When the Center Is on Fire: Passionate Social Theory for Our Times

by Diane Harriford, Becky Thompson

In this lively and provocative book, two feminist public sociologists turn to classical social thinkers—W. E. B. Du Bois, Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Émile Durkheim—to understand a series of twenty-first century social traumas, including the massacre at Columbine High School, the 9/11 attacks, the torture at Abu Ghraib prison, and Hurricane Katrina. Each event was overwhelming in its own right, while the relentless pace at which they occurred made it nearly impossible to absorb and interpret them in any but the most superficial ways. Yet, each uncovered social problems that cry out for our understanding and remediation. In When the Center Is on Fire , Becky Thompson and Diane Harriford assert that classical social theorists grappled with the human condition in ways that remain profoundly relevant. They show, for example, that the loss of "double consciousness" that Du Bois identified in African Americans enabled political elites to turn a blind eye to the poverty and vulnerability of many of New Orleans's citizens. The authors' compelling, sometimes irreverent, often searing interpretations make this book essential reading for students, activists, generations X, Y, and Z, and everybody bored by the 6 o'clock news.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bold, provocative, and a perfect blend of critical feminist methodology and canonical sociological prerogative. A texts that challenges the hegemonic assumptions on race, class, and gender, by guiding us through a series of twenty-first century social traumas, including the massacre at Columbine High School, the 9/11 attacks, the torture at Abu Ghraib prison, and Hurricane Katrina. Each event, egregious in their own right, yet representative of the social turmoil and structural fissures that are at the foundation our oppressive and unequal society. What I found most compelling about this text was the turn to classical social thinkers—W. E. B. Du Bois, Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Émile Durkheim— in a way that teased out the complexities of the current conservative moment. This turn truly challenges the evolution of neoliberal multiculturalism, whiteness, and other racists and sexist ideologies that are at the core of the American identity, yet silenced in all areas of public discourse. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an introduction to classical social theory with a focus on critical activism, dialoge, and praxis.