Synopses & Reviews
Sites Unseen examines the complex intertwining of race and architecture in nineteenth and early-twentieth century American culture, the period not only in which American architecture came of age professionally in the U.S. but also in which ideas about architecture became a prominent part of broader conversations about American culture, history, politics, and—although we have not yet understood this clearly—race relations. This rich and copiously illustrated interdisciplinary study explores the ways that American writing between roughly 1850 and 1930 concerned itself, often intensely, with the racial implications of architectural space primarily, but not exclusively, through domestic architecture.
In addition to identifying an archive of provocative primary materials, Sites Unseen draws significantly on important recent scholarship in multiple fields ranging from literature, history, and material culture to architecture, cultural geography, and urban planning. Together the chapters interrogate a variety of expressive American vernacular forms, including the dialect tale, the novel of empire, letters, and pulp stories, along with the plantation cabin, the West Indian cottage, the Latin American plaza, and the “Oriental” parlor. These are some of the overlooked plots and structures that can and should inform a more comprehensive consideration of the literary and cultural meanings of American architecture. Making sense of the relations between architecture, race, and American writing of the long nineteenth century—in their regional, national, and hemispheric contexts—Sites Unseen provides a clearer view not only of this catalytic era but also more broadly of what architectural historian Dell Upton has aptly termed the social experience of the built environment.
Review
“True to its title, Sites Unseen offers a remarkably fresh, provocative perspective on the role of race in American literature by grounding it securely in architectural history and making us see domesticity, in its many social and cultural dimensions, in an entirely new light.”-Eric J. Sundquist,Johns Hopkins University
Review
“A deeply researched, clearly written account of an important subject. Thorough and well organized. Gives the reader a clear understanding of what liberal social scientists were thinking in 1954. This contribution will be of interest to both historians and social scientists.”
-Raymond Wolters,University of Delaware
Review
“Relying substantially on archival sources, Jackson helps us to understand how science was involved in the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education case, and how the scientists themselves conceived of their role in the legal process. In addition, he provides a fascinating account of the relationship between Jewish organizations and the NAACP in their joint effort to oppose discriminatory policies.”-William Tucker,Rutgers University
Review
“A provocative analysis of social scientists' role in the landmark desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education.“
-Law and History Review,
Review
“A wide reading of manuscript sources, court cases, and secondary works. . . . A very good book that is well worth the reading.”
-American Historical Review,
Review
“Jackson's excellent study. . . . places the fight against segregation within a much broader historical context. . . . It greatly illuminates the development of social science knowledge about the crucial topic of race in modern America.”
-History of Education Quarterly,
Review
"[A] fascinating book."-T.Bonner Jr.,Choice
Review
"William A.Gleason offers an intriguing way to look at race in America via the architecture mentioned in diverse literary genres."-Helen Bradley Foster,Journal of American History
Review
"[the] book promises to invigorate critical conversations in the interdisciplinary study of literature and architecture..." -, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Synopsis
In one of the twentieth century's landmark Supreme Court cases, Brown v. Board of Education, social scientists such as Kenneth Clark helped to convince the Supreme Court Justices of the debilitating psychological effects of racism and segregation. John P. Jackson, Jr., examines the well-known studies used in support of Brown, such as Clarks famous “doll tests,” as well as decades of research on race which lead up to the case. Jackson reveals the struggles of social scientists in their effort to impact American law and policy on race and poverty and demonstrates that without these scientists, who brought their talents to bear on the most pressing issues of the day, we wouldnt enjoy the legal protections against discrimination we may now take for granted. For anyone interested in the history and legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, this is an essential book.
About the Author
William A. Gleason is Professor of English at Princeton University, where he also teaches for the Program in American Studies and is Associate Faculty in the Center for African American Studies. He is the author of The Leisure Ethic: Work and Play in American Literature, 1840-1940.