What is multiculturalism? The word is used everywhere, often without being clearly defined. The first collection of this scope, Mapping Multiculturalism offers cogent critiques of the term and its uses by leading scholars in sociology, history, literary criticism, popular culture studies, ethnic studies, and critical legal studies. The contributors look at current uses of the rubric "multicultural" and offer groundbreaking analyses of complex relationships between popular culture, political events, and intellectual trends. Featuring essays by authors, activists, artists, and theoreticians, Mapping Multiculturalism represents the entire range of multicultural studies today through essays that demarcate the cutting edge of contemporary cultural politics.
Contributors: Norma Alarcón, U of California, Berkeley; Richard P. Appelbaum, U of California, Santa Barbara; Edna Bonacich, U of California, Riverside; Wendy Brown, U of California, Santa Cruz; Darryl B. Dickson-Carr, Florida State U; Antonia I. Castañeda, U of Texas, Austin; Angie Chabram-Dernersesian, U of California, Davis; Jon Cruz, U of California, Santa Barbara; Angela Y. Davis, U of California, Santa Cruz; Steve Fagin, U of California, San Diego; Rosa Linda Fregoso, U of California, Davis; Neil Gotanda, Western State U; M. Annette Jaimes Guerrero, San Francisco State U; Ramón Gutiérrez, U of California, San Diego; Cynthia Hamilton, U of Rhode Island; George Lipsitz, University of California, San Diego; Lisa Lowe, U of California, San Diego; Wahneema Lubiano, Princeton U; Michael Omi, U of California, Berkeley; Lourdes Portillo; Cedric Jo Robinson, U of California, Santa Barbara; Tricia Rose, New York U; Gregg Scott; Paul Smith, George Mason U; Renee Tajima; Patricia Zavella, U of California, Santa Cruz.
Avery F. Gordon teaches sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Christopher Newfield teaches English, also at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Multiculturalism is the buzz word of the decade and, like many such words, has a variety of meanings for different groups. The editors, both professors at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have collected 25 scholarly essays from sociologists, historians, literary critics, and others. Such scholars as Wahneema Lubiano, Angela Y. Davis, and Norma Alarcon attempt to define multiculturalism and measure its current and future impact on American society and culture. The tone of the book is often reminiscent of rhetorical writing in the early 1960s, and the portrayal of poor urban cultures recalls the ground-breaking work of anthropologist Oscar Lewis. Complexities of assimilation and prejudices encountered by people of color are discussed and analyzed against a white American cultural backdrop. Other works on the subject include Richard Bernstein's Dictatorship of Virtue (LJ 9/1/94), Michael Lind's The Next American Nation (LJ 6/1/95), and Carol P. Harvey and M. June Allard's Understanding Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises (HarperCollins College Pub., 1995). This serious work on a serious issue is highly recommended for academic libraries.?Cynthia D. Bertelsen, Blacksburg, Va.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
