Synopses & Reviews
2009 Choice Outstanding Academic TitleElizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) was not only one of the most important leaders of the nineteenth century womens rights movement but was also the movements principal philosopher. Her ideas both drew from and challenged the conventions that so severely constrained womens choices and excluded them from public life.
In The Political Thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sue Davis argues that Cady Stantons work reflects the rich tapestry of American political culture in the second half of the nineteenth century and that she deserves recognition as a major figure in the history of political ideas. Davis reveals the way that Cady Stantons work drew from different political traditions ranging from liberalism, republicanism, inegalitarian ascriptivism, and radicalism. Cady Stantons arguments for womens rights combined approaches that in contemporary feminist theory are perceived to involve conflicting strategies and visions. Nevertheless, her ideas had a major impact on the development of the varieties of feminism in the twentieth century.
Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, The Political Thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton draws on a wide variety of primary and secondary sources and promises to fill a gap in the literature on the history of political ideas in the United States as well as womens history and feminist theory.
Review
“Scholars of American political thought have often failed to appreciate the significance of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Scholars of Cady Stanton have often not been deeply immersed in broader studies of American political thought. Daviss outstanding book rectifies both these deficiencies in ways that will have enduring value.”
-Rogers M. Smith,author of Stories of Peoplehood: The Politics and Morals of Political Membership
Review
“In this thoroughly researched, well-written, and engaging study, Davis reveals how Cady Stanton drew upon liberalism, republicanism, ascriptive forms of Americanism, and radicalism in advancing the cause of women's rights. Daviss historical institutionalist approach to the topic is most suited for demonstrating not only the way in which Cady Stanton, as a political actor, adjusted her arguments because of strategic consideration of the way they were received, but also the normative theoretical commitments that shaped the thinking of Cady Stanton as a political philosopher. The book is a must read for scholars of the history of political thought, feminist theory, and women's studies who wish to understand the full significance of Cady Stantons intellectual and political legacy for American political thought. . . . Highly recommended.”
-Choice,
Review
“Davis admirably succeeds in this book that integrates the conceptual and political legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton with current scholarship on heritage of the American liberal state. A must-read for students of American political development, womens rights, and legal theory.”
-Eileen McDonagh,author of Breaking the Abortion Deadlock
Review
“A convincing case for Stanton's significance as a central figure in the American political tradition.”
“Davis does a brilliant job of analyzing (while not excusing) the political tactics—and often, political Machiavelliism—that the early feminist employed during her long, active life.”
“In this thoroughly researched, well-written, and engaging study, Davis reveals how Cady Stanton drew upon liberalism, republicanism, ascriptive forms of Americanism, and radicalism in advancing the cause of women's rights. Davis’s historical institutionalist approach to the topic is most suited for demonstrating not only the way in which Cady Stanton, as a political actor, adjusted her arguments because of strategic consideration of the way they were received, but also the normative theoretical commitments that shaped the thinking of Cady Stanton as a political philosopher. The book is a must read for scholars of the history of political thought, feminist theory, and women's studies who wish to understand the full significance of Cady Stanton’s intellectual and political legacy for American political thought. . . . Highly recommended.”
“Scholars of American political thought have often failed to appreciate the significance of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Scholars of Cady Stanton have often not been deeply immersed in broader studies of American political thought. Davis’s outstanding book rectifies both these deficiencies in ways that will have enduring value.”
“Davis admirably succeeds in this book that integrates the conceptual and political legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton with current scholarship on heritage of the American liberal state. A must-read for students of American political development, women’s rights, and legal theory.”
Review
"Much of the current dialogue on race does not sufficiently interrogate its meaning. In marked contrast, Clara E. Rodr'guez offers a stunning example of racial formation by illustrating how Latino identities are formed and transformed in dynamic engagement with state definitions. She reveals the gap between state imposed categories and group self-definition; the dramatic distinctions between U.S. and Latin American concepts of race; and the political claims advanced through the Census. Best of all, she provides a rich sense of how individuals constantly negotiate the prevailing terrain of racial meanings."-Michael Omi,University of California, Berkeley
Review
"A timely work...Rodriguez does make a convincing argument that Latino self-identity is fluid and constantly changing." -Journal of American Ethnic History,
Review
"A timely addition. . . the author offers a competent, nontechnical overview of the issues concerning how our largest minority fits into this nation's bipolar black-white racial paradigm. . . . Rodriguez examines how Lationos may be changing that long-dominant paradigm." -American Journal of Sociology,
Review
"Rodriquez'a account is a solid introduction to the dynamic complexity of American ethnic life." -Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 26, No. 2,
Review
“Davis does a brilliant job of analyzing (while not excusing) the political tactics—and often, political Machiavelliism—that the early feminist employed during her long, active life.”
-Feminist Review,
Review
“Elizabeth Cady Stanton was open to any idea she encountered—old or new, conventional or innovated—except male supremacy. Daviss admirable book shows that this great feminists adaptability was both her best and worst characteristic.”
-Judith Baer,author of Our Lives before the Law: Constructing a Feminist Jurisprudence
Synopsis
Latinos are the fastest growing population group in the United States.Through their language and popular music Latinos are making their mark on American culture as never before. As the United States becomes Latinized, how will Latinos fit into America's divided racial landscape and how will they define their own racial and ethnic identity?
Through strikingly original historical analysis, extensive personal interviews and a careful examination of census data, Clara E. Rodriguez shows that Latino identity is surprisingly fluid, situation-dependent, and constantly changing. She illustrates how the way Latinos are defining themselves, and refusing to define themselves, represents a powerful challenge to America's system of racial classification and American racism.
About the Author
Clara E. Rodriguez is a Professor of Sociology at Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center. She is the author of numerous books and has been a Visiting Professor at Columbia University, MIT, and Yale University. She has also been a Visiting Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation and a Senior Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. She was previously the Dean of Fordham University's College of Liberal Studies.