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Rethinking Comparative Cultural Sociology: Repertoires of Evaluation in France and the United States

Hardback

Main Details

Title Rethinking Comparative Cultural Sociology: Repertoires of Evaluation in France and the United States
Authors and Contributors      Edited by Michele Lamont
Edited by Laurent Thevenot
SeriesCambridge Cultural Social Studies
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:392
Dimensions(mm): Height 229,Width 152
ISBN/Barcode 9780521782630
ClassificationsDewey:306
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Illustrations 9 Tables, unspecified

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 11 December 2000
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

This book provides a powerful new theoretical framework for understanding cross-national cultural differences. Focusing on France and America, it analyses how the people of these two different cultures mobilise national 'repertoires of evaluation' to make judgements about politics, economics, morals and aesthetics. The analysis draws on eight case studies by eleven French and American researchers who have worked together over a number of years to develop systematic comparisons between these countries. The topics are wide-ranging, comparing how individuals use the cultural tools at their disposal to answer questions such as: Are races equal ? What constitutes sexual harassment? What is the value of contemporary art? Should journalists be neutral? How can the defense of the environment be reconciled with economic imperatives? Moving beyond simplistic essentialist models of national character, this comparative approach offers important insights that will interest not only sociologists but also political scientists and anthropologists.

Reviews

"Rethinking Comparative Cultural Sociology is the product of an unprecedented multiyear collaboration between 11 French and American researchers...[it is] an extraordinary contribution to the field of comparative cultural sociology." American Journal of Sociology