Talking to strangers
Subtitle: anxieties of citizenship after Brown v. Board of Education
By: Danielle S. Allen
Publisher: University of Chicago Press; The University of Chicago Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Chicago
Language: eng
Number of pages: 232
Subjects: Political participation -- United States; Pluralism (Social sciences) -- United States; Civil society -- United States; Trust -- United States; Intergroup relations -- United States; United States -- Race relations
Other titles: Anxieties of citizenship after Brown v. Board of Education
Description: "Returning to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954 and to the famous photograph of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, being cursed by fellow "citizen" Hazel Bryan, Allen argues that we have yet to complete the transition to political friendship that this moment offered. By combining brief readings of philosophers and political theorists with personal reflections on race politics in Chicago, Allen proposes strikingly practical techniques of citizenship. These tools of political friendship, Allen contends, can help us become more trustworthy to others and overcome the fossilized distrust among us." "Sacrifice is the key concept that bridges citizenship and trust, according to Allen. She uncovers the ordinary, daily sacrifices citizens make to keep democracy working - and offers methods for recognizing and reciprocating those sacrifices."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [189]-221) and index
Table of contents: title: Loss; title: Little Rock, a new beginning; title: Old myths and new epiphanies; title: Sacrifice, a democratic fact; title: Sacrifice and citizenship; title: Why we have bad habits; title: Imperfect democracy; title: Imperfect people; title: Imperfect pearls/imperfect ideals; title: New democratic vistas; title: Beyond invisible citizens; title: Brotherhood, love, and political friendship; title: Rhetoric, a good thing; title: Epilogue: powerful citizens