Abstract: The Blackwell Companions to American History series tackles major themes, periods and regions of US history. Karen Halttunen, Professor of History and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, is the editor of the latest book in the sequence, this time concerning American cultural history. For editor Halttunen, the true essence of cultural history is to learn more about ?meanings?: ?the meanings of the signs, gestures, artifacts, performances, and other expressive forms by which people communicate their values and their truths in a given society? (p.xi). In an impressive set of historiographical essays, 30 of her fellow cultural historians ponder precisely this. Through their work on objects, rituals, language and expression, they deconstruct the meaning of culture in the United States. They also ruminate on the status and trajectory of their discipline, on its successes, failures, and key scholarly breakthroughs.
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Language: en
Type: book
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 34
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