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In a world that is witnessing the explosive forces of
individualism, tribalism, cultism, religion, nationalism, and
regionalism, can the "global village" concept as envisioned by
Marshall McLuhan have any meaning or hope for fruition? Do the
media merely electronically override the stronger forces of basic
human expression without in any way changing them? The Global
Village offers fifteen essays by leading scholars and thinkers who
weigh the pros and cons and come up with individual conclusions as
well as a consensus. Included are "Turning McLuhan on His Head" by
James E. Grunig, "The Vanishing Global Village" by Ray B. Browne,
and "Global Village--Writ Small" by Marshall Fishwick. This book
speaks to concerns in journalism, media, popular culture, and
communications .
Mystery fiction, although essentially the same in all its national
varieties, nevertheless comes in several types and several
wrappings. The present study of American, Australian, and Canadian
detective fiction concerns literature which speaks in the ways of
heroes and humanities about the human condition. All authors
studied here, to one degree or another, demonstrate their concern
with human society, some more strongly than others, but all with
their eyes on the human situation and human existence. At times
these studies lean toward the tragic in their outlook and
development. In all instances they center on the humanistic.
The essays in this collection present communities beset by
unexpected social and physical events. Some outline immediate
responses that soon pass and some that will not go away. Who would
have foreseen that Elvis would be a phenomenon apparently as
lasting as the faces on Mount Rushmore? Cultural history will not
allow us to forget the H. G. Wells account of the Martian attack,
nor can we ever forget the continued terror of the Chernobyl
explosion. Ordinary Reactions to Extraordinary Events catalogues on
the Geiger counter of human emotions societal reactions to events
both earthshaking and culture-disturbing.
Stephen King's popularity lies in his ability to reinterpret the
standard Gothic tale in new and exciting ways. Through his eyes,
the conventional becomes unconventional and wonderful. King thus
creates his own Gothic world and then interprets it for us. This
book analyzes King's interpretations and his mastery of popular
literature. The essays discuss adolescent revolt, the artist as
survivor, the vampire in popular literature, and much more.
Letting ordinary people speak for themselves, this book uses
primary documents to highlight daily life among Americans-Union and
Confederate, black and white, soldier and civilian-during the Civil
War and Reconstruction. Focusing on routines as basic as going to
school and cooking and cleaning, Voices of Civil War America:
Contemporary Accounts of Daily Life explores the lives of ordinary
Americans during one of the nation's most tumultuous eras. The book
emphasizes the ordinary rather than the momentous to help students
achieve a true understanding of mid-19th-century American culture
and society. Recognizing that there is no better way to learn
history than to allow those who lived it to speak for themselves,
the authors utilize primary documents to depict various aspects of
daily life, including politics, the military, economics, domestic
life, material culture, religion, intellectual life, and leisure.
Each of the documents is augmented by an introduction and
aftermath, as well as lists of topics to consider and questions to
ask. Original materials from a wide range of sources, including
letters, diaries, newspaper editorials, journal articles, and book
chapters Detailed background for each of the 48 featured documents,
placing the experiences and opinions of the authors into historical
context
Academic curricula are being strengthened and enriched through the
enlightened realization that no discipline is complete unto itself.
In the interdisciplinary studies that result, the one theme that
remains universal is popular culture. Academia throughout the
disciplines is rapidly coming to understand that it should be used
in courses campus-wide and on all levels. All in the world of
education benefit from the use of the cultures around them. This
work emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary mingling and
explores the ways in which instructors can utilize popular culture
studies in order to deepen both their own areas of specialization
and their students' appreciation of education. The collection of 18
essays spans campus curricula, including the humanities (English
literature, American studies, folklore and popular culture), the
social sciences (anthropology, history, sociology and
communications), religion and philosophy, geography, women's
studies, economics and sports. Also addressed is the importance of
popular culture courses in both community colleges and high school
settings.
The essays in this collection present communities beset by
unexpected social and physical events. Some outline immediate
responses that soon pass and some that will not go away. Who would
have foreseen that Elvis would be a phenomenon apparently as
lasting as the faces on Mount Rushmore? Cultural history will not
allow us to forget the H. G. Wells account of the Martian attack,
nor can we ever forget the continued terror of the Chernobyl
explosion. "Ordinary Reactions to Extraordinary Events "catalogues
on the Geiger counter of human emotions societal reactions to
events both earthshaking and culture-disturbing.
Readers of detective stories are turning more toward historical
crime fiction to learn both what everyday life was like in past
societies and how society coped with those who broke the laws and
restrictions of the times. The crime fiction treated here ranges
from ancient Egypt through classical Greece and Rome; from medieval
and renaissance China and Europe through nineteenth-century England
and America.
Topics include: Ellis Peter's "Brother Cadfael"; Umberto Eco's
"Name of the Rose"; Susanna Gregory's "Doctor Matthew Bartholomew";
Peter Heck's Mark Twain as detective; Anne Perry and her
Victorian-era world; Caleb Carr's works; and Elizabeth Peter's
Egyptologist-adventurer tales.
This anthology argues for the serious study of the literary oeuvre
of Anne Rice, a major figure in today's popular literature. The
essays assert that Rice expands the conventions of the horror
genre's formula to examine important social issues. Like a handful
of authors working in this genre, Rice manipulates its otherwise
predictable narrative structures so that a larger, more interesting
cultural mythology can be developed. Rice searches for
philosophical truth, examining themes of good and evil, the
influence on people and society of both nature and nurture, and the
conflict and dependence of humanism and science.
In most of the powerful countries throughout the world, the rise of
various degrees of class structure and unbridled capitalism is
placing great strains and changes on the conventional definitions
of art and aesthetics. Historically, the philanthropy of the elite
has played an unparalleled role in supporting, funding, and
distributing the works of both conventional and unconventional
artists. But while such measures may be pure in intent, many worry
that private funding may be gentrifying the arts and creating a
situation in which art will only be valued for its prestige or,
worse, its price tag.This collection of essays examines the
movement which is currently underway to democratize the arts and
make the world of artistic endeavor more open and accessible to
all. The topics include: the hegemony of copyright and trademark in
art and popular culture; the relationship between a culture's
dominant religion and its artistic tradition; the ideologically
subversive but culturally enduring nature of early children's
literature; and the cultural significance of the terms 'high art'
and 'popular art' as these two realms have existed since the early
19th century.
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Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
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