Product Description
Although today in France church attendance is minimal, when death occurs many families still cling to religious rites. In exploring this common reaction to one of the most painful aspects of existence, Thomas Kselman turns to nineteenth-century French beliefs about death and the afterlife not only to show how deeply rooted the cult of the dead is in one Western society, but how death and the behavior of mourners have been politicized in the modern world. Drawing on sermons preached in rural and urban parishes, folktales, and accounts of seances, the author vividly re-creates the social and cultural context in which most French people responded to death and dealt with anxieties about the self and its survival. Inspired mainly by Catholicism, beliefs about death provided a social basis for moral order throughout the nineteenth century and were vulnerable to manipulation by public officials and clergy. Kselman shows, however, that by mid-century the increase in urbanization, capitalism, family privacy, and expressed religious differences generated diverse attitudes toward death, causing funerals to evolve from Catholic neighborhood rituals into personalized symbolic events for Catholics and dissenters alike--the civil burial of Victor Hugo being perhaps the greatest symbol of rebellion. Kselman's discussion of the growth of commercial funerals and innovations in cemetery administration illuminates a new struggle for control over funeral arrangements, this time involving businessmen, politicians, families, and clergy. This struggle in turn demonstrates the importance of these events for defining social identity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Surprising Look at Where We Don't Usually Want to Look
Cemeteries and Burial Practices - doesn't sound very interesting, but his author is a very good researcher and a very good writer. I was seeking some information on Gustave Courbet's Burial at Ornans for a thesis. I found this text very useful. Its surprising how much death is ignored by our academic disciplines as if it had no influence, when or course, it has so much. For those about to die it becomes nearly singular. To those left behind it becomes singular but only for awhile. For the administrators of cemeteries it becomes a job. How does this affect the neighbors? How about the real estate developers? Does it have anything to do with the transportation routes? Of course it does, but who thinks about this? Not me, until I read this. Really, this is a pretty seminal work for those seeking to understand culture, in particular France, but it applies to everyone in general.

Subtle, yet Touching
I just loved this book! It meant so darn much to me, that I read it three times! I really like it. Thomas Kselman vividly describes the afterlife in Modern France, which was very interesting. I definitely would reccomend this book to ANYONE. Thank you, Thomas. ... Read more

Product Description
New studies on manorial domestic buildings in England and northern France has led to a reappraisal of the essential elements of the seigneurial residence: the ground-floor hall, the chamber-block and the first-floor hall. The eight essays in this volume highlight the similarities and differences between the regions, and include contributions by: J Blair (English domestic planning, 1000-1250); P Dixon (The manor-houses of the Anglo-Scottish border); J Munby (Manorial building in timber in central and southern England, 1200-1550); J Decaens (De la motte au chateau de pierre dans le nord et l'est de l'Ile-de-France du XIIe au XVe siecle); E Gautier-Desvaux (Les manoirs du Perche); G Meirion-Jones, M Jones and J R Pilcher (The seigneurial domestic buildings of Brittany, 1000-1700). ... Read more

Product Description
This study of Jewish cultural innovation in early twentieth-century France highlights the complexity and ambivalence of Jewish identity and self-definition in the modern world.Following the Dreyfus affair, French Jews increasingly began to question how Jewishness should be defined in a society where Jews enjoyed full political equality. Writers who had previously not given voice to their Jewish origins began to explore biblical themes, traditional Jewish folklore, and issues of identity and assimilation. A plethora of new journals focusing on Jewish religion, history, and culture came into being, as did a multitude of associations-literary societies, youth groups, religious organizations-that emphasized Jewish distinctiveness Nadia Malinovich explores this blossoming of Jewish cultural life in France, often described by contemporaries as a Jewish 'renaissance' or 'awakening'. Describing and analysing the emergence of new forms of Jewish associational life, she shows that the interface between the various groups was as important as the differences between them: it was the process of debate and dialogue that infused new energy into French Jewish identity and culture.She similarly analyses the Jewish press and literature to develop a typology of themes, providing a panoramic view of how Jewish identity and culture were discussed and debated among Jews and non-Jews of varying ideological, cultural, and political orientations. Her analysis also provides a vantage point from which to explore the complex ways in which French national identity was re-negotiated in the early twentieth century. During this period, French Jews in effect reshaped the category of Frenchness itself, and in so doing created new possibilities for being both French and Jewish.This is a stimulating and original book that makes a major contribution to our understanding of modern Jewish history as well as to the history of the Jews in France and to the larger discourse about Jewish identities in the modern world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

sumptuous
a feast for the lover of chinese art. The Scheinman collection was put together via the refined eye of a man passionate for not only the quality of the art itself, but the ins and outs of the business of collecting. A remarkable book with superb photography. ... Read more

Product Description
A study of race and racism in France, these 11 articles present research on the tension between a republican tradition in France that has long denied the legitimacy of acknowledging racial difference and a lived reality in which racial prejudice shaped popular views about foreigners, Jews, immigrants, and colonial people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Culture trumps race in France
Race in France presents penetrating analyzes of several of the critical issues facing contemporary France by a collection of excellent youngish scholars.Perhaps the most interesting point that some of the contributors make is that culture is the discriminating point more than race in France.France is trying to remain a single nation despite the cultural diversity all modern states face.Sound scholarship like that included in this text lays a basis for careful consideration of the conflicting pulls of unity and diversity within a single society.Can Islam Be French?: Pluralism and Pragmatism in a Secularist State (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics)Race in France: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Politics of DifferenceWhy the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State, and Public SpacePolicing Paris: The Origins of Modern Immigration Control Between the Wars ... Read more

Product Description
Together with the Minster, the walls and bars make York one of the most instantly recognisable cities in the kingdom. The defenses are the most complete in England, with the walls set upon high ramparts and retaining their principal gateways. Although the walls are still standing, there has been relatively little opportunity for archaeological investigation, so documentary and pictorial evidence are of paramount importance. York is fortunate in possessing excellent collections of both.The book outlines the historical background from the pre-Conquest defenses to the present day and considers the walls, bars and posterns, the Old Baile and the castle in detail. It is a splendid and well-illustrated publication that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of York, military history, art, architecture or archaeology. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a new interpretation of the relationship between consumption, drinking culture, memory and cultural identity in an age of rapid political and economic change. Using France as a case-study it explores the construction of a national drinking culture -the myths, symbols and practices surrounding it- and then through a multisited ethnography of wine consumption demonstrates how that culture is in the process of being transformed. Wine drinking culture in France has traditionally been a source of pride for the French and in an age of concerns about the dangers of 'binge-drinking', a major cause of jealousy for the British. Wine drinking and the culture associated with it are, for many, an essential part of what it means to be French, but they are also part of a national construction. Described by some as a national product, or as a 'totem drink', wine and its attendant cultures supposedly characterise Frenchness in much the same way as being born in France, fighting for liberty or speaking French.Yet this traditional picture is now being challenged by economic, social and political forces that have transformed consumption patterns and led to the fragmentation of wine drinking culture. The aim of this book is to provide an original account of the various causes of the long-term decline in alcohol consumption and of the emergence of a new wine drinking culture since the 1970s and to analyse its relationship to national and regional identity. ... Read more

Product Description

"[Reid] develops an approach to globalization and health that goes beyond simplistic dichotomies -- such as the puritanism of the United States in contrast with the more libertine cultures of other countries -- and he also eschews the equally simplistic view that the world is becoming homogenized." -- David J. Hess, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

A tangible aspect of living, working, and traveling in the 21st century is the experience of moving between smoke-filled and smoke-free environments. In Globalizing Tobacco Control, Roddey Reid examines what lies behind this experience: the revolution in public attitudes and health codes that regulate daily routines and the life of the body. While the gradual replacement of smoking with non-smoking as the social norm is a global phenomenon, it has not followed the same trajectory everywhere. Reid compares anti-smoking campaigns in the United States, France, and Japan for what they reveal about the nature of globalization and liberal arts of government. He explores distinctive national histories of tobacco; evolving global marketing strategies of transnational tobacco corporations; "social marketing" techniques used to tailor public health messages to particular ethnic communities; and the programs of international public health organizations.

Product Description

Product Description
Le Yaudet is a promontory of granite commanding the estuary of the river Leguer down-river from the modern town of Lannion (Cotes d'Armor). It has long been known as the 'Old Town' (Civitas vetus in Latin documents and Coz Yaudet in Breton) and Iron Age, Roman and medieval finds have been made from time to time over the last two centuries. A programme of research excavations began in 1991 and continued annually until 2002. The results of the work show the site to have been in use almost continuously from the early prehistoric period. This publication is the first of four volumes documenting the fascinating discoveries made at this important site. Written entirely in French, it provides an overview of the site, giving insight into the physical geography, the town's history prior to excavation, and the archaeological research programme. It is lavishly illustrated with many photographs and line drawings. ... Read more

Product Description
This anthology, full of photographs and authentic documents, provides a study of the language and culture of non-immigrant minorities of France. Seven cultures are studied: the Alsatians, Basques, Bretons, Catalans, Corsicans, Flemish, and Occitans. The author dedicates separate sections of the book for each region and a separate introductory section of articles to look at problems shared by all seven cultures. Each section includes a variety of information, from an introduction to the region, to a sample lesson in the minority language, to folk tales from the culture. Most of the text is in French, with introductions to each section in English. Throughout the work lies the theme that all peoples should have the right to speak their native tongue. This author's study, then, is itself an argument against the French government's claim that French be the official language of France. Students and instructors are sure to find an enlightening experience in reading "Peuples Et Langues De France". ... Read more

Product Description
In the turbulent decades after World War I, both France and Germany sought to return to an idealized, prewar past. Many people believed they could recapture a sense of order and stability by reinstituting traditional gender roles, which the war had thrown off balance. While French and German women necessarily filled men's roles in factories and other jobs during the war, those who continued to lead active working lives after World War I risked being called "modern women." Far from a compliment, this derogatory label encompassed everything society found threatening about women's new place in public life: a smoking, working woman who preferred independence and sexual freedom to a traditional role in the home. Society felt threatened by the image of the "modern woman," yet also realized that conceptions of femininity needed to accommodate the cultural changes brought about by the Great War.

In Modernizing Tradition, Adam C. Stanley explores how interwar French and German popular culture used commercial images to redefine femininity in a way that granted women some access to modern life without encouraging the assertion of female independence. Examining advertisements, articles, and cartoons, as well as department store publicity materials from the popular press of each nation, Stanley reveals how the media attempted to convince women that--with the help ofnewly available consumer goods such as washing machines, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners--being a mother or a housewife could be empowering, even liberating. A life devoted to the home, these images promised, need not be an unmitigated return to old-fashioned tradition but could offer a rewarding lifestyle based on the wonders and benefits of modern technology. Stanley shows that the media carefully limited women's association with the modernity to those activities that reinforced women's traditional roles or highlighted their continued dependence on masculine guidance, expertise, and authority.

In this cross-national study, Stanley brings into sharp relief issues of gender and consumerism and reveals that, despite the larger political differences between France and Germany, gender ideals in the two countries remained virtually identical between the world wars. That these concepts of gender stayed static over the course of two decades--years when nearly every other aspect of society and culture seemed to be in constant flux--attests to their extraordinary power as a force in French and German society. ... Read more

Product Description
Aby Frances Healy The latest volume of the series on the archaeology of East Anglia attempts to document and synthesise the mass of evidence for pre-Iron Age activity between the rivers Wissey and Little Ouse. The sites are thoroughly surveyed and the finds examined, including four human skeletons which have been radio-carbon dated to the Early Bronze Age. Substantial Early or Middle Neolithic settlement is indicated, with significant Beaker and Early Bronze Age settlement after it. The artefactual and enviromental records suggest that fen edge settlements were located to maximise the resources of upland and of peat fen. ... Read more

Product Description

The University Museum excavated at Beth Shan from 1921-1934, when stratigraphical methods were first being developed. For this study the two Late Bronze levels (VII and VIII) have been reevaluated by the careful analysis of field records, photographs, and drawings along with the restudy of all artifacts housed in The University Museum and a selection of objects in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. The structures of these levels have parallels in New Kingdom Egypt and Late Bronze/Early Iron Age sites of southern Levant and the Sinai. Included are contributions by 13 specialists on specific classes of objects and technologies.

Product Description
Jean-Loup Amselle explores the issue of multiculturalism by delving into the history of France’s confrontation with ethnic difference. Amselle analyzes France’s relationship to Egypt, Algeria, and Senegal to show how ideas about difference and assimilation played out in French colonial policies and how these same tensions continue to be problematic as France grapples with cultural pluralism.

Amselle’s book has timely and wide-ranging implications. Arguing against the "liberal communitarian state" as it exists in the United States, Amselle contends that an overemphasis on difference can lead to what he calls "affirmative exclusion"—the flip side of affirmative action. The recognition of a multiplicity of ethnic groups in France, he asserts, creates an environment that fosters racism. "Despite an outward appearance of generosity, supporters of French-style multiculturalism, by promoting ‘affirmative action,’ run the risk of creating as many difficulties as there are ‘target groups,’ which they have helped identify and hence produce."

Calling on theories of racial difference devised by early anthropologists—most notably, Louis Faidherbe—and on the work of political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Amselle makes historical and sociological sense of the debates over multiculturalism and the violence they engender. Toward a French Multiculturalism proposes directions for the future. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This report, which forms volume 10 in the Chichester Excavations series, describes and discusses the excavation in 1986-87 and 1993 of almost 400 skeletons from the cemetery of the Hospital of St James and St Mary Magdalene just outside Chichester, West Sussex. Founded as a leper hospital for men in the 12th century, this institution admitted women and children towards the end of the Middle Ages and survived the Reformation by becoming an almshouse for the sick poor. Part 1 of the report discusses leprosy and contemporary attitudes to it, medieval hospitals and cemeteries, and the provision of charitable care in medieval Chichester. Part 2 focuses specifically on St James's Hospital and the archaeology of its cemetery, including dating, layout and the distribution of individuals according to age at death, sex and disease. Part 3 examines the physical anthropology and palaeopathology of this unique assemblage of skeletons, discussing leprosy, other diseases, dental health, trauma and osteoarthritis. Part 4 comprises the discussion and interpretation of the site, emphasising the change in the pattern of disease through the period of occupation from the early 12th to the mid-17th century, reflecting both the decline in leprosy in England and the refounding of the hospital as an almshouse. ... Read more