While much has been written about national history and
citizenship, anthropologist Trevor Stack focuses on the history and
citizenship of towns and cities. Basing his inquiry on fieldwork in
west Mexican towns near Guadalajara, Stack begins by observing that
people talked (and wrote) of their towns' history and not just of
Mexico's.
Key to Stack's study is the insight that knowing history can
give someone public status or authority. It can make someone stand
out as a good or eminent citizen. What is it about history that
makes this so? What is involved in knowing history and who is good
at it? And what do they gain from being eminent citizens, whether
of towns or nations?
As well as academic historians, Stack interviewed people from
all walks of life--bricklayers, priests, teachers, politicians,
peasant farmers, lawyers, and migrants. Resisting the idea that
history is intrinsically interesting or valuable--that one simply
must know the past in order to understand the present--he explores
the very idea of "the past" and asks why it is valued by so many
people.
General
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!