The Insecure American: How We Got Here and What We Should Do About It

by Hugh Gusterson (Editor), Catherine Besteman (Editor)

Americans are feeling insecure. They are retreating to gated communities in record numbers, fearing for their jobs and their 401(k)s, nervous about their health insurance and their debt levels, worrying about terrorist attacks and immigrants. In this innovative volume, editors Hugh Gusterson and Catherine Besteman gather essays from nineteen leading ethnographers to create a unique portrait of an anxious country and to furnish valuable insights into the nation's possible future. With an incisive foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich, the contributors draw on their deep knowledge of different facets of American life to map the impact of the new economy, the “war on terror,” the “war on drugs,” racial resentments, a fraying safety net, undocumented immigration, a health care system in crisis, and much more. In laying out a range of views on the forces that unsettle us, The Insecure American demonstrates the singular power of an anthropological perspective for grasping the impact of corporate profit on democratic life, charting the links between policy and vulnerability, and envisioning alternatives to life as an insecure American.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Economics, Read For School, Politics, Anthropology

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

would give it a 0 if possible ☹️ anthro class

[Armineh Noravian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book!
It draws on deep insights of different facets of American life to show the impact of the economy, drugs, terrorism, immigration, health care, etc.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent compilation of illuminating essays about the current political situation in America.