Many theatres and theatre companies host post-show discussions, or talkbacks, as part of their season. Often these are done for established plays with the goal of audience cultivation; others are done as part of the new development process. While post-show discussions are fairly ubiquitous, without a clear definition of what they are, who they are for, how they are led, and how they are structured, they are floundering. Playwrights consider them a joke, theatres use them for audience cultivation on top of helping the playwright, thus muddying the focus of the discussions, and audiences are unsure as to their role in the post-show discussion because they aren't properly prepared for them. This book is a critical examination of what has and has not worked with post-show discussions utilized in new play development.

This wide-ranging anthology examines the gendered dimensions of citizenship experiences and uses them as a point of departure for rethinking contemporary practices of social inclusion and belonging. Drawing on ethnographic research with diverse communities in the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the United States, contributors argue for the importance of understanding how notions of belonging and entitlement are locally experienced and subjectively defined by members of marginalized communities. Through analysis of intersectional racial/ethnic, gender, class, and national/tribal identities, the essays place the experiences and analyses of women of color and Third World women at the very center of our understanding of citizenship.

Psychological sense of community provides a sense of belonging, identity, emotional connection, and wellbeing. There are many positives that result from people experiencing and perceiving a sense of community. People are better adjusted, feel supported, have connections to other people and to goals that are above and beyond their own limited areas, and have stronger levels of social support and social connectedness. A strong sense of community acts as a buffer against threats, provides a place in which to express our identities, and helps us deal with changes in our world.

In this book, the authors have explored a series of different types of communities - moving from the basic idea of those based at a specific location all the way to virtual communities of the internet. The ways in which the communities operate, positively and negatively, what people get out of them and what they have to put into them, and the notion of being members of more than one community at the one time are considered.

Sense of community is a topic that captures the attention of people from all types of backgrounds. So, contributors from fields such as community psychology, clinical areas, community development, and urban planning have added their insights and knowledge. A key feature of this book is the research focus that emphasizes the theory-driven analyses and the diversity of contexts in which sense of community is applied. This book will make a significant contribution to our understanding of life in communities and to people's sense of community. It will be of great interest to those concerned with understanding various forms of community and how communities can be mobilized to achieve wellbeing.

Subsistence intensification, innovation and change have long figured prominently in explanations for the development of social complexity among foragers and horticulturalists, and the rise of chiefly societies and archaic states, yet there is considerable debate over the actual mechanisms that promote these processes. Traditional approaches to the "intensification question" emphasize population pressure, climate change, bureaucratic management, or even land degradation as prerequisites for the onset of new or changing strategies, or the construction and maintenance of agricultural landscapes. Most often these factors are modeled as external forces outside the realm of human decision-making, but recent archaeological research presents an alternative to this suggesting that subsistence intensification is the result of human driven strategies for power, prestige and status stemming from internal conditions within a group. When responding to environmental adversity, human groups were less frequently the victims, as they have been repeatedly portrayed. Instead human groups were often vigorous actors, responding with resilience, ingenuity, and planning, to flourish or survive within dynamic and sometimes unpredictable social and natural milieux.

This book analyzes the political transformations in black women's socially engaged community-based political work in England in the late twentieth century. It situates these shifts alongside Britain's political economy and against the discourse and deployment of blackness as a political imaginary in which to engage in struggles for social justice.

Black Literate Lives offers an innovative approach to understanding the complex and multi-dimensional perspectives of Black literate lives in the United States. Author Maisha Fisher reinterprets historiographies of Black self-determination and self-reliance to powerfully interrupt stereotypes of African-American literacy practices. The book expands the standard definitions of literacy practices to demonstrate the ways in which 'minority' groups keep their cultures and practices alive in the face of oppression, both inside and outside of schools. This important addition to critical literacy studies: -Demonstrates the relationship of an expanded definition of literacy to self-determination and empowerment -Exposes unexpected sources of Black literate traditions of popular culture and memory -Reveals how spoken word poetry, open mic events, and everyday cultural performances are vital to an understanding of Black literacy in the 21st century By centering the voices of students, activists, and community members whose creative labors past and present continue the long tradition of creating cultural forms that restore collective, Black Literate Lives ultimately uncovers memory while illuminating the literate and literary contributions of Black people in America.

In this book, the authors have explored a series of different types of communities - moving from the basic idea of those based at a specific location all the way to virtual communities of the internet. A key feature of this book is the research focus that emphasizes the theory-driven analyses and the diversity of contexts in which sense of community is applied. The book will be of great interest to those concerned with understanding various forms of community and how communities can be mobilized to achieve wellbeing.

Roman Catholicism in the United States: A Thematic History takes the reader beyond the traditional ways scholars have viewed and recounted the story of the Catholic Church in America. The collection covers unfamiliar topics such as anti-Catholicism, rural Catholicism, Latino Catholics, and issues related to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the U.S. government. The book continues with fascinating discussions on popular culture (film and literature), women religious, and the work of U.S. missionaries in other countries. The final section of the books is devoted to Catholic social teaching, tackling challenging and sometimes controversial subjects such as the relationship between African American Catholics and the Communist Party, Catholics in the civil rights movement, the abortion debate, issues of war and peace, and Vatican II and the American Catholic Church. Roman Catholicism in the United States examines the history of U.S. Catholicism from a variety of perspectives that transcend the familiar account of the immigrant, urban parish, which served as the focus for so many American Catholics during the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries.

The Catholic Studies Reader is a rare book in an emerging field that has neither a documented history nor a consensus as to what should be a normative methodology. Dividing this volume into five interrelated themes central to the practice and theory of Catholic Studies-"Sources and Contexts," "Traditions and Methods," "Pedagogy and Practice," "Ethnicity, Race, and Catholic Studies," and "The Catholic Imagination"-the editors provide readers with the opportunity to understand the great diversity within this area of study. Readers will find informative essays on the Catholic intellectual tradition and Catholic social teaching, as well as reflections on the arts and literature. This provocative and enriching collection is valuable not only for scholars but also for lay and religious Catholics working in Catholic education in universities, high schools, and parish schools.

Drawing on ethnographic research with underrepresented communities in the Caribbean, Europe, South America, and the United States, this wide-ranging anthology examines the gendered dimensions of citizenship experiences and uses them as a point of departure for rethinking contemporary practices of social inclusion and national belonging.

In relationships, there's always a perfect time for everything. When things don't work the way we expect them to, we need to figure out what went wrong and fix it. But when a meaningful relationship turns sour, one must remember that ending it only means getting closer to the one meant for you. Denise Younger, a gorgeous and independent career woman, has been through many relationships before; now that she's thirty-five, she dreams of meeting the perfect man to settle down with. Is it too late for her to find real love? Author Rosefogg lusciously documents one career woman's unexpected erotic whirlwind romance with a younger man, an adventure that ultimately makes her challenge everything she has ever known or experienced about love, passion and ambition in Two Weeks Until the Rest of My Life. When she is sent by her boss on a conference in New Orleans, discovering love is the furthest thing from Denise's mind...until she meets Tyriq Austin, a twenty-three-year old lingerie shop manager who also happens to be one of the conference's guest speakers. In spite of their age gap, the chemistry and explosive attraction between the two is undeniable. Their relationship quickly blossoms into an all-consuming passionate love affair that could endanger both of their dreams and careers. Is Tyriq the true love Denise has been longing for? If so, at what costs is she willing to keep him? Witness Tyriq and Denise's exciting firsts as they experience life and get to know each other more. Relentlessly heartwarming, Two Weeks Until the Rest of My Life shows that love is not measured by age, time, nor distance; rather, it is shown by one's sacrifices, trust, and commitment. True love may not always knock at your door when you're feeling lonely - but when it does, it's meant to stay... and its value? Priceless.

This book analyzes the political transformations in black women's socially engaged community-based political work in England in the late twentieth century. It situates these shifts alongside Britain's political economy and against the discourse and deployment of blackness as a political imaginary in which to engage in struggles for social justice.

Subsistence intensification, innovation and change have long figured prominently in explanations for the development of social complexity among foragers and horticulturalists. This set of global case studies re-examines the 'subsistence question' in light of recent research. It contrasts traditional approaches with recent archaeological research that presents human driven strategies for power, prestige, and status as causes of subsistence intensification.

Catholicism has grown from a suppressed and persecuted outsiders' religion in the American colonies to become the nation's single largest denomination. James Fisher surveys more than four centuries of Catholics' involvement in American history, following the transformation of catholicism into one of America's most culturaly and ethnically diverse religions.