Back to the Stone Age - Race and Prehistory in Contemporary Culture (Paperback)

Prehistoric human life is a common reference point in contemporary culture, inspiring attempts to become happier, healthier, or better people. Exploited by capitalism, overwhelmed by technology, and living in the shadow of environmental catastrophe, we call on the prehistoric to escape the present, and to model alternative ways of living our lives. In Back to the Stone Age Ben Pitcher explores how ideas about race are tightly woven into the powerful origin stories we use to explain who we are, where we came from, and what we are like. Using a broad range of examples from popular culture – from everyday practices like lighting fires and walking in the woods to engagements with genetic technologies and Neanderthal DNA, from megaliths and museum mannequins to television shows and best-selling nonfiction – Pitcher demonstrates how prehistory is alive in the twenty-first century, and argues that popular flights back in time provide revealing insights into present-day anxieties, obsessions, and concerns. Back to the Stone Age shows that the human past is not set in stone. By opening up the prehistoric to critical contestation, Pitcher places racial justice at the centre of questions about the existence and persistence of Homo sapiens in the contemporary world.

General

Imprint:	McGill-Queen's University Press
Country of origin:	Canada
Release date:	December 2022
Authors:	Ben Pitcher
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 23mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	304
ISBN-13:	978-0-228-01452-2
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > General Books > Humanities > History > General Books > History > General
LSN:	0-228-01452-2
Barcode:	9780228014522

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!