In this exploration of crisis in Counter-Reformation Spain; Mary Elizabeth Perry reveals the significance of gender for social order by portraying the lives of women who lived on the margins of respectability--prostitutes; healers; visionaries; and other deviants who provoked the concern of a growing central government linked closely to the church. Focusing on Seville; the commercial capital of Habsburg Spain; Perry uses rich archival sources to document the economic and spiritual activity of women; and efforts made by civil and church authorities to control this activity; during a period of local economic change and religious turmoil. In analyzing such sources as art and literature from the period; women's writings; Inquisition records; and laws and regulations; Perry finds that social definitions of what it meant to be a woman or a man persisted due to their sanctification by religious ideas and their adaptation into political order. She describes the tension between gender ideals and actual conditions in women's lives; and shows how some women subverted the gender order by using a surprisingly wide variety of intellectual and physical strategies.
#446252 in Books Simon n Schuster 2006-01-10Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 2.00 x 6.50l; 2.91 #File Name: 068485712X1056 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. WAR ON TWO FRONTSBy Marc LichtmanThis is the final volume of Taylor Branch’s excellent; highly detailed history of the civil rights movement; and more broadly of the United States during the seminal years 1954–68. The story of the fight for Black rights doesn’t end here; and continues today; but it covers the years when a mass movement smashed legal Jim Crow segregation in the South; while starting to launch the struggle in the North as well.This volume covers the period when more activists were breaking with the concept of nonviolence; supporting self-defense; and when Stokely Carmichael and SNCC; influenced by Malcolm X; raised the Black Power slogan. It became a popular slogan; and captured a wide-spread Black nationalist sentiment; but it came up short in terms of program (although the Lowndes County Freedom Organization—breaking with the Democratic Party—was a wonderful idea). But then SCLC also had less and less of an idea what direction they were going in; as the end of legal segregation still left most Blacks in the bottom of society.As Branch points out; the first teach-ins on the Vietnam War took place during the Selma to Montgomery March in March 1965. The next month the first national demonstration against the war took place in Washington DC—20;000; called by Students for a Democratic Society; who pretty much deserted the movement against the war after getting it started. King was cautious on the war; SNCC and CORE somewhat less so.South Vietnam was an artificial creation by the US; which only existed because the Moscow and Beijing Stalinists believed against all the evidence that giving up at the negotiating table what had been won in revolutionary struggle led to peace! The best analysis of Stalinism; the rule of a privileged bureaucracy in a workers state; remains Trotsky’s The Revolution Betrayed. And to understand the downfall of Stalinism; I recommend New International No.11: U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War)It meant a break with the Johnson administration; but two years later SCLC did what they had to do; and James Bevel became national director of the “Spring Mobilization.†Martin Luther King led off and spoke at the April 15; 1967 antiwar march in New York (see photo below with Dr. Benjamin Spock and Msgr. Charles Owen Rice). Stokely Carmichael also spoke at that demonstration; and there was a very large Black contingent. (See Out Now: A Participant's Account of the Movement in the United States Against the Vietnam War). I was personally at that demonstration; not my first.King was scheduled to be the main speaker again on April 27; 1968; but by then he was dead. His widow; Coretta Scott King spoke in his place.Throughout it all; the US political police’s director-for-life J. Edgar Hoover was not only listening in one King and his supporters; but doing their best to discredit him; using newspapers that were especially friendly to the FBI. For the case that pushed the FBI back in a major way; see FBI on Trial: The Victory in the Socialist Workers Party Suit Against Government Spying.For a look at the Black Struggle from Reconstruction to today; I recommend Malcolm X; Black Liberation; and the Road to Workers Power. And for those who like to pretend that attacks on the rights of Black people only come under Republican administrations; The Clintons' Anti-Working-Class Record (Why Washington fears working people?) is an important book to read.As Branch notes; the civil rights battle also played a role in giving birth to the women’s liberation movement. For more on this see Women's Liberation and the Line of March of the Working Class (Women's Liberation the Line of March of the Working Class) and Abortion Rights; the Era and the Rebirth of a Feminist Movement (Abortion Rights; the Era the Rebirth of a Feminist Movemen). Branch’s assertion in the introduction that voting is an example of nonviolent activity is to me dishonest. While it usually doesn’t involve violence (although during Reconstruction as well as the civil rights movement it often did); it has nothing to do with any philosophical principle. In the epilogue; Branch mentions some key movements around the world that didn’t involve significant amounts of violence; but none of them were based on nonviolent principles.The ANC’s armed wing founded by Nelson Mandela didn’t play a big role in the liberation; but the struggle wasn’t based on nonviolent principles; and hadn’t been since the time of Chief Lithuli. And as Nelson Mandela said; he never would have been released from prison if not for the role of the Cuban army in defeating South African troops in Angola. (See How Far We Slaves Have Come! South Africa and Cuba in Today's World and Cuba and Angola: Fighting for Africa's Freedom and Our Own)Mandela spoke in Cuba in 1991 and said; in part:“It was in prison when I first heard of the massive assistance that the Cuban internationalist forces provided to the people of Angola; on such a scale that one hesitated to believe; when the Angolans came under combined attack of South African; CIA-financed FNLA; mercenary; UNITA; and Zairean troops in 1975."“We in Africa are used to being victims of countries wanting to carve up our territory or subvert our sovereignty. It is unparalleled in African history to have another people rise to the defense of one of us.“We know also that this was a popular action in Cuba. We are aware that those who fought and died in Angola were only a small proportion of those who volunteered. For the Cuban people internationalism is not merely a word but something that we have seen practiced to the benefit of large sections of humankind.“We know that the Cuban forces were willing to withdraw shortly after repelling the 1975 invasion; but the continued aggression from Pretoria made this impossible.“Your presence and the reinforcement of your forces in the battle of Cuito Cuanavale was of truly historic significance.“The crushing defeat of the racist army at Cuito Cuanavale was a victory for the whole of Africa!“The overwhelming defeat of the racist army at Cuito Cuanavale provided the possibility for Angola to enjoy peace and consolidate its own sovereignty!“The defeat of the racist army allowed the struggling people of Namibia to finally win their independence!“The decisive defeat of the apartheid aggressors broke the myth of the invincibility of the white oppressors!“The defeat of the apartheid army was an inspiration to the struggling people inside South Africa!“Without the defeat of Cuito Cuanavale our organizations would not have been unbanned!“The defeat of the racist army at Cuito Cuanavale has made it possible for me to be here today!â€1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A superb Chronicle of a Man for his TimesBy Otter JotterI waited far too long to read this three-volume masterpiece. I came away with a new understanding as a white man of the reality of 20th century life in Black America and King's steadfast refusal to abandon non-violence in the struggle to achieve justiceThe one supreme and joyful irony of Branch's magnificent work is that the illegal efforts of one of King's most implacable enemies; J. Edgar Hoover; wiretapping and spying on his every move; gave this chronicle the richness of detail to destroy Hoover's best efforts and ultimately Hoover's reputation; while helping readers get a nuanced look at a great if flawed man and his life of purpose and sacrifice.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. A Great Book on A Great Leader and His Times: Taylor Branch on the Civil Rights Movement!By C. M MillsAt Canaan's Edge is the third and final volume in Taylor Branch's classic work on the civil rights movement in the United States. We see Martin Luther King in his final few years. King like Moses of Israel would not live to see all of his dreams for equality for all of our nation's citizens realized in his 39 years. D. King was a leader of incredible energy and brilliance. Hedid reach Canaan's edge of glory before his assassination at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis in April; 1968. The book deals in incredible blow by blow detail with the march to Selma; the turbulence of the Vietnam conflict; the deterioration of the relationship between Dr. King and LBJ over the former'sstrong condemnation of US policy in Vietnam. Also the opposition to nonviolence advocacy by King among the leaders of the African American leadership. King a Nobel Peace Prize winner died in Memphis fighting for justice for the poor and largely black garbage workers in that large city. This book shows prejudice against the blacks and the poor not only in the deep south but in Chicago; Detroit and throughout the nation. It sorrows the Christian soul to read of such injustice and blindness to the reality that we are all God'schildren. As a Presbyterian pastor I was appalled at how white religious figures often turned a blind eye to cries for justice.Many in the reilgious community did support King and his movement and for that they deserve our thankfulness. Branch believes that King along with Lincoln and Madison should be our most admired leaders Dr. Martin Luther King washuman; he had countless affairs and could be difficult to fellow associates but the man is; in my opinion; a true hero and a Moses for his oppressed people. Sermons and phrases from King such as "I have a dream" will live as long as the English language is spoken on this conflicted globe! The book deals not only with King but with such leaders asLBJ; Robert Kennedy and the racist governor George C. Wallace; Stokely Carmichael; Ralph Abernathy and countless local leaders.You will meet fascinating heroes and cads in these pages! This book is a classic and should be read by every Americanwho cares about freedom and justice for all our citizens. Taylor Branch deserves the deep gratitude of all lovers offreedom for his lifetime devoted to this work of beautifullycrafted prose about a terrible time of hatred; injustice andcruelty. Prejudice in America is not yet defeated but this bookmay help to eradicate its imprint on the souls of the aspiringgeneration. Indispensable!
