Everyone's a winner : life in our congratulatory culture / Joel Best.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Best, Joel.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Equality--United States.

Equality.

Motivation (Psychology)--United States.

Motivation (Psychology).

Social status--United States.

Social status.

United States--Social conditions.

United States.

United States--Social life and customs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (213 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One. Life in an Era of Status Abundance

Chapter Two. Prize Proliferation

Chapter Three. Honoring Students

Chapter Four. Everyday Heroes

Chapter Five. Ranking and Rating

Chapter Six. The Significance of Congratulatory Culture

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613277664

9781283277662

1283277662

9780520948488

0520948483

OCLC:

703171508