The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community

The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community PDF Author: Marc J. Dunkelman
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393243990
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
A sweeping new look at the unheralded transformation that is eroding the foundations of American exceptionalism. Americans today find themselves mired in an era of uncertainty and frustration. The nation's safety net is pulling apart under its own weight; political compromise is viewed as a form of defeat; and our faith in the enduring concept of American exceptionalism appears increasingly outdated. But the American Age may not be ending. In The Vanishing Neighbor, Marc J. Dunkelman identifies an epochal shift in the structure of American life—a shift unnoticed by many. Routines that once put doctors and lawyers in touch with grocers and plumbers—interactions that encouraged debate and cultivated compromise—have changed dramatically since the postwar era. Both technology and the new routines of everyday life connect tight-knit circles and expand the breadth of our social landscapes, but they've sapped the commonplace, incidental interactions that for centuries have built local communities and fostered healthy debate. The disappearance of these once-central relationships—between people who are familiar but not close, or friendly but not intimate—lies at the root of America's economic woes and political gridlock. The institutions that were erected to support what Tocqueville called the "township"—that unique locus of the power of citizens—are failing because they haven't yet been molded to the realities of the new American community. It's time we moved beyond the debate over whether the changes being made to American life are good or bad and focus instead on understanding the tradeoffs. Our cities are less racially segregated than in decades past, but we’ve become less cognizant of what's happening in the lives of people from different economic backgrounds, education levels, or age groups. Familiar divisions have been replaced by cross-cutting networks—with profound effects for the way we resolve conflicts, spur innovation, and care for those in need. The good news is that the very transformation at the heart of our current anxiety holds the promise of more hope and prosperity than would have been possible under the old order. The Vanishing Neighbor argues persuasively that to win the future we need to adapt yesterday’s institutions to the realities of the twenty-first-century American community.

The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community

The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community PDF Author: Marc J. Dunkelman
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393243990
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Get Book Here

Book Description
A sweeping new look at the unheralded transformation that is eroding the foundations of American exceptionalism. Americans today find themselves mired in an era of uncertainty and frustration. The nation's safety net is pulling apart under its own weight; political compromise is viewed as a form of defeat; and our faith in the enduring concept of American exceptionalism appears increasingly outdated. But the American Age may not be ending. In The Vanishing Neighbor, Marc J. Dunkelman identifies an epochal shift in the structure of American life—a shift unnoticed by many. Routines that once put doctors and lawyers in touch with grocers and plumbers—interactions that encouraged debate and cultivated compromise—have changed dramatically since the postwar era. Both technology and the new routines of everyday life connect tight-knit circles and expand the breadth of our social landscapes, but they've sapped the commonplace, incidental interactions that for centuries have built local communities and fostered healthy debate. The disappearance of these once-central relationships—between people who are familiar but not close, or friendly but not intimate—lies at the root of America's economic woes and political gridlock. The institutions that were erected to support what Tocqueville called the "township"—that unique locus of the power of citizens—are failing because they haven't yet been molded to the realities of the new American community. It's time we moved beyond the debate over whether the changes being made to American life are good or bad and focus instead on understanding the tradeoffs. Our cities are less racially segregated than in decades past, but we’ve become less cognizant of what's happening in the lives of people from different economic backgrounds, education levels, or age groups. Familiar divisions have been replaced by cross-cutting networks—with profound effects for the way we resolve conflicts, spur innovation, and care for those in need. The good news is that the very transformation at the heart of our current anxiety holds the promise of more hope and prosperity than would have been possible under the old order. The Vanishing Neighbor argues persuasively that to win the future we need to adapt yesterday’s institutions to the realities of the twenty-first-century American community.

Voices of Kensington

Voices of Kensington PDF Author: Jean Seder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Book Description


The Book of Disappearance

The Book of Disappearance PDF Author: Ibtisam Azem
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815654839
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
What if all the Palestinians in Israel simply disappeared one day? What would happen next? How would Israelis react? These unsettling questions are posed in Azem’s powerfully imaginative novel. Set in contemporary Tel Aviv forty eight hours after Israelis discover all their Palestinian neighbors have vanished, the story unfolds through alternating narrators, Alaa, a young Palestinian man who converses with his dead grandmother in the journal he left behind when he disappeared, and his Jewish neighbor, Ariel, a journalist struggling to understand the traumatic event. Through these perspectives, the novel stages a confrontation between two memories. Ariel is a liberal Zionist who is critical of the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, but nevertheless believes in Israel’s project and its national myth. Alaa is haunted by his grandmother’s memories of being displaced from Jaffa and becoming a refugee in her homeland. Ariel’s search for clues to the secret of the collective disappearance and his reaction to it intimately reveal the fissures at the heart of the Palestinian question. The Book of Disappearance grapples with both the memory of loss and the loss of memory for the Palestinians. Presenting a narrative that is often marginalized, Antoon’s translation of the critically acclaimed Arabic novel invites English readers into the complex lives of Palestinians living in Israel.

Forever in the Rehearsal of the Vanishing Indian: A Study of the Spokane Community in Select Works of Sherman Alexie

Forever in the Rehearsal of the Vanishing Indian: A Study of the Spokane Community in Select Works of Sherman Alexie PDF Author: Dr Aananthi Ballamurugan
Publisher: Archers & Elevators Publishing House
ISBN: 9388805372
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description


The Vanishing Farmland Crisis

The Vanishing Farmland Crisis PDF Author: John Baden
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700631380
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
Newspapers seem to be telling us that every cornfield is threatened by a Dairy Queen. This media barrage about the crisis of our “shrinking” farmland can be traced to the 1979 publication of Where Have All the Farmlands Gone? by the National Agricultural Lands Study. The NALS report, to which eleven federal agencies contributed, argued that land-use planning and control must be employed to protect valuable farmland from “urban sprawl.” This volume, a collection of essays by a distinguished group of economists including Theodore W. Schultz, Julian L. Simon, and Pierre Crosson, takes issue with the belief that croplands need governmental protection. In opposition the collection as a whole supports two theses: 1) shrinking farm acreage is not a serious problem, and 2) individual choices by landowners in a market setting result in better-organized land use than would governmental land-use planning and regulation. Published for the Political Economy Research Center, Bozeman, Montana

Ned and Nancy and the Case of the Vanishing Cat

Ned and Nancy and the Case of the Vanishing Cat PDF Author: Carter Case
Publisher: Thesaurum Books
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
Get ready for another thrilling adventure with "Ned and Nancy and the Case of the Vanishing Cat" - the second installment in the beloved series that's tailor-made for children aged 8-12! Our intrepid young detectives, Nancy and Ned, are back, and this time they're faced with a baffling new mystery: pets are mysteriously disappearing from their neighborhood, leaving pet owners distraught and puzzled. When Mrs. Maple's cherished cat goes missing, it's a call to action for Nancy and Ned, who are determined to crack the case wide open. In "Ned and Nancy and the Case of the Vanishing Cat," readers will be swept away on a whirlwind investigation that leads our dynamic duo through dimly lit streets, into eerie attics, and deep into the heart of the local park. With each new clue they uncover, the mystery only becomes more enigmatic. Who could be behind these perplexing disappearances? This captivating tale is enriched with stunning, full-color illustrations that bring every twist and turn to life, making it an engaging visual experience for young readers. The beautiful artwork will immerse children in the world of Ned and Nancy, enhancing their reading adventure. Prepare for a rollercoaster of suspense, humor, and Ned's quirky snack-related escapades that will keep young minds entertained from start to finish. "Ned and Nancy and the Case of the Vanishing Cat" is the perfect choice for budding detectives who relish a good whodunit. Will Nancy and Ned crack the case and rescue the missing pets in time? Join our heroes as they unravel this mesmerizing mystery, and embark on an unforgettable journey filled with surprises, laughter, and heart-pounding excitement. For children aged 8-12, this book is a must-read addition to their collection. Dive into the captivating world of "Ned and Nancy" once again - adventure awaits!

Case of the Vanishing Visitor

Case of the Vanishing Visitor PDF Author: Shanna Swendson
Publisher: Shanna Swendson
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
Is she missing, or was she ever there? As a newspaper reporter, Lexie Lincoln knows a good story when she sees one, and when a source doesn’t show up for an interview and doesn’t answer her phone, Lexie feels certain there’s something wrong. This woman is a visitor to town, on her own and vulnerable, and Lexie may be the only person to realize she’s gone missing. The weird thing is that nobody else remembers seeing this woman, even though Lexie met her during a busy night in her friend Margarita’s restaurant. That makes it hard for her to convince anyone that there’s a problem. After all, Lexie can see ghosts most other people don’t. The woman Lexie talked to might not even have been alive. Sure of her instincts, Lexie sets out to learn more about the woman and what might have happened to her. The plot thickens when the woman’s car is found abandoned. Now Lexie knows she didn’t imagine the visitor, but where is she, and what happened to her? As the clues line up, Lexie starts to worry that they’re just a bit too neat, too much like a good story. Now that the police are seriously investigating the woman’s disappearance, Lexie’s credibility may be in danger if she got the story all wrong in the first place. She has to find the truth before the police do—and before her next issue goes to press—if she doesn’t want to be the editor who cried wolf.

The Vanishing American Jew

The Vanishing American Jew PDF Author: Alan M. Dershowitz
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0446930504
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
In this urgent book, Alan M. Dershowitz shows why American Jews are in danger of disappearing - and what must be done now to create a renewed sense of Jewish identity for the next century. In previous times, the threats to Jewish survival were external - the virulent consequences of anti-Semitism. Now, however, in late-twentieth-century America, the danger has shifted. Jews today are more secure, more accepted, more assimilated, and more successful than ever before. They've dived into the melting pot - and they've achieved the American Dream. And that, according to Dershowitz, is precisely the problem. More than 50 percent of Jews will marry non-Jews, and their children will most often be raised as non-Jews. Which means, in the view of Dershowitz, that American Jews will vanish as a distinct cultural group sometime in the next century - unless they act now. Speaking to concerned Jews everywhere, Dershowitz calls for a new Jewish identity that focuses on the positive - the 3,500-year-old legacy of Jewish culture, values, and traditions. Dershowitz shows how this new Jewish identity can compete in America's open environment of opportunity and choice - and offers concrete proposals on how to instill it in the younger generation.

Vanishing Los Angeles County

Vanishing Los Angeles County PDF Author: Cory Stargel
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738581002
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
Home to more than 10 million people, modern Los Angeles County bears little resemblance to the largely agricultural landscape, dotted with small towns, of just over a century ago. Los Angeles County has surged forward on a path of phenomenal growth and constant transformation. Over this course, much of what was both famous and familiar to Angelenos 100 or even 50 years ago has been lost in the name of progress. This collection of more than 200 vintage postcards explores a sampling of these vanishing sites, including the once ubiquitous orange groves, views from the early days of the county's towns, yesteryear's famed attractions, landmarks, hotels, and restaurants, and scenes from the roadside era.

Vanishing Frontiers

Vanishing Frontiers PDF Author: Andrew Selee
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610399021
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
There may be no story today with a wider gap between fact and fiction than the relationship between the United States and Mexico. Wall or no wall, deeply intertwined social, economic, business, cultural, and personal relationships mean the US-Mexico border is more like a seam than a barrier, weaving together two economies and cultures. Mexico faces huge crime and corruption problems, but its remarkable transformation over the past two decades has made it a more educated, prosperous, and innovative nation than most Americans realize. Through portraits of business leaders, migrants, chefs, movie directors, police officers, and media and sports executives, Andrew Selee looks at this emerging Mexico, showing how it increasingly influences our daily lives in the United States in surprising ways -- the jobs we do, the goods we consume, and even the new technology and entertainment we enjoy. From the Mexican entrepreneur in Missouri who saved the US nail industry, to the city leaders who were visionary enough to build a bridge over the border fence so the people of San Diego and Tijuana could share a single international airport, to the connections between innovators in Mexico's emerging tech hub in Guadalajara and those in Silicon Valley, Mexicans and Americans together have been creating productive connections that now blur the boundaries that once separated us from each other.