Written in Stone

Public Monuments in Changing Societies

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Written in Stone by Sanford Levinson, Duke University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sanford Levinson ISBN: 9780822399995
Publisher: Duke University Press Publication: August 7, 1998
Imprint: Duke University Press Books Language: English
Author: Sanford Levinson
ISBN: 9780822399995
Publisher: Duke University Press
Publication: August 7, 1998
Imprint: Duke University Press Books
Language: English

Is it “Stalinist” for a formerly communist country to tear down a statue of Stalin? Should the Confederate flag be allowed to fly over the South Carolina state capitol? Is it possible for America to honor General Custer and the Sioux Nation, Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln? Indeed, can a liberal, multicultural society memorialize anyone at all, or is it committed to a strict neutrality about the quality of the lives led by its citizens?

In Written in Stone, legal scholar Sanford Levinson considers the tangled responses of ever-changing societies to the monuments and commemorations created by past regimes or outmoded cultural and political systems. Drawing on examples from Albania to Zimbabwe, from Moscow to Managua, and paying particular attention to examples throughout the American South, Levinson looks at social and legal arguments regarding the display, construction, modification, and destruction of public monuments. He asks what kinds of claims the past has on the present, particularly if the present is defined in dramatic opposition to its past values. In addition, he addresses the possibilities for responding to the use and abuse of public spaces and explores how a culture might memorialize its historical figures and events in ways that are beneficial to all its members.

Written in Stone is a meditation on how national cultures have been or may yet be defined through the deployment of public monuments. It adds a thoughtful and crucial voice into debates surrounding historical accuracy and representation, and will be welcomed by the many readers concerned with such issues.

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

Is it “Stalinist” for a formerly communist country to tear down a statue of Stalin? Should the Confederate flag be allowed to fly over the South Carolina state capitol? Is it possible for America to honor General Custer and the Sioux Nation, Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln? Indeed, can a liberal, multicultural society memorialize anyone at all, or is it committed to a strict neutrality about the quality of the lives led by its citizens?

In Written in Stone, legal scholar Sanford Levinson considers the tangled responses of ever-changing societies to the monuments and commemorations created by past regimes or outmoded cultural and political systems. Drawing on examples from Albania to Zimbabwe, from Moscow to Managua, and paying particular attention to examples throughout the American South, Levinson looks at social and legal arguments regarding the display, construction, modification, and destruction of public monuments. He asks what kinds of claims the past has on the present, particularly if the present is defined in dramatic opposition to its past values. In addition, he addresses the possibilities for responding to the use and abuse of public spaces and explores how a culture might memorialize its historical figures and events in ways that are beneficial to all its members.

Written in Stone is a meditation on how national cultures have been or may yet be defined through the deployment of public monuments. It adds a thoughtful and crucial voice into debates surrounding historical accuracy and representation, and will be welcomed by the many readers concerned with such issues.

More books from Duke University Press

Cover of the book Radical Sensations by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Queer in Russia by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Latinamericanism after 9/11 by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Ordinary Affects by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Hotel Trópico by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Advertising Diversity by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Las hijas de Juan by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book A Nation of Realtors® by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book The Afterlife of Reproductive Slavery by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book On Reason by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Doing What Comes Naturally by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Masculine/Feminine by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Afro Asia by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Soundtracks of Asian America by Sanford Levinson
Cover of the book Assimilating Asians by Sanford Levinson
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