Feudal America: Elements of the Middle Ages in Contemporary Society

by Vladimir Shlapentokh

Do Americans live in a liberal capitalist society, where evenhanded competition rules the day, or a society in which big money, private security, and personal relations determine key social outcomes? Vladimir Shlapentokh and Joshua Woods argue that the answer to these questions cannot be found among the conventional models used to describe the nation. Offering a new analytical tool, the authors present a provocative explanation of the nature of contemporary society by comparing its essential characteristics to those of medieval European societies. Their feudal model emphasizes five the weakness of the state and its inability to protect its territory, guarantee the security of its citizens, and enforce laws; conflicts and collusions between and within organizations that involve corruption and other forms of illegal or semilegal actions; the dominance of personal relations in political and economic life; the prevalence of an elitist ideology; and the use of private agents and organizations for the provision of safety and security. Feudal America urges readers to suspend their forward-thinking and futurist orientations, question linear notions of social and historical progression, and look for explanations of contemporary social problems in medieval European history.

Genres: Sociology, Political Science

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Meggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting political sociology, but I had to return it to the library before I could finish. Shlapentokh dissects particular aspects of American society to show how our political and social relationships (between rulers/the ruled) resemble those from feudal times. Recommended if you're sick of hearing people make stupid claims about how the Enlightenment, American Revolution, capitalism, ect changed "everything."