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Life in Our Congratulatory Culture
Joel Best
ISBN: 9780520267169
Format: Hardback
Publisher:University of California Press
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Every kindergarten soccer player gets a trophy. Many high schools name dozens of seniors as valedictorians - of the same class. This title shines a light on the increasing abundance of status in our society and considers what it means. It argues that status affluence fosters social worlds and, in the process, helps give meaning to life.
Every kindergarten soccer player gets a trophy. Many high schools name dozens of seniors as valedictorians - of the same class. Cars sport bumper stickers that read 'USA -Number 1.' Prizes proliferate in every corner of American society, and excellence is trumpeted with ratings that range from 'Academy Award winner!' to 'Best Neighborhood Pizza!' In "Everyone's a Winner", Joel Best - acclaimed author of "Damned Lies" and "Statistics" and many other books - shines a bright light on the increasing abundance of status in our society and considers what it all means. With humor and insight, Best argues that status affluence fosters social worlds and, in the process, helps give meaning to life in a large society.
| ISBN | 0520267168 | | Pages | 216 | | ISBN13 | 9780520267169
(What's this?) | | Weight (grammes) | 399 | | Publisher | University of California Press | | Published in | Berkerley | | Imprint | University of California Press | | Height (mm) | 216 | | Format | Hardback | | Width (mm) | 152 | | Publication date | 07 Mar 2011 | | Spine width (mm) | 25 | | DEWEY | 305 | | Academic level | Undergraduate, Postgraduate | | DEWEY edition | DC22 | |
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Acknowledgments 1. Life in an Era of Status Abundance 2. Prize Proliferation 3. Honoring Students 4. Everyday Heroes 5. Ranking and Rating 6. The Significance of Congratulatory Culture Notes References Index
"Clever but never condescending... Best finds something profound in our willingness to treat our world as meaningful. "--Publishers Weekly "In this pithy, witty, and wise little book, Best characterizes the college rankings arms race, the new hero, and the self-congratulatory US society... Highly recommended."--Choice "This is a very entertaining read."--Bookloons Reviews "We all want a way of getting the best for ourselves, but also solidity and a firmly grounded moral compass. He [Best] raises the interesting possibility that these ends are at least contradictory, and probably incompatible."--Times Higher Education  Be the first to write a customer review
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