In Print
Multiculturalism without Culture,
Anne Phillips (Princeton University Press, 2007, $29.95
hardcover)
After capturing the reader’s attention with her
seemingly paradoxical title, Anne Phillips embarks on
a nuanced critique of the role of multiculturalism in
public life. Distraught by the suggestion that respect
for others’ cultures precludes judgment of patriarchal
practices—an observation that some pundits have
deployed against multiculturalism—Phillips argues
for a more complex understanding of cultural context.
In positing “culture” as fluid and variable,
Phillips argues that individuals have the power to make
choices that are culturally informed without being culturally
determined. She argues for a multiculturalism that takes
the extraordinary variability of any group—and
more important, the extraordinary variability of individual
circumstances—into account.
America Transformed: Globalization, Inequality,
and Power, Gary Hytrek and Kristine M. Zentgraf
(Oxford University Press, 2008, $29.95 paperback)
Viewing globalization through the lens of economic
analysis, Hytrek and Zentgraf survey the historical
foundations and impending consequences of neoliberal
economic policies. Their book is a short but comprehensive
overview of the intersections between social, cultural,
and economic exchange on both local and global levels.
Readers new to economic theory will welcome the care
with which the writers present terms and concepts. Likewise,
economists concerned about the far-reaching impacts
of economic globalization will appreciate the authors’
comprehensive discussion of power. Hytrek and Zentgraf’s
analysis suggests that although globalization may be
inevitable, with the help of a community-based movement
sensitive to economic pressures, the nature of its effects
can be anything but.
Doing the Public Good: Latina/o Scholars
Engage Civic Participation, Kenneth P. González
and Raymond V. Padilla, Eds. (Stylus Publishing, LLC,
2008, $24.95 paperback)
In this collection of autoethnographic essays written
by an intergenerational group of Latina/o scholars,
editors González and Padilla explore the process
of becoming civically engaged. By relating their individual
stories, contributors explore the circumstances that
led them to pursue public work in the academy and the
challenges they faced along the way. Their personal
histories attest to the ongoing barriers to civic work:
restrictive disciplinary standards; declining student
and faculty interest; and ongoing sexism and racism.
Yet they also, the editors hope, illustrate powerful
paths to civic engagement, leading the reader toward
“a deeper understanding of the public good and
a desire and strategy to master the art of enhancing
it.”
From Black Power to Black Studies: How
a Radical Social Movement Became an Academic Discipline,
Fabio Rojas (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007,
$45.00 hardcover)
In this historical and sociological review of black
studies programs, Fabio Rojas examines the unique confluence
of elements necessary to create sustained institutional
change. Tracing black studies to its origins in nationalist
movements, Rojas argues that lasting transformation
within the academy depends upon the convergence of a
number of factors, including political activism, institutional
structures, and individual leadership. Using a few university
programs as test cases, Rojas makes a well-considered
argument for the importance of taking all items into
account when assessing or undertaking change efforts.
The resulting volume is relevant to anyone interested
in how leaders, scholars, foundations, and students
support or impede transformation.
