Landscapes of abandonment : capitalism, modernity, and estrangement / Roger A. Salerno.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Salerno, Roger A.

Series:

SUNY series in the sociology of culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social integration.

Marginality, Social.

Capitalism--Social aspects.

Capitalism.

Alienation (Philosophy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (282 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Using social theory and cultural analysis, Roger A. Salerno explores the relationship of abandonment to the construction of contemporary capitalistic cultures. Beginning with an array of narratives on the emergence of capitalism in the West and its undermining of traditional social institutions and structures, he provides an overview of both the definition of and reactions to abandonment, analyzing its historical, social, and psychological dimensions. The author contends that abandonment anxiety and feelings of estrangement not only have deep psychological roots, but also important social causes and cultural manifestations such as a quest for security or a hunger for commodities. Salerno surveys important contributions of writers, artists, philosophers, and social scientists and how their work expresses this sense of modern abandonment. He also examines how and why this phenomenon has become a central motif in renderings of community, the environment, and the process of globalization and presents a richer understanding of our modern social condition.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Capitalism, Abandonment, and Modernity

Abandonment and Social Theory

Psychology of Separation and Loss

Fragmentation and Abandonment of Conscience

Abandonment of Community

Abandonment of Nature

Dark Utopia: Globalization and Abandonment

Notes

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-261) and index.

ISBN:

9780791486276

0791486273

9781417538072

1417538074

OCLC:

61367831