Full Description
Practical Symbolic Interactions in the Shrine of the South: Conversations with a Damn Yankee finds that Lexington-Rockbridge, VA, community sentiments toward Southern symbols such as the Confederate Battle Flag and Robert E. Lee are not necessarily reducible to a racial divide. John F. Cataldi uses data to demonstrate that most black and white respondents navigate a social balance between the extremes of conservation and progress as a way to productively coexist and unify as a community rather than maintain an insular posture or cause division based solely on symbolic ideology. These findings challenge conventional sociological and media-provided paradigms and broaden the discussion of what tolerance and situational context mean for a large spectrum of community members who live in the milieu of Confederate symbols every day.
Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. Observing and Reporting in the Shrine of the South
Chapter 2. Reformers: Liberal Crusaders and Anti-Racists
Chapter 3. Retentionists: Conservative Crusaders and Faith Keepers
Chapter 4. Forbearers: Acta non Verba
Conclusion: The Sacred, the Mundane, and the Offensive
Bibliography
Appendix: Photos
About the Author
