NYU Press New Tribalisms: The Resurgence of Race and Ethnicity: 2 (Main Trends of the Modern World)

For most of the twentieth century, social thinkers devoted their attention mainly to the issues of economic class. They generally dismissed the more primordial bonds of racial, ethnic, and national identities as irrational anachronisms that either communism or the liberal frameworks of democracy would dissolve. Today, communism is nearly dead and liberalism is on the wane. At the same time, older ethno-racial tribalisms, along with some newly invented ones, have shattered our illusions of a rationally manageable world. They find expression in chauvinistic nationalisms, multiculturalist ideologies, vicious civil wars, "ethnic cleansing" of whole regions, intensified racial and ethnic strife, a resurgence of prejudice, scapegoating, hate groups, and nativism, as well as new group-based challenges to the individualistic focus of Western liberalism. Bringing together prominent historians, sociologists, and political scientists, New Tribalisms examines early conceptions of racial and ethnic pluralism in the United States. The volume also confronts some of the causes, implications, and possible outcomes of resurgent tribalisms in the country and around the world. Review ""The Atheist" belongs on the short shelf of books on American atheism, church-state relations, and school prayer." -"The Journal of American History", ""The Atheist" is especially instructive today as issues of the separation of church and state continue to reverberate throughout our culture . . . well documented."-"BOOK LOOK", "Clear-eyed and judicious."-"The Women's Review of Books", "Le Beau offers an informative and melancholy portrait of self-promotion and folly."-"American Historical Review", "Le Beau's biography is the longer and better researched of two recently published lives of Murray."-"The New Republic", About the Author Michael W. Hughey is Professor of Sociology at Moorhead State University in Minnesota.