Orlando Patterson duikt in de complexe relatie tussen vrijheid en de vorming van de westerse cultuur, waarbij hij de dynamiek van sociale structuren en menselijke identiteit belicht. Zijn sociologische lens onderzoekt de essentie van vrijheid, de historische vorming ervan en de diepgaande impact op de westerse beschaving. Patterson's stijl kenmerkt zich door intellectuele scherpte en nauwgezet onderzoek, wat lezers nieuwe perspectieven biedt op complexe maatschappelijke fenomenen. Door zijn uitgebreide analyses zet hij aan tot nadenken over de fundamentele elementen van de menselijke samenleving en de voortdurende evolutie van vrijheid binnen de cultuur.
Orlando Patterson returns to Jamaica, his birthplace, to reckon with its history and culture. Locals claim to be some of the world's happiest people, and their successes in music and athletics are legendary. Yet the country remains violent and poor. In Jamaica the dilemmas of globalization and postcolonial politics are thrown into stark relief.
"A classic study of the social institution of slavery, now available in paperback"-- Provided by publisher
For many years Orlando Patterson has been a major contributor to the public discussion of race in America. Now the author of the National Book Award winning Freedom in the Making of Western Culture presents a comprehensive exploration of contemporary interethnic relations.Unflinching in his analysis, Patterson chides professional race advocates, the mainstream media, and his fellow academics for homogenizing the 33 million Americans of African ancestry into a single group beset by crises and intractable dilemmas. His willingness to challenge the received wisdom of conservatives, liberals, and genetic determinists alike affords us the opportunity to critically examine our own preconceived notions and prejudices. Standing as a challenge to those who insist on dwelling on the failures of race relations, The Ordeal of Integration admonishes Americans to stop exaggerating the intractability of persistent ethnic problems and start focusing on what works.
This magisterial work traces the history of our most cherished value. Patterson links the birth of freedom in primitive societies with the institution of slavery, and traces the evolution of three forms of freedom in the West from antiquity through the Middle Ages.
Patterson discusses the internal dynamics of slavery in 66 societies over time. These include Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, China, Korea, the Islamic kingdoms, Africa, the Caribbean islands, and the American South. Slavery, he argues, is a single process of recruitment, incorporation on the margin of society, and eventual manumission or death.