American Studies Archives - From The Square

How the social gospel movement explains the roots of today’s religious left

—Christopher H. Evans
The idea of “social salvation” that was critical to Walter Rauschenbusch, A.J. Muste and Martin Luther King Jr. is galvanizing the activism of a new generation of religious progressives. Can the religious left achieve the public status of the religious right and become a potent political force?

Say Her Name! Confronting Erasure and Rethinking Possibilities for a Democratic Future

—Stanley I. Thangaraj
The work of women of color and trans people of color often goes unrecognized in our larger world. This silence informs us about the politics of living and which bodies and lives are made to count. Their names must be said, or the very system of inequality will continue to operate and grow.

Fear and Learning

—Glenda M. Flores
Schools are not set up to support Latina/o students, especially those with undocumented parents. Often, Latina educators have to fill resource gaps. These kinds of issues will only become more pronounced as the Latina/o population grows across the United States and as they come under attack in the Trump era.

What the Handmaid’s Tale Reminds Us About Gender Equality

—Kara Ellerby
Despite all our ‘progress’ in women’s rights and gender equality, these same rights are still up for debate. Part of the problem is thinking that promoting some women is enough. If we fail to consider the rights of racial minorities and LGBTQ citizens and ignore class inequalities, then we fail at gender equality.

Pride and Prejudice: Gay Rights, Animus, and Animus

—William D. Araiza
As we reflect on Gay Pride, and on both the accomplishments of the gay rights movement as well as the challenges that even today LGB (and especially T) people continue to face in this post-Obergefell world, it’s more important than ever to understand what “animus” means, not just on the streets, but in the courtroom.

Beyond the Red, White, and Blue: Untold American Stories

July 3, 2017 nyupressblog 0

Celebrate your independence and stay curious with these hidden histories and stories of the USA.

An Interview with John Cheney-Lippold, Author of We Are Data

May 3, 2017 nyupressblog 0

An interview with John Cheney-Lippold about what identity means in an algorithmic age.

From the March for Science to an Abolitionist Science

April 20, 2017 nyupressblog 0

—Britt Rusert
An abolitionist science moves beyond generic defenses of science in an age of populist skepticism and backlash, requiring an evaluation of different types of science and an excavation of their specific relationships to forms of power and exploitation.

Gender Fear Stalks the Public Toilet, Trans This Time

March 3, 2017 nyupressblog 0

—Harvey Molotch
Fueled by shame, secrecy, and all the other anxieties related to bodily functions and public regard, restrooms have long been a venue for stigma, deprivation, and even death.

Political Culture after Democracy

February 23, 2017 nyupressblog 1

—Eva Cherniavsky
Donald Trump did not create the world of “alternative facts.” Rather, the possibility of his election is the culmination of twinned processes: the dismantling of representational democracy in the U.S., and the de-realization of politics. From the point of view of the elites who rule us, the real problem with Trump is the risk his fascist agenda might foster the resurrection of the people as an oppositional, anti-elite political power.

What to read after the Women’s Marches

January 25, 2017 nyupressblog 0

—Ralph Young
A reading list for dissenters, compiled by Ralph Young, author of Dissent and editor of Make Art Not War.

Love Doesn’t Trump Hate

January 11, 2017 nyupressblog 0

—Lee Bebout
White supremacy is reinforced by and persists because of a complex of emotions. Love does not exist above and beyond hate in a distinct sphere. Love and hate are side by side, they stick together, they intermingle, they interpenetrate. “Love Trumps Hate” is a catchy slogan, but these words do something that we cannot continue. They hinder understanding.

The 9/11 Generation: Life in the Surveillance State

December 5, 2016 nyupressblog 0

—Sunaina Marr Maira
Since the attacks of 9/11, the banner of national security has led to intense monitoring of the politics of Muslim and Arab Americans. Young people from these communities have come of age in a time when the question of political engagement is both urgent and fraught.

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How the social gospel movement explains the roots of today’s religious left

Say Her Name! Confronting Erasure and Rethinking Possibilities for a Democratic Future

Fear and Learning

What the Handmaid’s Tale Reminds Us About Gender Equality

Pride and Prejudice: Gay Rights, Animus, and Animus

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