The Lost Boys of Zeta Psi: A Historical Archaeology of Masculinity at a University Fraternity - Softcover

Wilkie, Laurie A. A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0520260600 ISBN 13: 9780520260603

Publisher: University of California Press, 2010

Synopsis

The Lost Boys of Zeta Psi takes us inside the secret, amusing, and sometimes mundane world of a California fraternity around 1900. Gleaning history from recent archaeological excavations and from such intriguing sources as oral histories, architecture, and photographs, Laurie A. Wilkie uncovers details of everyday life in the first fraternity at the University of California, Berkeley, and sets this story into the rich social and historical context of West Coast America at the turn of the last century. In particular, Wilkie examines men’s coming-of-age experiences in a period when gender roles and relations were undergoing dramatic changes. Her innovative study illuminates shifting notions of masculinity and at the same time reveals new insights about the inner workings of fraternal orders and their role in American society.

About this title

About the Author

Laurie A. Wilkie is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Archaeological Research Facility at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of the award-winning The Archaeology of Mothering: An African-American Midwife's Tale, among other books.

From the Back Cover

"Laurie Wilkie is making an important statement about the culture of fraternities, saving them from uncritical celebration on the one hand and the 'Animal House' image on the other. She has given us a fascinating case study in the value and importance of the archaeology of the recent past."―Matthew Johnson, author of Ideas of Landscape

"A fresh look at fraternity life, offering a nuanced view of its social benefits and shortcomings. This is an insightful and innovative interdisciplinary contribution to the emergent field of contemporary archaeology as well as to masculinity studies."―Mary Beaudry, author of Findings: The Material Culture of Needlework and Sewing

From the Inside Flap

"Laurie Wilkie is making an important statement about the culture of fraternities, saving them from uncritical celebration on the one hand and the 'Animal House' image on the other. She has given us a fascinating case study in the value and importance of the archaeology of the recent past." Matthew Johnson, author of Ideas of Landscape

"A fresh look at fraternity life, offering a nuanced view of its social benefits and shortcomings. This is an insightful and innovative interdisciplinary contribution to the emergent field of contemporary archaeology as well as to masculinity studies." Mary Beaudry, author of Findings: The Material Culture of Needlework and Sewing

Edition details

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520260600
• ISBN 13: 9780520260603
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 360