of kinship than the study of anthropologically more familiar, but less differentiated societies. He goes to the heart of the ideology of relations among relatives in America by locating the underlying features of the definition of kinship—nature vs. law, substance vs. code. One of the most significant features of American Kinship, then, is the explicit development of a theory of culture on which the analysis is based, a theory that has since proved valuable in the analysis of other cultures. For this Phoenix edition, Schneider has written a substantial new chapter, responding to his critics and recounting the charges in his thought since the book was first published in 1968.
American Kinship: A Cultural Account
by David M. SchneiderAmerican Kinship is the first attempt to deal systematically with kinship as a system of symbols and meanings, and not simply as a network of functionally interrelated familial roles. Schneider argues that the study of a highly differentiated society such as our own may be more revealing of the nature of kinship than the study of anthropologically more familiar, but less differentiated societies. He goes to the heart of the ideology of relations among relatives in America by locating the underlying features of the definition of kinship—nature vs. law, substance vs. code. One of the most significant features of American Kinship, then, is the explicit development of a theory of culture on which the analysis is based, a theory that has since proved valuable in the analysis of other cultures. For this Phoenix edition, Schneider has written a substantial new chapter, responding to his critics and recounting the charges in his thought since the book was first published in 1968.
American Labor: A Documentary History
by M. Dubofsky J. McCartinThis single-volume comprehensive compilation of documents integrates institutional labour history (movements and trade unions) with aspects of social and cultural history, as well as charting changes in trade union and managerial practices, and integrating the economics and politics of labour history. It includes documents that treat household relations as well as industrial relations; women as domestic workers and unpaid household labour as well as factory workers; and African American, Hispanic American (especially Mexican and Mexican American), and Asian workers as well as white workers. American Labor offers readers an insight into the full spectrum historically of workers, their daily lives, and the movements that they created.
American Labor's Global Ambassadors: The International History of the AFL-CIO during the Cold War
by Robert Anthony Waters JR. Geert Van Goethem MARCEL VAN DER L INDENAfter World War II, the AFL-CIO pursued an ambitious agenda of containing global communism and helping to throw off the shackles of colonialism. This sweeping collection brings together contributions from leading historians to explore its successes, challenges, and inevitable compromises as it pursued these initiatives during the Cold War.
American Labyrinth: Intellectual History for Complicated Times
by Raymond Haberski Andrew HartmanIntellectual history has never been more relevant and more important to public life in the United States. In complicated and confounding times, people look for the principles that drive action and the foundations that support national ideals. American Labyrinth demonstrates the power of intellectual history to illuminate our public life and examine our ideological assumptions.This volume of essays brings together 19 influential intellectual historians to contribute original thoughts on topics of widespread interest. Raymond Haberski Jr. and Andrew Hartman asked a group of nimble, sharp scholars to respond to a simple question: How might the resources of intellectual history help shed light on contemporary issues with historical resonance? The answers—all rigorous, original, and challenging—are as eclectic in approach and temperament as the authors are different in their interests and methods. Taken together, the essays of American Labyrinth illustrate how intellectual historians, operating in many different registers at once and ranging from the theoretical to the political, can provide telling insights for understanding a public sphere fraught with conflict.In order to understand why people are ready to fight over cultural symbols and political positions we must have insight into how ideas organize, enliven, and define our lives. Ultimately, as Haberski and Hartman show in this volume, the best route through our contemporary American labyrinth is the path that traces our practical and lived ideas.
American Latvians: Politics of a Refugee Community
by Ieva ZakeThis book analyzes the political experience of a small and unique American ethnic group-American Latvians. This community was constituted by post-World War II political refugees, who fled Communism and arrived in the United States seeking safety and protection. For decades, they insisted on preserving their ethnic identity and therefore did not call themselves Latvian Americans. Instead, they formed a distinctive double identity, that is, they blended into the American society economically and socially, but refused to become assimilated culturally and politically. The book offers a detailed look into the life of this community of political refugees, which also provides a novel perspective on the Cold War as experienced by certain ethnic groups. From a theoretical point of view, the book makes two major contributions. First, it reasserts the need to understand the generalized category of "white Americans" or "white ethnics" with more nuance and attention to differences, and, second, it strengthens the so-called realist claim that refugees are not like other immigrants. In order to achieve these goals, the book provides compelling descriptions and interpretations of the most politically relevant moments in the experience of American Latvians in the period between the 1950s and the 1990s. Concretely, the book deals with topics as the American Latvians' anti-communist activism, the impact of the hunt for Nazis on Latvian emigres, the Soviet Union's anti-emigre propaganda campaigns and the exiled Latvians' involvement in the politics of national liberation in Latvia. The author strives to reveal the complexity of the refugee experience in the United States during the Cold War and its aftermath. Since such aspects of the life of ethnic groups in the United States have not been sufficiently studied, this book makes a substantial contribution to a fuller understanding of American immigration history and sociology of ethnic groups. It is well written, expertly organized, and will be of interest to a large readership at many levels of academia.
American Latvians: Politics of a Refugee Community
by Ieva ZakeThis book analyzes the political experience of a small and unique American ethnic group-American Latvians. This community was constituted by post-World War II political refugees, who fled Communism and arrived in the United States seeking safety and protection. For decades, they insisted on preserving their ethnic identity and therefore did not call themselves Latvian Americans. Instead, they formed a distinctive double identity, that is, they blended into the American society economically and socially, but refused to become assimilated culturally and politically. The book offers a detailed look into the life of this community of political refugees, which also provides a novel perspective on the Cold War as experienced by certain ethnic groups. From a theoretical point of view, the book makes two major contributions. First, it reasserts the need to understand the generalized category of "white Americans" or "white ethnics" with more nuance and attention to differences, and, second, it strengthens the so-called realist claim that refugees are not like other immigrants. In order to achieve these goals, the book provides compelling descriptions and interpretations of the most politically relevant moments in the experience of American Latvians in the period between the 1950s and the 1990s. Concretely, the book deals with topics as the American Latvians' anti-communist activism, the impact of the hunt for Nazis on Latvian emigres, the Soviet Union's anti-emigre propaganda campaigns and the exiled Latvians' involvement in the politics of national liberation in Latvia. The author strives to reveal the complexity of the refugee experience in the United States during the Cold War and its aftermath. Since such aspects of the life of ethnic groups in the United States have not been sufficiently studied, this book makes a substantial contribution to a fuller understanding of American immigration history and sociology of ethnic groups. It is well written, expertly organized, and will be of interest to a large readership at many levels of academia.
American Life Writing and the Medical Humanities: Writing Contagion
by Samantha Allen WrightAmerican Life Writing and the Medical Humanities: Writing Contagion bridges a gap in the market by linking the medical humanities with disability studies. It examines how Americans have used life writing to record epidemic disease throughout history. Starting in the late 1800s with Yellow Fever and ending with the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreaks, the author tracks how American life writing changed literature, history, and medicine. Although the illness narrative genre became more popular in the mid-20th century, Americans have been writing illness narratives throughout American history. Writing Contagion focuses on American epidemics to see how these outbreaks spurred Americans into telling their stories. Looking at book-length narratives of illness and disability, the author traces the development and lineage of illness narratives from early American nonfiction writing, to literary modernism and to contemporary memoir. Viewing illness narratives as intensely interdisciplinary, the author argues that to understand both the importance and influence of this genre within American literature, illness narratives need to be read through literary, disability studies, and medical humanities frameworks to challenge ableist assumptions and demonstrate how illness narratives are of both historical and literary importance in America.