Description
Soon after 9/11, wild rumors began to spread: that Arab-Americans were celebrating publicly, that some people had been warned, that politicians knew all along. The Global Grapevine reveals how-through our everyday thoughts and conversations, and the rumors we spread--we grapple with the new global world. Drawn from diverse sources, the book illuminates urban legends like the claim that a certain t-shirt with a Chinese pictogram brands the wearer as a prostitute, conspiracy theories such as the "9/11 Truth Movement," or stories of tourists infected with AIDS by locals. These rumors, the authors argue, reflect our anxieties and fears about contact with foreign cultures--how we believe foreign competition to be poisoning the domestic economy and foreign immigration to be eroding American values. Focusing on the threat posed by terrorism, the impact of immigration, the risks involved in international trade, and the dangers faced by naive tourism, the book provides a broad survey of the most widely circulated rumors and examines what these tales reveal about contemporary society.
About the Author
Gary Alan Fine is John Evans Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University. His book, Whispers on the Color Line: Rumor and Race in America was a finalist for the C. Wright Mills Award. Bill Ellis is Professor of Enlighs and American Studies at Penn State University at Hazleton. He is a Fellow of the American Folklore Society and has served as President of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research.
Reviews
If you are interested in how public rumours emerge and spread, this well written book offers good analytical tools and insights. It looks in depth at a number of stories which are 'too good to be false' to show how they play into wider public anxiety. * Charles Crawford former British diplomat *
Book Information
ISBN 9780199736317
Author Gary Alan Fine
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 536g
Dimensions(mm) 157mm * 231mm * 31mm
About the Author
Gary Alan Fine is John Evans Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University. His book, Whispers on the Color Line: Rumor and Race in America was a finalist for the C. Wright Mills Award. Bill Ellis is Professor of Enlighs and American Studies at Penn State University at Hazleton. He is a Fellow of the American Folklore Society and has served as President of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research.
Reviews
If you are interested in how public rumours emerge and spread, this well written book offers good analytical tools and insights. It looks in depth at a number of stories which are 'too good to be false' to show how they play into wider public anxiety. * Charles Crawford former British diplomat *
Book Information
ISBN 9780199736317
Author Gary Alan Fine
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 536g
Dimensions(mm) 157mm * 231mm * 31mm
