Showing posts with label sociology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sociology. Show all posts

The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World Review

The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World
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The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World ReviewEdit of 11 Sep 08 to add links.
This book should be read together with Imagine: What America Could be in the 21st century, edited by Marianne Williamson. Taken together, the two books are inspirational while still being practical.
Cultural Creatives as a book, and some of the other reviews, tend to over-sell the success of the emergence of an alternative lifestyle to Traditionalists (stereotyped as somewhat red neckish and religious rightists) and Moderns (stereotyped as ravish the earth anything-goes corporate carpetbaggers). The reality is that there are as many "cultural creatives" as there are people with disabilities in the United States--50 million. Not one quarter of the population, as one reviewer claims.
Having said that, by way of somber stage-setting, I cannot say enough good things about this book. It should be required reading for every citizen, every student, and every public official. In a very real sense, this book strikes me as a truly seminal work that could help millions of individuals reframe their personal connection to one another, to their Republic, and to the earth.
This is neither a tree-hugger book nor a mantras R us book. This book provides a thoughtful review of how different movements--first the environmental movement, then the human rights movement, and finally the consciousness movement--have come together to define an alternative lifestyle and alternative paradigm for political and economic and social relationships in the larger context of a sustainable "whole" earth.
I found this book motivational and meaningful at both a personal level and a larger national level. At the personal level, its detailed and well-organized description of fifteen very distinct aspects of a "cultural creative" lifestyle helped me understand--as it has helped many others--that there is actually a category of people who have come to grips with and found solutions that enrich their lives--and this explains my great disappointment that the book does not offer a "resources" section at the end. I would have been very glad to discover, for example, a "Cultural Creative" journal or magazine that combined a strong book review section, art and culture, a consumer reports section tailored to the higher standards of the "CCs", new innovations in home restoration and remodeling, vacation options known to be attractive to CCs, etcetera.
At the higher political level, I found the book constructive and just this side of a tipping point. An increasing number of people, all of them generally outside of Washington and not associated with Wall Street, clearly have some strong positive values and a real commitment to achieving reform through "many small actions". What this group has lacked is a means of communicating and orchestrating itself on a scale sufficient to demand respect from politicians and corporation. The Internet now provides such a vehicle--and as the Internet explodes from 3.5M people worldwide to 3.5B people worldwide, in the next ten years, I am convinced that Cultural Creatives may finally come into their own as a new form of global political party. Cultural Creatives would sign the Kyoto Treaty (and know what it is); Cultural Creatives would demand a 100% increase--from a half-penny a dollar to a full penny a dollar--in America's foreign diplomatic and humanitarian assistance budget--and Cultural Creatives could conceivably give the Republican Party a real beating in the next Congressional elections if President Bush persists in breaking his campaign vow on reducing carbon emissions. A peaceful revolution in our national agenda may truly be a near-term reality.
This is not a book where a summary can do it justice. It needs to be experienced at an individual level and ideally also at a community level, where it could be understood and accepted as a common point of reference for individual choosing to live "in relation" to one another and to the world, at a level much higher and more satisfying than our current arrangements. When this book makes it to the best-seller list, America will have matured and there will be hope for our children's future quality of life.
Other books along these lines:
The leadership of civilization building: Administrative and civilization theory, symbolic dialogue, and citizen skills for the 21st century
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, Updated Edition
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All
Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World
One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization
Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration
Collective Intelligence: Mankind's Emerging World in Cyberspace (Helix Books)
Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace
The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World Overview

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Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step Review

Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step
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Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step ReviewThis book is easy to read and yet full of precise scholarly prose. A must-read for those of the LGBT community who are spiritual or are struggling with spiritual issues.
As a bisexual woman, I found that this book included me instead of the trend of a lot of books on gay issues which cater specifically to the male community. I was very impressed with Christian's style and evocative language. Having met him recently at the SF Book Festival, I found that as a speaker, he is equally as eloquent and feels very strongly about his work in the LGBT community.
Anyone wondering about what religions really feel about homosexuality? Check out Appendix 1 which includes "snapshots" of many religions.
I recommend this book to anyone in the LGBT community or someone who has a loved one in the LGBT community and is wondering about spiritual issues.Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step Overview

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An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Cultures (Series Q) Review

An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Cultures (Series Q)
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An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Cultures (Series Q) ReviewBefore I ordered this book for my Queers and Theory class various folks told me, "It changed my life." Academic books don't usually elicit such comments.
Yet it is not a "self-help" book, far from it. It is a thoughtful and graceful mix of cultural criticism, media engagements, insightful and workable theory, participant analysis, histories and interpretations of lgbt lives, and steadfastly original work on trauma across all these sites of meaning and scholarship.
It is also a rather compulsive read. It feels remarkably personal, reaching out to the reader's person too. And the personal here is crafted so sparingly, practically zen. It's deep without being intrusive, empathetic without being sentimental. I marvel at this poetic distillation.
Everyone in my class loved this book. It drew us together, even though everyone cared most about quite different chapters. People thought our discussions about it were the best of the semester.
When I told my therapist about it, she went immediately to her computer to order it.
Cvetkovich's approach is lean, quiet and profound. And it is a big book. It starts you out on a range of threads of connection: to great music, conscious film-making, archives and histories, activisms and contemplation. I'm so glad I wanted to read it.An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Cultures (Series Q) Overview

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Twice Dead: Organ Transplants and the Reinvention of Death (California Series in Public Anthropology, Vol. 1) Review

Twice Dead: Organ Transplants and the Reinvention of Death (California Series in Public Anthropology, Vol. 1)
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Twice Dead: Organ Transplants and the Reinvention of Death (California Series in Public Anthropology, Vol. 1) ReviewMargaret Lock discusses how organ transplant interests fostered the notion of brain death in North America and Japan. Until recently, Japan did not accept brain death as a sufficient criterion of death, even when the Japanese had all the technology and medical skills to carry out organ transplantation. By contrasting the muted discussion about brain death in North America with the heated, well informed public debates in Japan, Lock makes readers uncomfortable. Are people declared brain dead in America really dead, or do neurologists simply assume that they are dead to allow transplantation to take place? When does death occur anyway; is it a process or an event? Should physicians determine death with technological guidelines, or should death be defined by the people who are the most implicated, like relatives? Lock does not provide easy answers to those questions but her exhaustive research indicates how a different consensus about brain death emerged in the East and the West.
This book is a masterpiece of social research that does not succumb to cheap moralizing. Lucidly written, it is solidly grounded in anthropology but widely accessible. I strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in medicine or anthropology.Twice Dead: Organ Transplants and the Reinvention of Death (California Series in Public Anthropology, Vol. 1) Overview

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Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church (Leadership Network Innovation Series) Review

Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church (Leadership Network Innovation Series)
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Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church (Leadership Network Innovation Series) ReviewMy how we could have used this book ten years ago when our church (Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL) first decided to cross the racial divide in hopes of becoming multi-ethnic! Our results were recently described in a January, 2010 Time Magazine article that shows both how far Willow has come, and how far it still has to go.
It's interesting that both these authors and our pastor (Bill Hybels) were inspired by Michael Emerson's depressing book "Divided by Faith." For those who haven't read it yet, it describes lasting multi-ethnic churches as sociologically impossible. Yet, as I once responded to Dr. Emerson in a meeting, it HAS to be possible for Christians, because the Bible commands it. This book is the story of HOW it has been possible with God's help, not only for Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, but also for several other cited examples to become truly multi-ethnic (defined as no more than 80% from any one ethnicity.)
A key insight of this book is: however well the homogeneous unit principle of church growth worked in the twentieth century, only multi-ethnic churches can achieve lasting growth in the twenty-first. One reason is that the U.S. is becoming more diverse. Twenty-five percent of the people living near Willow's suburban campuses no longer look like the people who founded Willow. Any church that today only appeals to only one ethnicity, thereby shrinks its market, especially as the U.S. moves toward becoming majority-minority by 2042. Second, and more importantly, people who are considering the message of the church today can't avoid wondering why it can't be at least as diverse as their workplace. As this book put it "For in an increasingly diverse and cynical society, people will no longer find credible the message of God's love for all people when it's preached by segregated churches."
Another key insight: "it is the [multi-ethnic] church at Antioch, and not the [homogeneous] church in Jerusalem, that is the most influential church of the entire New Testament." and "it wasn't until the church at Jerusalem was persecuted that individuals were forced to carry the message of Christ to other lands and people."
The book lists seven core commitments of a multi-ethnic church: embrace dependence, intentional steps, diverse leaders, cross-cultural relationships and competence, inclusion and mobilizing for impact.
Thankfully, this book then gets into actual cases, such as tongues, women in ministry, politics, the undocumented, worship music, wine versus grape juice, choosing leaders, and resolving conflicts. It also presents various models of how multi-ethnic churches function, listing strengths and weaknesses of each approach. For instance, Willow now has a popular weekly service in Spanish, good for attracting Hispanics. However, the resulting challenge is how to ensure Willow remains united, not two congregations sharing a building.
I found the transitions between the two authors a bit hard to track, and still wonder about the ethnicity of Deymaz. Those primarily concerned about bridging the specific divide between black and white may want an additional book, such as the book "Letters Across the Divide" that helped Willow start its "Justice Journey."
Overall, for churches interested in actually becoming multi-ethnic, this is your "how to" guide.Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church (Leadership Network Innovation Series) Overview

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Thanks: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier Review

Thanks: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier
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Thanks: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier ReviewIn his latest book, "Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude can Make you Happier," Dr. Robert Emmons shares his expertise about the personal and interpersonal benefits of gratitude. While gratitude has a long history among philosophers and theologians, it was not until the turn of the 21st century that psychology finally began to give gratitude its deserved empirical homage. The individual largely responsible for the scientific advancement of gratitude is Dr. Emmons. In its simplest terms, gratitude is a positive response to a benefit. But its related outcomes reach well beyond those associated with being polite. Indeed, pioneering research conducted and reviewed by Dr. Emmons shows that gratitude improves emotional and physical health, as well as bolsters relationships and communities. "Thanks!" ends by providing readers with 10 practical strategies for becoming more grateful. Some strategies include keeping a gratitude journal, learning prayers of gratitude, and using visual reminders. Following the advice of Dr. Emmons, my screensaver now reads: "Life is a Gift--Thanks!" Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is tough. It is, according to Dr. Emmons, a "chosen attitude." We must be willing to recognize and acknowledge that we are the recipients of an unearned benefit. If we roll up our sleeves and commit ourselves to becoming grateful, we will see that with gratitude comes abundance. "Thanks!" is a highly readable, colorful, and downright fun book. Personal anecdotes and gratitude essays written by research participants bring to life Dr. Emmon's research program demonstrating the strong and enduring benefits of gratitude. So with patience and persistence, happiness, health, and stronger relationships await you. It just comes down to one simple, yet highly complex word--thanks!Thanks: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier Overview

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