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The Confounding Island
Jamaica and the Postcolonial Predicament
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The Confounding Island
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
The Confounding Island is ideal for readers interested in politics, economic development, postcolonial studies, and Caribbean culture, as well as those looking to understand the complexities of globalisation through the example of Jamaica.
Orlando Patterson returns to Jamaica, his birthplace, to reckon with its history and culture. Locals claim to be some of the world’s happiest people, and their successes in music and athletics are legendary. Yet the country remains violent and poor. In Jamaica the dilemmas of globalization and postcolonial politics are thrown into stark relief.
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Description
New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Winner of a PROSE Award
"Fascinating. Eye-opening. Illuminating. Patterson carefully explores the complexity of the structural machinery behind Jamaica's dazzling successes and dismal failures."
- Carrie Gibson, New York Times Book Review
"In the ruins of postcolonial Jamaica, Patterson unearths a vibrant popular culture, centred in particular on dancehall music, that can provide new resources to address the postcolonial predicament."
- Adom Getachew, The Nation
"Masterful. A memorable, nuanced, and insightful social analysis of the island and its place in global history. Highly recommended."
- Daron Acemoglu, coauthor of Why Nations Fail
There are few places more puzzling than Jamaica. Jamaicans claim their home has more churches per square mile than any other country, yet it is one of the most murderous nations in the world. Its reggae superstars and celebrity sprinters outshine musicians and athletes in countries many times its size. Jamaica's economy is anemic and many of its people impoverished, yet they are, according to international surveys, some of the happiest on earth. In The Confounding Island, Orlando Patterson returns to the place of his birth to reckon with its contradictions.
Patterson investigates the failures of Jamaica's postcolonial democracy, exploring why the country has been unable to achieve broad economic growth and why its free elections and stable government have been unable to address violence and poverty. If we look closely at the Jamaican example, we see the central dilemmas of globalization, economic development, poverty reduction, and postcolonial politics thrown into stark relief.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
New York Times Book Review hails the book as "fascinating" and "eye-opening," praising Patterson’s nuanced exploration of Jamaica’s structural challenges, balanced with admiration for its resilient spirit. The Nation highlights the vibrant popular culture in postcolonial Jamaica, especially dancehall music, as a potential inspiration for addressing political and social issues. Economist Tyler Cowen commends the book for thoughtfully answering real questions about Jamaica. The work is recognised for its masterful and insightful social analysis.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780674292246
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 February 2023
Country: United States
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Illustration: 14 illus., 8 tables
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 432
About the Author
Orlando Patterson is John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University; the author of Freedom in the Making of Western Culture, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and Slavery and Social Death (Harvard); and the editor of The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth (Harvard), for which he was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement. His work has been honored by the American Sociological Association and the American Political Science Association, among others, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as Special Advisor for Social Policy and Development to Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica.
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The Paradox of Freedom
The Paradox of Freedom is an exploration of the life and work of Orlando Patterson, probing the relationship between the circumstances of his life from their beginnings in rural Jamaica to the present and the complex development of his intellectual work. A novelist and historical sociologist with an orientation toward public engagement, Patterson exemplifies one way of being a Jamaican...Paperback$4499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
The Sociology of Slavery
Orlando Patterson’s classic study of slavery in Jamaica reveals slavery for what it was: a highly repressive and destructive system of human exploitation, which disregarded and distorted almost all of the basic prerequisites of normal social life. What distinguishes Patterson's account is his detailed description of the lives and culture of slaves under this repressive regime. He analyses the conditions...Paperback$4499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
Enslavement
Slavery is one of humanity’s most ancient and persistent inequities. It predates the rise of civilisation, played a key role in the growth of Western and Islamic cultures, and was an integral part of the emergence and global spread of capitalism. Given its historical significance, it is not surprising that the problem of slavery is still passionately debated today and...Paperback$4499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks
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