The Culture Struggle

by Parenti, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781583227046
• ISBN10: 1583227040
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-03
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press

Summary

Praise for The Assassination of Julius Caesar: "Parenti . . . re-creates the struggle of the late Republic with scintillating storytelling and deeply examined historical insight."-Publishers Weekly One of America's most astute and engaging political analysts, Michael Parenti shows us that culture is a changing process and the product of a dynamic interplay between a wide range of social and political interests. It is not enough to study the prevailing political realm; we also must grasp developments throughout the entire civil society. In short, to understand a society we need to understand the problem of culture as well as that of power. Drawing from cultures around the world, Parenti shows that beliefs and practices are readily subjected to political manipulation, and that many parts of culture are being commodified, separated from their group or communal origins, and packaged and sold to those who can pay for them. Folk culture is giving way to a corporate market culture. Art, science, medicine, and psychiatry can be used as instruments of cultural control, and even marriage, the "foundation of society," has been misused by heterosexuals across the centuries. Using vivid examples and riveting arguments throughout, The Culture Struggle ranges from the everyday to the esoteric. Richly informed, penned with eloquence and irony, The Culture Struggle presents a collection of snapshots of our time that help us understand the world we live in. Michael Parenti is a critically acclaimed author and an extraordinary public speaker. He received his PhD in political science from Yale University and has taught at a number of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. He is the author of 18 books, including Superpariotism, The Assassination of Julius Caesar, and Inventing Reality.

Author Biography

MICHAEL PARENTI is a critically acclaimed author and an extraordinary public speaker. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University and has taught at a number of colleges and universities, in the United States and abroad. He is the author of numerous books, including Superpariotism, The Assassination of Julius Caesar, and Inventing Reality.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(2)
Introduction	11	(4)
REFLECTIONS ON CULTURE
The Politics of Culture	15	(6)
Culturalistic Explanations	21	(8)
Mass-marketed Culture	29	(8)
Psychiatry as a Control Weapon	37	(10)
JUDGING DIFFERENT CULTURES
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Imperialism	47	(8)
The Hazards of Cultural Relativism	55	(10)
Custom Against Women	65	(6)
The Global Rape Culture	71	(8)
``The Most Fundamental Institution of Civilization''	79	(12)
RACIST MYTHS
From Tribalism to Universalism	91	(8)
Slavery and Gentlemen Imperialists	99	(12)
HYPER-INDIVIDUALISM, REALITY, AND PERCEPTION
New Age Blessings and Disorders	111	(8)
The Myth of Individuality	119	(6)
Objectivity and the Dominant Paradigm	125	(10)
Notes	135	(8)
About the Author	143