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Performance of Politics : Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power by Jeffrey C. Alexander (2010, Hardcover)
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THE PERFORMANCE OF POLITICS: OBAMA'S VICTORY AND THE DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLE FOR POWER By Jeffrey C. Alexander - Hardcover **BRAND NEW**.
- Buy It NowTHE PERFORMANCE OF POLITICS: OBAMA'S VICTORY AND THE By Jeffrey C. Alexander NEW
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherOxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-100199744467
ISBN-139780199744466
eBay Product ID (ePID)84478089
Product Key Features
Book TitlePerformance of Politics : Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power
Number of Pages336 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2010
TopicPolitical Process / Campaigns & Elections, Art & Politics, Presidents & Heads of State, American Government / General, Performance
IllustratorYes
GenreArt, Political Science, Biography & Autobiography
AuthorJeffrey C. Alexander
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.3 in
Item Weight24.7 Oz
Item Length6.4 in
Item Width9.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2010-007928
TitleLeadingThe
Reviews"In an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture."--Larry J. Sabato, author of The Year of Obama, and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia "This is a work of dazzling brilliance and imagination. It sparkles with new insights that go well beyond standard interpretations of electoral politics. Especially to be treasured is its keen understanding of civil society and the importance of moral meaning and symbolism in public life."--Robert Wuthnow, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology, Princeton University "Revealing himself to be de Tocqueville's true heir, Jeffrey Alexander draws a sweeping and daring portrait of the heroes, villains, fools, and mavericks who peopled the 2008 American presidential campaign. For Alexander, political elections are serious and dramatic moments of cultural meaning-making, in which the boundaries of civil society are forged and challenged. The Performance of Politics is riveting, taking the reader instantly back to those heady days of the 2008 campaign and, in the process, bringing sociological theory vividly to life."--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of Sociology, Swarthmore College "This book is a 'Making of the President 2008' with brains. The entire cast, Obama, Hillary, McCain and Palin enter this compelling narrative in the jaws of an unexpected Wall Street collapse. Uncompromisingly intelligent, yet a compulsive read."--Scott Lash, Professor and Director of Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London "Jeffrey Alexander's intriguing argument in The Performance of Politics, a meticulous review of the 2008 campaign, is that his fellow sociologists have overemphasized impersonal social forces at the expense of the theater of public life--the way politician perform "symbolically." It's a prosaic call for a more poetic (or at least aesthetic) understanding of politics. Ideology must connect viscerally, or it doesn't connect at all. Liberalism, like any idea or product, can succeed only if it sells."The New York Times Book Review "Representing a study of politics through a lens of cultural sociology, Alexander presents original theoretical arguments on the democratic struggle for power in America, and in the process provides a new explanation for Obama's historic victory." --Contemporary Sociology, "In an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture."--Larry J. Sabato, author of The Year of Obama, and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia"This is a work of dazzling brilliance and imagination. It sparkles with new insights that go well beyond standard interpretations of electoral politics. Especially to be treasured is its keen understanding of civil society and the importance of moral meaning and symbolism in public life."--Robert Wuthnow, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology, Princeton University"Revealing himself to be de Tocqueville's true heir, Jeffrey Alexander draws a sweeping and daring portrait of the heroes, villains, fools, and mavericks who peopled the 2008 American presidential campaign. For Alexander, political elections are serious and dramatic moments of cultural meaning-making, in which the boundaries of civil society are forged and challenged. The Performance of Politics is riveting, taking the reader instantly back to those heady days of the 2008 campaign and, in the process, bringing sociological theory vividly to life."--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of Sociology, Swarthmore College"This book is a 'Making of the President 2008' with brains. The entire cast, Obama, Hillary, McCain and Palin enter this compelling narrative in the jaws of an unexpected Wall Street collapse. Uncompromisingly intelligent, yet a compulsive read."--Scott Lash, Professor and Director of Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London"Jeffrey Alexander's intriguing argument in The Performance of Politics, a meticulous review of the 2008 campaign, is that his fellow sociologists have overemphasized impersonal social forces at the expense of the theater of public life--the way politician perform "symbolically." It's a prosaic call for a more poetic (or at least aesthetic) understanding of politics. Ideology must connect viscerally, or it doesn't connect at all. Liberalism, like any idea or product, can succeed only if it sells."The New York Times Book Review"Representing a study of politics through a lens of cultural sociology, Alexander presents original theoretical arguments on the democratic struggle for power in America, and in the process provides a new explanation for Obama's historic victory." --Contemporary Sociology, This is a very convincing resource and other sociologists should take note; sometimes the best sociology is that which reveals itself through brilliant analysis and storytelling - not through mere self-advertisment., "In an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture."--Larry J. Sabato, author of The Year of Obama, and Director,Center for Politics, University of Virginia"This is a work of dazzling brilliance and imagination. It sparkles with new insights that go well beyond standard interpretations of electoral politics. Especially to be treasured is its keen understanding of civil society and the importance of moral meaning and symbolism in public life."--Robert Wuthnow, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology, Princeton University"Revealing himself to be de Tocqueville's true heir, Jeffrey Alexander draws a sweeping and daring portrait of the heroes, villains, fools, and mavericks who peopled the 2008 American presidential campaign. For Alexander, political elections are serious and dramatic moments of cultural meaning-making, in which the boundaries of civil society are forged and challenged. The Performance of Politics is riveting, taking the reader instantly back to thoseheady days of the 2008 campaign and, in the process, bringing sociological theory vividly to life."--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of Sociology, Swarthmore College"This book is a 'Making of the President 2008' with brains. The entire cast, Obama, Hillary, McCain and Palin enter this compelling narrative in the jaws of an unexpected Wall Street collapse. Uncompromisingly intelligent, yet a compulsive read."--Scott Lash, Professor and Director of Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London"Jeffrey Alexander's intriguing argument in The Performance of Politics, a meticulous review of the 2008 campaign, is that his fellow sociologists have overemphasized impersonal social forces at the expense of the theater of public life--the way politician perform "symbolically." It's a prosaic call for a more poetic (or at least aesthetic) understanding of politics. Ideology must connect viscerally, or it doesn't connect at all. Liberalism, like any idea orproduct, can succeed only if it sells."The New York Times Book Review"Representing a study of politics through a lens of cultural sociology, Alexander presents original theoretical arguments on the democratic struggle for power in America, and in the process provides a new explanation for Obama's historic victory." --Contemporary Sociology, "In an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture."--Larry J. Sabato, author ofThe Year of Obama,and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia "This is a work of dazzling brilliance and imagination. It sparkles with new insights that go well beyond standard interpretations of electoral politics. Especially to be treasured is its keen understanding of civil society and the importance of moral meaning and symbolism in public life."--Robert Wuthnow, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology, Princeton University "Revealing himself to be de Tocqueville's true heir, Jeffrey Alexander draws a sweeping and daring portrait of the heroes, villains, fools, and mavericks who peopled the 2008 American presidential campaign. For Alexander, political elections are serious and dramatic moments of cultural meaning-making, in which the boundaries of civil society are forged and challenged.The Performance of Politicsis riveting, taking the reader instantly back to those heady days of the 2008 campaign and, in the process, bringing sociological theory vividly to life."--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of Sociology, Swarthmore College "This book is a 'Making of the President 2008' with brains. The entire cast, Obama, Hillary, McCain and Palin enter this compelling narrative in the jaws of an unexpected Wall Street collapse. Uncompromisingly intelligent, yet a compulsive read."--Scott Lash, Professor and Director of Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London "Jeffrey Alexander's intriguing argument in The Performance of Politics, a meticulous review of the 2008 campaign, is that his fellow sociologists have overemphasized impersonal social forces at the expense of the theater of public life--the way politician perform "symbolically." It's a prosaic call for a more poetic (or at least aesthetic) understanding of politics. Ideology must connect viscerally, or it doesn't connect at all. Liberalism, like any idea or product, can succeed only if it sells."The New York Times Book Review, Although the theories and terms that underpin The Performance of Politics come from sociology rather than politics, Alexander is able to justify their use in election analysis, and avoids the trap of making his work inaccessible to those outside his discipline. He then uses a wide variety of sources to back up his arguments, even constructing his own set of aggregate polling figures. He also manages to avoid many of the clichés that dominate other accounts of Obamas victory,for instance downplaying the importance of Obamas internet presence., [a] remarkable analysis of Barack Obama's presidential campaign ... This is a very convincing resource and other sociologists should take note; sometimes the best sociology is that which reveals itself through brilliant analysis and storytelling - not through mere self-advertisement., "In an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture."--Larry J. Sabato, author of The Year of Obama, and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia"This is a work of dazzling brilliance and imagination. It sparkles with new insights that go well beyond standard interpretations of electoral politics. Especially to be treasured is its keen understanding of civil society and the importance of moral meaning and symbolism in public life."--Robert Wuthnow, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology, Princeton University"Revealing himself to be de Tocqueville's true heir, Jeffrey Alexander draws a sweeping and daring portrait of the heroes, villains, fools, and mavericks who peopled the 2008 American presidential campaign. For Alexander, political elections are serious and dramatic moments of cultural meaning-making, in which the boundaries of civil society are forged and challenged. The Performance of Politics is riveting, taking the reader instantly back to those heady days of the 2008 campaign and, in the process, bringing sociological theory vividly to life."--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of Sociology, Swarthmore College"This book is a 'Making of the President 2008' with brains. The entire cast, Obama, Hillary, McCain and Palin enter this compelling narrative in the jaws of an unexpected Wall Street collapse. Uncompromisingly intelligent, yet a compulsive read."--Scott Lash, Professor and Director of Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Dewey Edition22
Number of Volumes1 vol.
Dewey Decimal324.973/0931
Table Of ContentPrefaceProloguePart I: Power, Performance and Representation1. Civil Sphere and Public Drama2. Becoming a Collective Representation3. Spirit of the Ground GamePart II: Heroes, Binaries and Boundaries4. Imagining Heroes5. Working the Binaries6. Walking the BoundariesPart III: Victory and Defeat7. Celebrity Metaphor8. Palin Effect9. Financial CrisisEpilogueNote on the Concept and MethodAppendixEndnotesIndex
SynopsisJeffrey Alexander, a preeminent figure in social theory, offers here a new way of looking at democratic struggles for political power, discussing what happened, and why, during Barack Obama's remarkable run for president. Illustrated with vivid examples drawn from a range of media coverage, participant observation at a Camp Obama, and interviews with leading political journalists, Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. Winning depends on creating images so that candidates can become heroes. Demography, strategy, money, and issues matter, but power goes to the candidate with the most persuasive performances - the one whose carefully constructed heroic image resonates best with the audience of citizens. Though an untested Senator, Obama's moving performances succeeded in casting him as the hero and as the only candidate fit to lead in challenging times. As he sheds new light on modern politics, Alexander also conveys the immediacy and excitement of the final months of the historic 2008 presidential campaign., Contemporary observers of politics in America often reduce democracy to demography. Whatever portion of the vote not explained by the class, gender, race, and religious differences of voters is attributed to the candidates' positions on the issues of the day. But are these the only--or even the main--factors that determine the vote? The Performance of Politics develops a new way of looking at democratic struggles for power, explaining what happened, and why, during the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States. Drawing on vivid examples taken from a range of media coverage, participant observation at a Camp Obama, and interviews with leading political journalists, Jeffrey Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. While these features have been largely overlooked by pundits, they are, in fact, the primary foci of politicians and their staff. Obama and McCain painstakingly constructed heroic self-images for their campaigns and the successful projections of those images suffused not only each candidate's actual rallies, and not only their media messages, but also the ground game. Money and organization facilitate the ground game, but they do not determine it. Emotion, images, and performance do. Though an untested senator and the underdog in his own party, Obama succeeded in casting himself as the hero--and McCain the anti-hero--and the only candidate fit to lead in challenging times. Illuminating the drama of Obama's celebrity, the effect of Sarah Palin on the race, and the impact of the emerging financial crisis, Alexander's engaging narrative marries the immediacy and excitement of the final months of this historic presidential campaign with a new understanding of how politics work., Jeffrey Alexander, a preeminent figure in social theory, offers here a new way of looking at democratic struggles for political power, discussing what happened, and why, during Barack Obama's remarkable run for president. Illustrated with vivid examples drawn from a range of media coverage, participant observation at a Camp Obama, and interviews with leading political journalists, Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. Winning depends on creating images so that candidates can become heroes. Demography, strategy, money, and issues matter, but power goes to the candidate with the most persuasive performances---the one whose carefully constructed heroic image resonates best with the audience of citizens. Though an untested Senator, Obama's moving performances succeeded in casting him as the hero and as the only candidate fit to lead in challenging times. As he sheds new light on modern politics, Alexander also conveys the immediacy and excitement of the final months of the historic 2008 presidential campaign., The Performance of Politics develops a new way of looking at democratic struggles for big time power by explaining and analysing the 2008 Presidential campaign in the United States. Through a series of simple but telling concepts about meaning and performance in public life, Jeffrey Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power
LC Classification NumberE906.A44 2010
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