Understanding America

Understanding America PDF Author: National Endowment for the Humanities
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Book Description

Understanding America

Understanding America PDF Author: National Endowment for the Humanities
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 20

Get Book Here

Book Description


Understanding America

Understanding America PDF Author: Peter H Schuck
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 0786745487
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 721

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Book Description
What is America? Is it a hegemonic superpower, composed of ruthlessly selfish capitalists? Or is it a land of hope and glory, a shelter for the huddled masses, and a beacon of freedom and enlightenment? The definition of this complex nation has been debated substantially, yet all seem to agree on one thing: it is unique. The idea of an exceptional America can be traced all the way back to Alexis de Tocqueville's nineteenth-century observations of a newly formed democracy that seemed determined to distinguish itself from the rest. Little, it seems, has changed. Building on de Tocqueville's concept of American exceptionalism, this collection of essays, contributed by some of the nation's top scholars and thinkers, takes on the weighty task of sizing up America in a way its people and others can comprehend. Far more than simple history, they outline the current state of American institutions and policies -- from the legal system to marriage to the military to the Drug War -- and anticipate where these are headed in the future.

Understanding America

Understanding America PDF Author: Robert C. Hassler
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
ISBN: 1642987085
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Is America done? Have we run our course? Is the best behind us with nothing but stagnation, turmoil, and decline ahead? Are we living during the fall of the United States, the New Roman Empire? Calls to Make America Great Again motivated millions of Americans recently to engage in the political process for the first time in their lives. Motivated by a concern that they, like the old Romans of the fifth century, were on the precipice of disaster. The ancient Romans, of course, were not naive; they saw the problems, they even had solutions, but they failed to save their civilization. Is this the destiny of the United States? Solutions to health care, taxes, immigration, crime, sex roles, and environmental degradation are numerous and available, but it seems, like the ancient Romans, Americans lack the political and social will, unity, and objectivity to get it done. Part of the problem is that the nation's airways are filled with social commentators espousing liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, progressive, anarchist, and other partisan perspectives for the nation's condition. All of this hyperbole, fake news, spin doctoring, and outright lies are a result of everyone relying upon partial, alternative, or simply made-up sets of facts. If we cannot even agree on the facts, then how in the world can we agree on what should or should not be done? Well, there is a solution to this: old-fashioned, scientifically grounded sociology. Not the current activist sociology, which has helped contribute to the static. But the type of sociology that adheres to the scientific methodology. By understanding and applying the sociological perspective, it is possible to not only understand the true nature of the problems facing the nation, but also how we arrived at this point, and where we can go from here. This is the promise of this book: by understanding sociology, we can then understand not only America, but also Americans. Only by embracing the truth about the nation's status can we get back on the right path to fulfilling the promise of America.

Understanding America's Gun Culture

Understanding America's Gun Culture PDF Author: Lisa Fisher
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 179362514X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
Understanding America's Gun Culture focuses on building understanding of some of the issues associated with U.S. gun culture and the contemporary debate about the availability and use of guns. This edited volume is unique in that it draws on a wide variety of disciplines and presents perspectives on both sides of the debate. Contributors hail from the academic disciplines of history, social work, criminal justice, sociology, religion, and theological ethics as well as policy agencies. Some chapters examine the issues social-psychologically to help readers better understand dynamics within the debate. Others pose important ethical and philosophical questions about gun culture. Still others address practical policy solutions for enhancing gun safety and minimizing gun violence, even bringing in international perspectives. This second edition includes literature published in the last two years and two new chapters, one focusing on gender within gun culture and another that features a conversation between the editors and an ethnographic researcher with broad expertise in gun culture and research and policy trends. Together, the chapters create a thought-provoking compilation that offers insightful findings, considers theoretical and practical implications, and invites further exploration of the topic.

Understanding America’s Greatest Existential Threats

Understanding America’s Greatest Existential Threats PDF Author: Dr. J. R. Maxwell
Publisher: FriesenPress
ISBN: 1525553836
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
In this introductory volume, readers will learn about the vital role that the various Critical Infrastructure (CI) sectors play in America, in the context of homeland security. The protection, maintenance, and monitoring of these interdependent CI assets is a shared responsibility of governments, private sector owner/operators, first responders, and all those involved in homeland security and emergency management. As this foundational learning resource demonstrates, rapidly advancing technologies combined with exponential growth in demand on the aging infrastructure of America’s power grid is setting the stage for a potentially catastrophic collapse that would paralyze each and every facet of civilian life and military operations. This meticulously researched primer will guide readers through the known world of power failures and cyber-attacks to the emerging threat from a High-altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP). A HEMP would cause cascading failures in the power grid, communications, water treatment facilities, oil refineries, pipelines, banking, supply chain management, food production, air traffic control, and all forms of transportation. Each chapter in America’s Greatest Existential Threat (Vol. 1) begins with learning objectives and ends with a series of review questions to assess take-up of the chapter material. Similarly, subsequent volumes will explore HEMP and emerging issues in closer detail with current research and analysis now in development.

Beyond the Bamboo Curtain: Understanding America’s Invisible Minority

Beyond the Bamboo Curtain: Understanding America’s Invisible Minority PDF Author: Michael Soon Lee
Publisher: Bookclick 360 Wordeee
ISBN: 1959811150
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Asian American, History, Memoir, Non-fiction | English Beyond The Bamboo Curtain: Understanding America’s Invisible Minority. This unique and informative book provides well-documented but little-known facts that will give readers a deeper understanding of the cultural experience of Asians in America. Michael Soon Lee powerfully reveals how he overcame prejudice and discrimination to achieve success despite these obstacles. Shedding light on the diverse Asian American experience mostly absent from history books and the media…or distorted by stereotypes such as the myth of the “model minority,” this book illuminates the many facets of Asian Americans lives and strives to educate to help reduce violence and anti-Asian sentiment. This work is a must-read for those seeking to understand and shed hidden prejudices toward Asians in America who could be your boss, co-worker, or neighbor.

Understanding and Navigating Discrimination in America

Understanding and Navigating Discrimination in America PDF Author: James Chambers
Publisher: Infobase Holdings, Inc
ISBN: 0780819020
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
A resource guide to help people and organizations understand challenging and sensitive conversations, and integrate them into American lives in a meaningful way. The guide will provide key links to organizations, local and national support groups and government agencies to help readers identify, report and manage discrimination in personal, professional and academic settings.

Broke in America

Broke in America PDF Author: Joanne Samuel Goldblum
Publisher: BenBella Books
ISBN: 1950665631
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
FOREWORD INDIES FINALIST — POLITICAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS SILVER MEDALIST — SOCIAL CHANGE & SOCIAL JUSTICE ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD 1ST RUNNER UP — CULTURE & MONTAIGNE MEDAL NOMINEE "A valuable resource in the fight against poverty." —Publishers Weekly "An exploration of why so many Americans are struggling financially . . . A down-to-earth overview of the causes and effects of poverty and possible remedies." —Kirkus Reviews Water. Food. Housing. The most basic and crucial needs for survival, yet 40 percent of people in the United States don't have the resources to get them. With key policy changes, we could eradicate poverty in this country within our lifetime—but we need to get started now. Nearly 40 million people in the United States live below the poverty line—about $26,200 for a family of four. Low-income families and individuals are everywhere, from cities to rural communities. While poverty is commonly seen as a personal failure, or a deficiency of character or knowledge, it's actually the result of bad policy. Public policy has purposefully erected barriers that deny access to basic needs, creating a society where people can easily become trapped—not because we lack the resources to lift them out, but because we are actively choosing not to. Poverty is close to inevitable for low-wage workers and their children, and a large percentage of these people, despite qualifying for it, do not receive government aid. From Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox, Broke in America offers an eye-opening and galvanizing look at life in poverty in this country: how circumstances and public policy conspire to keep people poor, and the concrete steps we can take to end poverty for good. In clear, accessible prose, Goldblum and Shaddox detail the ways the current system is broken and how it's failing so many of us. They also highlight outdated and ineffective policies that are causing or contributing to this unnecessary problem. Every chapter features action items readers can use to combat poverty—both nationwide and in our local communities, including the most effective public policies you can support and how to work hand-in-hand with representatives to affect change. So far, our attempted solutions have fallen short because they try to "fix" poor people rather than address the underlying problems. Fortunately, it's much easier to fix policy than people. Essential and timely, Broke in America offers a crucial road map for securing a brighter future.

Understanding Central America

Understanding Central America PDF Author: John A. Booth
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1458761681
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 714

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Book Description
The fifth edition of Understanding Central America explains how domestic and global political and economic forces have shaped rebellion and regime change in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. John A. Booth, Christine J. Wade, and Thomas W. Walker explore the origins and development of the region's political conflicts and its efforts to resolve them. Covering the region's political and economic development from the early 1800s onward, the authors provide a background for understanding Central America's rebellion and regime change of the past forty years. This revised edition brings the Central American story up to date, with special emphasis on globalization, evolving public opinion, progress toward democratic consolidation, and the relationship between Central America and the United States under the Obama administration, and includes analysis of the 2009 Honduran coup d'etat. A useful introduction to the region and a model for how to convey its complexities in language readers will comprehend, Understanding Central America stands out as a must-have resource.

Beyond Tolerance

Beyond Tolerance PDF Author: Gustav Niebuhr
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780670019564
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
Examines the nature of community and religion in the United States, traces the origins of religious freedom along with its advances and setbacks, and surveys the diverse range of religious faith throughout the nation.