Postmodernism, Unraveling Racism, and Democratic Institutions


Book Description

Professors Murphy and Choi use postmodern philosophy to expose an important source of racism and cultural domination. They examine foundationalism, which they see at the core of the Western intellectual tradition and which is shown to foster a metaphysics of domination. By contrast, postmodernism undermines this root of racism. They demonstrate that foundationalism is not needed to support identity, institutions, or political order. Indeed, they assert that true pluralism is possible once foundationalist approaches to knowledge and order are set aside. Special attention is directed to two current modes of discrimination: institutional racism and symbolic violence. Murphy and Choi provide an intriguing look at ways to undercut the justification for racism and other threats to cultural difference. This volume will be of particular interest to scholars and other researchers in the areas of race relations, cultural studies, and political theory.




The World of Quantum Culture


Book Description

Caro and Murphy introduce the philosophy of Quantum Aesthetics—a theoretical framework developed by Spanish-language theorists that has spread throughout the world in the last three years—to an English-speaking audience. In order to achieve this, writers from around the world were asked to either apply quantum aesthetics philosophy to their respective areas of study, or write about their current work within this theoretical framework. Chapters are devoted to the history of quantum aesthetics, quantum art, quantum literature, quantum politics, quantum anthropology, and so forth. In the end, the general elements of a quantum culture are outlined, and the differences that this culture shows with respect to old conceptualizations of this domain are explained. With respect to the field of cultural studies, this new approach to cultural analysis changes how societies can be investigated as well as provides cultural studies with a more comprehensive and integrated framework. Specifically noteworthy is that quantum aesthetics is less reductionistic than research strategies of the past. A provocative collection for scholars, students, and other researchers involved with the sociology of culture, cultural studies, social philosophy, and sociological theory.




Racism


Book Description

Of all mankinds' vices, racism is one of the most pervasive and stubborn. Success in overcoming racism has been achieved from time to time, but victories have been limited thus far because mankind has focused on personal economic gain or power grabs ignoring generosity of the soul. This bibliography brings together the literature providing access by subject groupings as well as author and subject indexes. Contents: Racial Attitudes; Racism and Poverty; Hate Groups; Racial Justice; Racism and Politics; Race Discrimination; Racial Identity; Racism Around the World.




An Ethics of Dissensus


Book Description

Addressing a constellation of diverse thinkers—including Emmanuel Levinas, Patricia Williams, Jean-Francois Lyotard, Michel Foucault, Frantz Fanon, Julia Kristeva, and Luce Irigaray—the author proposes a new conception of ethics, an ethics of dissensus that rethinks the relation between freedom and obligation in a double context of embodiment and antagonism. The author employs discourses that have hitherto been segregated: postmodern ethics, feminism, race theory, and the idea of radical democracy.




Nietzsche and Critical Social Theory


Book Description

Nietzsche and Critical Social Theory: Affirmation, Animosity and Ambiguity brings together scholars from a variety of disciplinary background to assess the salience of Nietzsche for critical social theory today. In the context of global economic crises and the rise of authoritarian regimes across the U.S. and Europe, the question asked by these scholars is: why Nietzsche now? Containing several innovative interventions in the areas of queer theory, political economy, critical race theory, labour history, hip-hop aesthetics, sociology, the Frankfurt School, social movements studies, science and technology studies, pedagogy, and ludic studies, this volume pushes Nietzsche studies in new directions, seeking to broaden the appeal of Nietzsche beyond philosophy and political theory.




Postmodernism, Religion, and the Future of Social Work


Book Description

Postmodernism, Religion, and the Future of Social Work discusses the benefits and disadvantages of the postmodern philosophy as a foundation for social work and human service practice. Social work students and practitioners will learn about the developments that have shaped postmodern thinking as they pertain to society in general, as well as to the profession of social work. By exploring this increasingly popular philosophy, Postmodernism, Religion, and the Future of Social Work provides you with methods and theories that help you evalute contemporary problems more effectively, resulting in better services for your clients. Challenging traditional social work practices, Postmodernism, Religion, and the Future of Social Work examines postmodernism in terms of a world view that is emerging along indeterminate and ambiguous lines. With the goal of helping you provide more helpful and relevant services to your clients, Postmodernism, Religion, and the Future of Social Work discusses many themes related to postmodernism, including: understanding how principles of postmodernism are characterized by ongoing change, indeterminacy, and relativism reviewing the historical movement of a postmodern perspective and its present implications on social work practice supporting the strengths perspective through a postmodernist approach discussing some unintended and potentially negative consequences of postmodernism that arise from uncritically adopting postmodernistic principles analyzing the nature of social work and social welfare in Britain and the Western World to gain insight into how social theory is associated with postmodernity, postmodernization, and post-Fordism exploring the postmodernistic relationship between institutionalized religions and social services provided by religious auspices Although postmodernism offers a new and different way of understanding social problems and of structuring social work practice, this text urges you to be critical in the evaluation of its aspects and outlines some possibly negative outcomes in certain situations. In evaluating postmodernism and its relevance to social services and social problems, Postmodernism, Religion, and the Future of Social Work offers theories and research into methods that go beyond traditional practices to assist you in providing effective and relevant services for your clients.




A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches


Book Description

Coinciding with the four-hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Baptist movement, this book explores and assesses the cultural sources of Baptist beliefs and practices. Although the movement has been embraced, enriched, and revised by numerous cultural heritages, the Baptist movement has focused on a small group of Anglo exiles in Amsterdam in constructing its history and identity. Robert E. Johnson seeks to recapture the varied cultural and theological sources of Baptist tradition and to give voice to the diverse global elements of the movement that have previously been excluded or marginalized. With an international communion of over 110 million persons in more than 225,000 congregations, Baptists constitute the world's largest aggregate of evangelical Protestants. This work offers insight into the diversity, breadth, and complexity of the cultural influences that continue to shape Baptist identity today.




The Symbolism of Globalization, Development, and Aging


Book Description

This book looks at the symbolic side of globalization, development, and aging. Many of the dimensions that are discussed represent updates of past debates but some are entirely new. In particular, globalization is accompanied by subtle social imagery that profoundly shapes the way institutions and identities are imagined. The process of aging and persons sense of identity is no exception. The underlying assumptions that pervade globalization inform how critical dimensions of aging are discussed and institutionalized. The application of marketplace imagery, for example, may impact attempts for holism in how aging is studied and the prospects for human agency during the aging process. This book offers a special look into how temporality, technology, normativity, and empiricism structure the symbolic side of globalization and influence dominant images of the aging process. Current debates about globalization and aging are expanded by helping readers see the social imagery that is both subtly behind globalization and at the forefront of shaping the aging experience.




The Emerging Monoculture


Book Description

Kramer brings together experts from a variety of minority backgrounds and from around the world to give their perspectives on the most pervasive ideology today, globalism. The basic premise is that a developed country is different from a developed community. They need not be mutually exclusive, but neither is it assumed that they are necessarily consonant. The various essays offer answers to such vital questions as What does it mean to become a 'global citizen'? and What does it mean to be a 'model minority' in a global economy? The process of becoming a mainstream person involves being first marginalized with the implication that something is inadequate about one's self. The process of assimilationism is manifested as various forms of enforced and/or rewarded acculturation. With the vast human migration currently underway, the notion of assimilation has become a global phenomenon. What is occurring, Kramer and his colleagues demonstrate, is a worldwide shift from the village milieu to the city lifestyle. This migration is seen as a polycentric and global phenomenon whereby the promised land is nowhere in particular, but, instead, a way of life and mindset, an urban lifestyle. This process is far more than a simple change in geography. Moving from the village to the cityscape involves a mutation in worldview and self-identity. Additional questions asked throughout the collection are What set of persuasive assumptions are leading the world in this direction? and What might be lost in the process? A provocative collection for scholars, students, and other researchers involved with development studies, multiculturalism, and urbanization.




Black Studies and the Democratization of American Higher Education


Book Description

This book aims to expand what scholars know and who is included in this discussion about black studies, which aids in the democratization of American higher education and the deconstruction of traditional disciplines of high education, to facilitate a sense of social justice. By challenging traditional disciplines, black studies reveals not only the political role of American universities but also the political aspects of the disciplines that constitute their core. While black studies is post-modern in its deconstruction of positivism and universalism, it does not support a radical rejection of all attempts to determine truth. Evolving from a form of black cultural nationalism, it challenges the perceived white cultural nationalist norm and has become a critical multiculturalism that is more global and less gendered. Henry argues for the inclusion of black studies beyond the curriculum of colleges and universities.