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Sustainable, sharing communities explored in Karen Litfin’s book ‘Ecovillages’

By Guest PostSeptember 1, 2014Environmentbook, colin dale, entsorgungssystem, erde am limit, European Union, gabriele chiogna, germophobes, kerstin neumann, martin stuchtey, mutualistic bacteria, nutzungszyklus, pathogenic origins, quorum sensing, recycling, sodalis pre captivity, sustainability, sustainable, transportation industry, united nations, university of washington, uw today

Karen Litfin is a University of Washington associate professor of political science and author of the book “Ecovillages: Lessons for Sustainable Community.” She answered a few questions about the book, and her work, for UW Today.

Q: What is the main message of “Ecovillages”?

A: After teaching global environmental politics for two decades and watching planetary conditions deteriorate, I grew disenchanted with top-down solutions. I also grew tired of making my students anxious, depressed and guilt-ridden. If our ways of living are unraveling planetary life-support systems, then we must answer the question: How, then, shall we live? (more…)

New book explores Harry Truman’s record on civil liberties

By Guest PostMay 8, 2013Politicsalger hiss, american freedoms, american government, american people, american political system, american politics, american principles, americans, anti communists, civil liberties, cold war, constitution, democrat controlled senate, fbi, george w. bush, global peace, harry truman, house, internal security subcommittee, issue, j edgar hoover, japanese americans, john s service, joseph mccarthy, justice department, key west, liberty and security, loyalty program, marshall plan, national security system, nato, new book, Obama, policy, president eisenhower, red scare, richard kirkendall, richard nixon, senator joe mccarthy, smith act case, unamerican activities committee, university of washington, uw today, violation, war in korea, world war

Richard Kirkendall is a University of Washington professor emeritus of history and editor of the new book “Civil Liberties and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman.” He answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

Q: What’s the scope of the book?

A: The book surveys the civil liberties issue during the Truman presidency of 1945-1953, an especially important time in the history of this essential feature of the American political system.

The book begins with two chapters on Truman as a civil libertarian, one on his identification of himself, the other on his relations with Japanese-Americans, the victims during World War II of a major violation of American principles. (more…)

Ralina Joseph Studies Multiraciality in New Book ‘Transcending Blackness’

By Guest PostFebruary 10, 2013Cultureafrican american representations, anti black racism, duke university press, election, exceptional multiracial, mixed race, multiracial black folks, multiraciality, my life, new book, new millennium mulatta, Obama, racially ambiguous, ralina joseph, sell out multiracial, transcending blackness, uw today

Ralina Joseph, associate professor of communications, is the author of “Transcending Blackness: From the New Millennium Mulatta to the Exceptional Multiracial,” published by Duke University Press. She answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

Q. What’s the concept behind this book?

A. “Transcending Blackness” is about mixed-race African-American representations in the 10 years leading up to Obama’s election in 2008. (more…)

‘Fiscal cliff’ challenge explored in ‘Congress and the Politics of Problem Solving’

By Guest PostDecember 6, 2012Politicsacademic literature, american public, americans, cambridge university press, civil rights act, colorado, congress, congressional scholarship, congressman, e scott adler, election, electoral success, fiscal cliff, henry waxman, john wilkerson, lawmaker, legislative, Media, new york times, orphan drug act, partisan conflict, policy change, policymaking, political conflict, political cooperation, political science, problem solving institution, university, uw today, Washington

John Wilkerson, University of Washington professor of political science, is the co-author with E. Scott Adler of the University of Colorado of a new book titled “Congress and the Politics of Problem Solving,” published in December by Cambridge University Press. Wilkerson answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

Q: What is the central concept behind your new book?

A: We argue that members of Congress care about solving problems in society and that their electoral success partly depends upon their collective performance as a problem solving institution.

Q: You and your co-author state in press notes that your book “offers a glass half-full rather than a glass half-empty perspective on lawmaking.” Can you explain?

Understandably, the media, scholars and the public tend to be more attentive to political conflict (especially partisan conflict) than to political cooperation. Yet on most issues, including the most important issues, consensus and cooperation are the norm within Congress. (more…)

Prewar Citizen Complaints to Government Explored in ‘This is Not Civil Rights’

By Guest PostNovember 3, 2012Politicsamericans, chicago press, civil liberties unit, civil rights law, civil rights movement, constitution, free speech, george lovell, gravity, Great depression, justice department, minority rights, national archives, political participation, political science, political spectrum, Politics, protect rights, rights talk, rights violations, roosevelt administration, supreme court, topic, university, us politics, uw today, White House, world war

George Lovell, UW associate professor of political science, is the author of “This Is Not Civil Rights: Discovering Rights Talk in 1939 America,” published in October by University of Chicago Press. He answered a few questions about his book for UW Today.

What is the basic concept behind “This is Not Civil Rights”?

The book examines more than 1,000 citizen complaint letters regarding rights from the late years of the Great Depression along with replies written by federal government officials. Looking at what people complained about, and how they tried to justify their claims, reveals how popular understandings of rights and the role of government develop over time. (more…)

A New Vision of Democratic Individualism in ‘Awakening to Race’

By Guest PostOctober 29, 2012Culture, Politicsamerica, american history, awakening, black, brown candidate, Chicago, education, fha, home mortgage, inequality, investment risk, jack turner, jim crow, new deal, one generation, political science, race, racial justice, social consciousness, social goods, success, united states, university, uw today, white families, white supremacy

Jack Turner, UW assistant professor of political science, is the author of “Awakening to Race: Individualism and Social Consciousness in America,” published this month by University of Chicago Press. He answered a few questions about his book for UW Today.

What’s the central concept behind “Awakening to Race”?

The book addresses the challenge of racial justice by asking, “What does it mean to be a self-aware human being? What does it mean to be awake to reality?”

In part, it means confronting the worst aspects of ourselves and our lives. Being awake to reality in the United States means confronting the ways America’s history of slavery, Jim Crow and white supremacy still shapes the present — the opportunities we have or we lack, the confidence we have in ourselves or fail to have in others, the ways our chances for success are still color coded. (more…)

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