Americans think of their country as a welcoming place where everyone has equal opportunity. Yet historical baggage and anxious times can restrain these possibilities. Newcomers often find that civic belonging comes with strings attached––riddled with limitations or legally punitive rites of passage. For those already here, new challenges to civic belonging emerge on the basis of belief, behavior, or heritage. This book uses the term "elsewhere" in describing conditions that exile so many c...

Politicians and pundits make a great deal of the imperative for Americans to put aside political differences and "unite" as a nation. Calls for change and fresh approaches to politics beckon citizens to move beyond partisanship and special interests in a new spirit of togetherness. But how realistic is this desire? Isn't the very nature of democracy a process of taking sides? How unified has America been in its past? A casual look at U.S. history reveals a country riven with discord and di...

Worlding brings ideas about "virtual" places and societies together with perceptions about the "real" world in an era of mounting global uncertainty. As mass media and the Internet consume ever-increasing portions of our lives, are we becoming disengaged from face-to-face human interaction and real-world concerns? Or is the virtual world actually bringing people closer together and making them more involved with social issues? Worlding argues that the "virtual" and the "real" are profoundl...

Everyday Culture examines the confluence of cultural and material possibility--the bringing together of thought and action in daily life. David Trend argues that an informed and invigorated citizenry can help reverse patterns of dehumanization and social control. The impetus for Everyday Culture can be described in the observation by Raymond Williams that the "culture is ordinary," and that the fabric of meanings that inform and organize everyday life often go undervalued and unexamined. E...

Radical Democracy addresses the loss of faith in conventional party politics and argues for new ways of thinking about diversity, liberty and civic responsibility. The cultural and social theorists in Radical Democracy broaden the discussion beyond the conventional and conservative rhetoric by investigating the applicability of radical democracy in the United States. Issues debated include whether democracy is primarily a form of decision making or an instrument of popula...

Creativity is getting new attention in today’s America––along the way revealing fault lines in U.S. culture. Surveys show people overwhelmingly seeing creativity as both a desirable trait and a work enhancement, yet most say they just aren’t creative. Like beauty and wealth, creativity seems universally desired but insufficiently possessed. Businesses likewise see innovation as essential to productivity and growth, but can’t bring themselves to risk new ideas. Even as one’s "inner artist" ...