Santa Clara University

Books
Film

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Books

What have we lost?

Sigmund Freud and Max Weber predicted religion would dwindle in an era of modernization. Just how do we measure the transformation? Mourning Religion (University of Virginia Press, 2008), co-edited by Diane Jonte- Pace, brings together essays that trace the contours of faith in an era of religious decline. Jonte- Pace is vice provost for undergraduate studies and a professor of religious studies. Using perspectives from psychology, sociology, and anthropology, this collection looks at the loss of religion in conjunction with cultural change, through lenses such as the films of Krzysztof Kieslowski, psychoanalytic studies of Indian religions, and French feminist theory.

Katie Powers '09

 

Say it proud- in three volumes

 From ACT UP to Andy Warhol, from cross-dressing queer theory, from the Stonewall Riots to Melissa Etheridge, the three-volume LGBTQ America Today: An Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 2008) offers a broad, topicstructured survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer life in American culture the past 60 years. Edited by Professor of English John Hawley, the encyclopedia delineates more than 300 individuals, concepts, historical events, and sociopolitical issues surrounding what the introduction describes as “‘non-heterosexual’ America.” (Changing and broadening terms are part of the story.) Entries are listed alphabetically and cross-referenced in bold print, followed by a bibliography specific to each topic, providing easy reference for students, scholars, and general readers.

Molly Gore '10

 

Matter and Perception

David Hume was only 28 when he published A Treatise on Human Nature—and was dubbed an atheist, among other things. Much more was to come from this empirical philosopher who became a luminary of the Scottish Enlightenment as he influenced philosophy of the mind, knowledge, religion, morality, economics, and politics. In the weighty A Companion to Hume (Blackwell, 2008), Professor of Philosophy Elizabeth S. Radcliffe has edited 28 essays that put the man and his work in context, illuminating his contributions and their consequences.

Steven Boyd Saum

 

History, Gender, and Making Japan

Out in paperback: Gendering Modern Japanese History (Harvard University Press, 2008), a collection of scholarly essays co-edited by Professor of History Barbara Molony and Temple University’s Kathleen Uno. Published in hardback in 2005, the volume covers 1868 to the present and examines topics such as theories of sexuality and gender proscriptions for men and women. Gender matters profoundly, the essays argue, not least for the ways it shapes ideologies and institutions.

Alicia K. Gonzales '09

 

 

Film

Race in Cuba

Revolution in every neighborhood: stickball in the streets of Havana Photo: Courtesy Robin Hayes

When a group of African American students set out to explore the streets of Cuba, they found an Afro- Cuban experience devoid of the same oppression they often felt at home. Capturing that journey on film is the documentary Beautiful Me(s), released in 2008. Directed by Ethnic Studies Professor Robin Hayes, the film uses footage from a 2002 trip taken by Hayes and her classmates from Yale. Santa Clara students were involved with post-production and promotion of the film, which has garnered attention across college campuses and was an official selection for the Pan African International Film Festival at Cannes in April. The film isn’t blind to the shortcomings of the Revolution. But its focus is on exploring racial equality across national boundaries. “You see communities that don’t have to wrestle with violence,” Hayes says, “and it creates a much greater openness and stronger bonds between neighbors.”

Katie Powers '09