In The Enigma of Ethnicity Wilbur Zelinsky draws upon more than half a century of exploring the cultural and social geography of an ever-changing North America to become both biographer and critic of the recent concept of ethnicity. In this ambitious and encyclopedic work, he examines ethnicity's deÞnition, evolution, signiÞcance, implications, and entanglements with other phenomena as well as the mysteries of ethnic identity and performance. Zelinsky begins by examining the ways in which “ethnic groups” and “ethnicity” have been deÞned; his own deÞnitions then become the basis for the rest of his study. He next focuses on the concepts of heterolocalism—the possibility that an ethnic community can exist without being physically merged—and personal identity—the relatively recent idea that one can concoct one's own identity. In his Þnal chapter, which is also his most provocative, he concentrates on the multifaceted phenomenon of multiculturalism and its relationship to ethnicity. Throughout he includes a close look at African Americans, Hispanics, and Jews as well as such less-studied groups as suburbanized Japanese, Cubans in Washington, Koreans, Lithuanian immigrants in Chicago, Estonians in New Jersey, Danish Americans in Seattle, and Finns. Reasonable, nonpolemical, and straightforward, Zelinsky's text is invaluable for readers wanting an in-depth overview of the literature on ethnicity in the United States as well as a well-thought-out understanding of the meanings and dynamics of ethnic groups, ethnicity, and multiculturalism.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“ It may well be the most original, disturbing, and heartening meditation ever written on our multicultural condition.” -- Michael Zuckerman, professor of history, University of Pennsylvania
About the Author
Wilbur Zelinsky is professor emeritus of geography at Pennsylvania State University and author of, among many others, Exploring the Beloved Country(Iowa, 1994), The Cultural Geography of the United States, and Nation into State: The Shifting Foundations of American Nationalism.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
School Book,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Enigma of Ethnicity: Another American Dilemma (Paperback)
The book was in great condition and it was worth the price I paid. Thank you
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
