Deforming American Political Thought: Ethnicity, Facticity, and GenreBy affirming the relativity of the American historical imagination, political theorist Michael J. Shapiro offers a powerful polemic against ethnocentric interpretations of American culture and politics. Deforming American Political Thought analyzes issues that range from the nature of Thomas Jefferson’s vision of an egalitarian nation to the persistence of racial inequality. Shapiro offers a multifaceted argument that transcends the myopic scope of traditional political discourse. Deforming American Political Thought illustrates the various ways in which history, architecture, film, music, literature, and art provide approaches to the comprehension of diverse facets of American political thought from the founding to the present. Using these seemingly disparate disciplines as a framework, Shapiro paints a picture of American political philosophy that is as distinctive as it enlightening. Shapiro explores the historically vital role of dissenting points of view in American politics and asserts its continuing importance in today’s political landscape. Exploring such diverse works as slave narratives, contemporary films, genre fiction, and blues and jazz music, Shapiro reveals that there have always been dissenting voices casting doubt on the moral purpose and exceptionalism of the American mind. An unprecedented inquiry into American politics, Deforming American Political Thought will surely serve to reinvigorate discussions about the essence of American political thought. |
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Contents
The Micropolitics of Crime | 31 |
Deforming Americas Western Imaginary | 65 |
Constructing America | 105 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Deforming American Political Thought: Ethnicity, Facticity, and Genre Michael Shapiro Limited preview - 2006 |
Deforming American Political Thought: Ethnicity, Facticity, and Genre Michael J. Shapiro Limited preview - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
aesthetic African American Alexie Alexie's alternative Altman Ameri American musical American political architecture articulated blues Buffalo Bill century chapter cinematic Connolly constituted contemporary contrast crime story critique cultural democracy democratic Derrida detective detective fiction discourse diverse dominant Duke Ellington Dvorak Easy's economic encounter ethnic ethnoscape Euro Euro-American example facticity fiction film film's Ford's forms Foucault genre Gilles Deleuze historical Ibid identity idioms imaginary Indian Jacques Derrida Jacques Ranciere jazz Jefferson's Jeffersonian Jewish Joel Joel's landscape Libeskind's Louis Sullivan Mason McCabe Michelle Cliff micropolitics Minnesota Press mode modern Monticello musical theater narrative Native American Negro noted novel plantation police political theory Pynchon's quotations racial Ranciere's refers resistance Risky Business role scene Sherman Alexie Shklar Shot Liberty Valance shots Sitting Bull slaves social space songs spatial subsequent thought-worlds tion tive tradition trajectory trans treat ultimately University Press vernacular vernacular architecture violence West writing York
Bibliographic information
| Title | Deforming American Political Thought: Ethnicity, Facticity, and Genre |
| Author | Michael Shapiro |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | University Press of Kentucky, 2006 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Oct 11, 2008 |
| ISBN | 0813124123, 9780813124124 |
| Length | 272 pages |
| Subjects | › Political Science / History & Theory |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |