The Archaeology of Class in Urban America

ISBN-13: 9780521853941 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 212 str.

Stephen A. Mrozowski

Opis

This book explores the material dimensions of class formation in eighteenth-century Newport, Rhode Island, and nineteenth-century Lowell, Massachusetts. During their economic peaks these cities represented perhaps the purist forms of capitalism in North America. The two cities reveal contrasting portraits of class identity, one based upon the analysis of material culture and spatial practices, and one based upon the examination of environmental conditions and health. This ground-breaking study argues that notions of class incorporating variables such as ethnicity and gender were shaped by the shifting ecologies of capitalism itself.

Recenzje

Review of the hardback: 'The processes of class formation and distinction are ongoing in American cities. For those interested in those processes, The Archaeology of Class in Urban America is a 'must read'.' Cambridge Archaeological Journal

Spis treści

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Individuals in context: the world of eighteenth century Newport; 3. Shifting the focus: archaeology of the urban household; 4. A new world created: nineteenth century Lowell; 5. Interrogating the experiment: Lowell's urban space and culture; 6. Conclusion: contested spaces and the threads of everyday life; 7. Epilogue: towards a dialectical archaeology of class; Appendix A. Isolating and dating archaeological assemblages in the urban context.