Is This America?

Katrina as Cultural Trauma

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology
Cover of the book Is This America? by Ron Eyerman, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ron Eyerman ISBN: 9781477307472
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: September 1, 2015
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Ron Eyerman
ISBN: 9781477307472
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: September 1, 2015
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

From police on the street, to the mayor of New Orleans and FEMA administrators, government officials monumentally failed to protect the most vulnerable residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast during the Katrina disaster. This violation of the social contract undermined the foundational narratives and myths of the American nation and spawned a profound, often contentious public debate over the meaning of Katrina’s devastation. A wide range of voices and images attempted to clarify what happened, name those responsible, identify the victims, and decide what should be done. This debate took place in forums ranging from mass media and the political arena to the arts and popular culture, as various narratives emerged and competed to tell the story of Katrina.Is This America? explores how Katrina has been constructed as a cultural trauma in print media, the arts and popular culture, and television coverage. Using stories told by the New York Times, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Time, Newsweek, NBC, and CNN, as well as the works of artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and graphic designers, Ron Eyerman analyzes how these narratives publicly articulated collective pain and loss. He demonstrates that, by exposing a foundational racial cleavage in American society, these expressions of cultural trauma turned individual experiences of suffering during Katrina into a national debate about the failure of the white majority in the United States to care about the black minority.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From police on the street, to the mayor of New Orleans and FEMA administrators, government officials monumentally failed to protect the most vulnerable residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast during the Katrina disaster. This violation of the social contract undermined the foundational narratives and myths of the American nation and spawned a profound, often contentious public debate over the meaning of Katrina’s devastation. A wide range of voices and images attempted to clarify what happened, name those responsible, identify the victims, and decide what should be done. This debate took place in forums ranging from mass media and the political arena to the arts and popular culture, as various narratives emerged and competed to tell the story of Katrina.Is This America? explores how Katrina has been constructed as a cultural trauma in print media, the arts and popular culture, and television coverage. Using stories told by the New York Times, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Time, Newsweek, NBC, and CNN, as well as the works of artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and graphic designers, Ron Eyerman analyzes how these narratives publicly articulated collective pain and loss. He demonstrates that, by exposing a foundational racial cleavage in American society, these expressions of cultural trauma turned individual experiences of suffering during Katrina into a national debate about the failure of the white majority in the United States to care about the black minority.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Surviving in Two Worlds by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Concept and Controversy by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book City of Suppliants by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book The Book of Dede Korkut by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Maya Figurines by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book We Came Naked and Barefoot by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Joyce's Web by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Robert Estienne's Influence on Lexicography by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Carnival and Other Christian Festivals by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book The Life of Stephen F. Austin, Founder of Texas, 1793-1836 by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book The Laws of Slavery in Texas by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Latin American Politics by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book The Spanish American Novel by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book Our Lady of Guadalupe by Ron Eyerman
Cover of the book The Roman Goddess Ceres by Ron Eyerman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy