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Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > General
Speed is the essence of the modern era, but our faster, more
frenetic lives often trouble us and leave us wondering how we are
meant to live in today's world. Slow Living explores the philosophy
and politics of 'slowness' as it investigates the growth of Slow
Food into a worldwide, 'eco-gastronomic' movement. Originating in
Italy, Slow Food is not only committed to the preservation of
traditional cuisines and sustainable agriculture but also the
pleasures of the table and a slower approach to life in general.
Craig and Parkins argue that slow living is a complex response to
processes of globalization. It connects ethics and pleasure, the
global and the local, as part of a new emphasis on everyday life in
contemporary culture and politics. The 'global everyday' is not a
simple tale of speed and geographical dislocation. Instead, we all
negotiate different times and spaces that make our quality of life
and an 'ethics of living' more pressing concerns. This innovative
book shows how slow living is about the challenges of living a more
mindful and pleasurable life.
French Intellectuals at a Crossroads examines a broad array of
interrelated subjects: the effect of World War I on France's
intellectual community, the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise
of international communism, calls for pacifism, the creation of an
"Intellectuals' International of the Mind," the debate over the
myth of the disengaged intellectual, the apolitical group of
"intellectuels non-conformistes," and, finally, the challenges of
surrealism. Together, these developments reflected the diversity of
intellectual commitment in France in the uncertain and troubled
1920s and 1930s. The interwar period also witnessed France's
relative decline, as expressed in a move from a mood of immense
relief coupled with a feeling of debilitating fatigue to an
inward-looking, pessimistic, and defeatist outlook that presaged
World War II and national collapse.
For Ukraine, the signing of the Association Agreement and the DCFTA
with the European Union in 2014 was an act of strategic
geopolitical significance. Emblematic of the struggle to replace
the Yanukovych regime at home and to resist attempts by Russia to
deny its 'European choice', the Association Agreement is a defiant
statement of Ukraine's determination to become an independent
democratic state. The purpose of this Handbook is to make the
complex political, economic and legal content of the Association
Agreement readily understandable. This third edition, published
seven years since signature of after entry into force of the
Agreement's implementation is substantially new in content, both
updating how Ukraine has been implementing the Agreement, and
introducing new dimensions (including the Green Deal, the Covid-19
pandemic, cyber security, and gender equality). The Handbook is
also up to date in analysing Ukraine's the development of the
Zelensky administration, with its unfinished agenda for cutting
corruption and reforming the rule of law. Two teams of researchers
from leading independent think tanks, CEPS in Brussels and the
Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER) in
Kyiv, collaborated on this project, with the support of the Swedish
International Development Agency (Sida). This Handbook is one of a
trilogy examining similar Association Agreements made by the EU
with Georgia and Moldova.
The thirteenth-century cookbook Fidalat al-khiwan fi tayyibat
al-ta'am wa-l-alwan by the Andalusi scholar Ibn Razin al-Tujibi
showcases 475 exquisite recipes. This edition was meticulously
translated into English based on a newly discovered manuscript
containing the complete text. It includes an introduction,
glossary, 218 color illustrations, and 24 modernized recipes.
Singin' in the Rain, The Sound of Music, Camelot--love them or love
to hate them, movie musicals have been a major part of all our
lives. They're so glitzy and catchy that it seems impossible that
they could have ever gone any other way. But the ease in which they
unfold on the screen is deceptive. Dorothy's dream of finding a
land "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut, and even a film
as great as The Band Wagon was, at the time, a major flop.
In Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter, award winning
historian Richard Barrios explores movie musicals from those first
hits, The Jazz Singer and Broadway Melody, to present-day Oscar
winners Chicago and Les Miserables. History, film analysis, and a
touch of backstage gossip combine to make Dangerous Rhythm a
compelling look at musicals and the powerful, complex bond they
forge with their audiences. Going behind the scenes, Barrios
uncovers the rocky relationship between Broadway and Hollywood, the
unpublicized off-camera struggles of directors, stars, and
producers, and all the various ways by which some films became our
most indelible cultural touchstones -- and others ended up as train
wrecks.
Not content to leave any format untouched, Barrios examines
animated musicals and popular music with insight and enthusiasm.
Cartoons have been intimately connected with musicals since
Steamboat Willie. Disney's short Silly Symphonies grew into the
instant classic Snow White, which paved the way for that modern
masterpiece, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. Without movie
musicals, Barrios argues, MTV would have never existed. On the flip
side, without MTV we might have been spared Evita.
Informed, energetic, and humorous, Dangerous Rhythm is both an
impressive piece of scholarship and a joy to read."
Our food system is broken, and it's endangering what's most
precious to us: our environment, our health, our soil and water,
and our future. In recent years, a host of books and films have
compellingly documented the dangers. But advice on what to do about
them largely begins and ends with the admonition to eat local" or
eat organic." Longtime good food pioneer Oran Hesterman knows that
we can't fix the broken system simply by changing what's on our own
plates: the answer lies beyond the kitchen. In Fair Food he shares
an inspiring and practical vision for changing not only what we
eat, but how food is grown, packaged, delivered, marketed, and
sold. He introduces people and organizations across the country who
are already doing this work in a number of creative ways, and
provides a wealth of practical information for readers who want to
get more involved.
Despite the brevity of its run and the diminutive size of its
audience, The English Intelligencer is a key publication in the
history of literary modernism in the British Isles. Emerging in the
mid-1960s from a dissatisfaction with the prevailing norms of
'Betjeman's England', the young writers associated with it were
catalysed by the example of Donald Allen's The New American Poetry
as they sought to establish a revitalised modernist poetics. Late
Modernism and The English Intelligencer gives the first full
account of the extraordinary history of this publication, bringing
to light extensive new archival material to establish an
authoritative contextualisation of its operation and its
relationship with post-war British poetry. This material provides
compelling new insights into the work of the Intelligencer poets
themselves and, more broadly, the continued presence of an
international poetic modernism as a vital force in Britain in the
second half of the twentieth century.
'German militarism' has long been understood to be a central
element of German society. Considering the role of militarism, this
book investigates how conscription has contributed to instilling a
strong sense of military commitment amongst the German public.A
Nation in Barracks tells the story of how military-civil relations
have evolved in Germany during the last two hundred years. Focusing
on the introduction and development of military conscription, the
author looks at its relationship to state citizenship, nation
building, gender formation and the concept of violence. She begins
with the early nineteenth century, when conscription was first used
in Prussia and initially met with harsh criticism from all aspects
of society, and continues through to the two Germanies of the
post-1949 period. The book covers the Prussian model used during
World War I, the Weimar Republic when no conscription was enforced
and the mass military mobilization of the Third Reich.Throughout
this comprehensive account, acclaimed historian Ute Frevert
examines how civil society deals with institutionalized violence
and how this affects models of citizenship and gender relations.
The Emergence of the French Public Intellectual provides a working
definition of "public intellectuals" in order to clarify who they
are and what they do. It then follows their varied itineraries from
the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and the Enlightenment to
the nineteenth century. Public intellectuals became a fixture in
French society during the Dreyfus Affair but have a long history in
France, as the contributions of Christine de Pizan, Voltaire, and
Victor Hugo, among many others, illustrate. The French novelist
Emile Zola launched the Dreyfus Affair when he published
"J'Accuse," an open letter to French President Felix Faure
denouncing a conspiracy by the government and army against Captain
Alfred Dreyfus, who was Jewish and had been wrongly convicted of
treason three years earlier. The consequent emergence of a
publicly-engaged intellectual created a new, modern space in
intellectual life as France and the world confronted the challenges
of the twentieth century.
Who has the right to speak? How is this right acquired? What
happens when this right is denied or inhibited? These are the
questions examined by Michel de Certeau in this foundational
exploration of political expression and participation.
In The Capture off Speech, de Certeau moves beyond formal or
legal definitions of rights. He argues that to "communicate" in a
contemporary political system means not only having the abstract
possibility of utterance, but possessing the conditions that allow
being heard. De Certeau emphasizes that all too often free speech
is upheld in the abstract while social institutions work in such a
way as to deny access to effective communication.
The book's title essay was written in response to the
revolutionary events of May 1968. Almost thirty years later, these
essays remain a central resource for exploring de Certeau's
political thought.
In recent years, India has emerged as a major economic and
political power: on the basis of purchasing-power parity, it was
the world's third largest economy in 2013. Yet the country's
cultural influence outside India has not been adequately analyzed
in academic discourses. As the world's largest democracy with a
vibrant and pluralist media system, India offers an excellent case
study of the power of culture and communication in the age of
mediated international relations. This book, a pioneering attempt,
from an international communication/media perspective, is aimed to
fill the existing gap in scholarship in this area. The discussion
of India's rising soft power is located within a historical
context, thus problematizing the notion of Soft Power itself. The
book will be aimed at university courses on global
media/international relations/area studies - among others.
Ancient Magic and the Supernatural in the Modern Visual and
Performing Arts examines the impact of ancient religious,
mythological and magical models on modern mentalities and
ideologies as expressed in the visual and performing arts.To what
extent did mythological figures such as Circe and Medea influence
the representation of the powerful "oriental" enchantress in modern
Western art? What role did the ancient gods and heroes play in the
construction of the imaginary worlds of the modern fantasy genre?
What is the role of undead creatures like zombies and vampires in
mythological films? The heroes, gods and demons of the ancient
world always played a prominent role in the post-classical
imagination.Similarly, the great adventures and the love affairs
between gods and mortals have always influenced the reception of
Classical culture and still features prominently in modern
constructions of antiquity. Examples such the use of magic in
Medea's myth as a symbol of cultural and political strangeness, the
transformation of Circe in a femme fatale, the reshaping of the
oriental cults of the Roman Empire as a menace to new-born
Christianity and the revival and adaptation of ancient myths and
religion in the arts provide an important backdrop for the
exploration of contemporary fears, hopes and ideals across
centuries. The volume further aims to deconstruct certain scholarly
traditions by proposing original interdisciplinary approaches and
collaborations and to show to what extent the visual and performing
arts of different periods interlink and shape cultural and social
identities.This book offers an original approach to different media
- from comics to film, from painting to opera - by authors from
different fields and countries. The volume provides the reader with
a clear insight into mechanisms of re-elaboration and reception
which can be steadily seen at work in artistic and commercial
productions. It also supplies new approaches to the most debated
questions of the relationship between magic, religion and
superstition in the ancient and in the modern worlds. It shows and
discusses the shifting and biased interpretations of these concepts
in modern visual culture.
A fascinating survey of American food trends that highlights the
key inventions, brands, restaurant chains, and individuals that
shaped the American diet and palate in the 20th century. In the
United States today, how and what we eat-with all of its myriad
ethnic varieties and endless choices-is firmly entrenched in every
part of our culture. The American diet underwent constant evolution
throughout the 20th century, starting from the meat-and-potatoes
fare of the early-20th century and maturing into a culture that
embraced the cuisines of immigrant populations, fast-food chains,
health fads, and emerging gourmet tastes. Societal changes moved
women out of the kitchen and into the workforce, spawning the
invention of convenience foods and time-saving kitchen appliances.
American Food by the Decades is an entertaining chronological
survey of food trends in the United States during the 20th century.
The book is organized by decades to illustrate how changes in
society directly influenced dietary and dining habits as they
emerged over the last 100 years. Detailed encyclopedic entries
provide fascinating glimpses into history by telling the true
stories behind the foods, restaurants, grocery stores, and cooking
trends of the previous century. Over 250 encyclopedic entries on
the most prominent influences in American food during the 20th
century Contains 10 recipes, each emblematic of a particular decade
Over 15 sidebars with additional feature information
Chronologically presents popular foods of the 20th century in the
United States, with each of the ten chapters representing a decade
Each chapter provides a "For Further Exploration" bibliography
section
This timely book investigates the importance of national culture as
it applies to the strategic management of multinationals. The
author focuses on backward linkage strategies within US, Japanese,
Taiwanese and Korean microcomputer multinationals investing in
Europe. In particular, both market-driven and resource-driven
strategic orientations are depicted in new and established firms.
The main premise of the book is concerned with the backward linkage
strategy of US and Asian Pacific firms, and is therefore based on a
specific set of relevant core cultural values rather than a
universal set of values. The material in this volume is derived
from directly and indirectly collected data, and in addition,
unstructured face-to-face interviews with representatives from
multinational firms headquartered across different cultures. This
volume will provide academics, researchers, students, business
consultants and strategists a new perspective on business strategy
as well as an up-to-date source of industry material.
Drawing on a broad cultural and historical canvas, and weaving in
the author's personal and professional experience, The Israeli Mind
presents a compelling, if disturbing, portrait of the Israeli
national character. Emerging from the depth of Jewish history and
the drama of the Zionist rebellion against it, lsraelis are
struggling to forge an identity. They are grand and grandiose,
visionary and delusional, generous and self-centered. Deeply caring
because of the history of Jewish victimization, they also
demonstrate a shocking indifference to the sufferings of others.
Saying no is their first, second and third line of defense, even as
they are totally capable of complete and sudden capitulation. They
are willing to sacrifice themselves for the collective but also to
sacrifice that very collective for a higher, and likely
unattainable ideal. Dr. Alon Gratch draws a vivid, provocative
portrait of the conflicts embedded in the Israeli mind.
Annihilation anxiety, narcissism, a failure to fully process the
Holocaust, hyper-masculinity, post-traumatic stress, and an often
unexamined narrative of self-sacrifice, all clash with the nation's
aspiration for normalcy or even greatness. Failure to resolve these
conflicts, Gratch argues, will threaten Israel's very existence and
the stability of the Western world.
This text comprehensively covers the rituals, traditions and
receipts of ancestral processes of bread making from multiple
countries, including the scientific and technological character of
the science of bread making and sourdough biotechnology. Individual
chapters cover the scientific aspects of bread making in different
cultures and traditions as well as the technological phenomena
occurring during the bread making process, utilizing the full
network of SOURDOMICS from the COST initiative. Pictures and
illustrations are used to explain the science behind bread making
processes and the cultural, historical and traditional elements
associated with bread making in multiple countries. Authored by
bread making experts from the breadth of Europe, the process of
bread fermentation in each country and region is covered in detail.
The traditions surrounding bread making are simply the empirical
know-how passed between generations, and this book's main purpose
is to perpetuate these traditions and know-how. Provides a
description of the culture of European peoples with respect to the
technology of bread making and sourdough biotechnology; Explains
the process of bread fermentation using simple language combined
with scientific rigor; High quality pictures and illustrations
enrich the scientific and cultural elements mentioned in each
chapter.
This is a book about the dynamics of the aspirational society. It
explores the boundaries of permissible thought--deviations and
transgressions that create constant innovations. When confronted
with a problem, an innovative mind struggles and brings forth
something distinctive--new ideas, new inventions, and new programs
based on unconventional approaches to solve the problem. But this
can be done only if the culture creates large breathing spaces by
leaving people alone, not as a matter of state generosity but as
something fundamental in being an American. Consequently, the
Constitutional mandate of "Congress shall make no law..." has
encouraged fearless speech, unrestrained thought, and endless
experimentation leading to newer developments in science,
technology, the arts, and not least socio-political relations. Most
of all, the First Freedoms liberate the mind from irrational fears
and encourage an environment of divergent thinking, non-conformity,
and resistance to a collective mindset. The First Freedoms
encourage Americans to be iconoclastic, to be creatively crazy, to
be impure, thus, enabling them to mix and re-mix ideas to design
new technologies and cultural forms and platforms, anything from
experimental social relations and big data explorations to electing
our first black president.
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