A seeming constant in the history of capitalism, greed has nonetheless undergone considerable transformations over the last five hundred years. This multilayered account offers a fresh take on an old topic, arguing that greed was experienced as a moral phenomenon and deployed to make sense of an unjust world. Focusing specifically on the interrelated themes of religion, economics, and health - each of which sought to study and channel the power of financial desire - Jared Poley shows how evolving ideas about greed became formative elements of the modern experience. -- from back cover
"Migration to, from, and within German-speaking lands has been a dynamic force in Central European history for centuries. Exemplifying some of the most exciting recent research on historical mobility, the essays collected here reconstruct the experiences of vagrants, laborers, religious exiles, refugees, and other migrants during the last five hundred years of German history. With diverse contributions ranging from early modern martyrdom to post-Cold War commemoration efforts, this volume identifies revealing commonalities shared by different eras while also placing the German case within the broader contexts of European and global migration; 'This well-edited, well-written volume represents an important contribution to migration history. Its distinctiveness lies both in its focus on immigration to and within Germany--as opposed to German emigration to other lands--and its unusually broad chronological range, including a welcome emphasis on the early modern period'--James Melton, Emory University"--Publisher's website
In this type of historical game, students read from specially designed game books that place them in moments of heightened historical tension. The class becomes a public body, or private gathering; students, in role, become particular persons from the period and/or members of factional alliances. Their purpose is to advance an agenda and achieve victory objectives through formal speeches, informal debate, negotiations, vote taking, and conspiracy. After a few preparatory sessions, the game begins, and the students are in charge. The instructor serves as an adviser and arbiter. Outcomes sometimes vary from the history; a debriefing session sets the record straight. Authors' Description: It began, simply enough, with students in a dorm room. Four of them, in Greensboro, North Carolina. They were young, eager to change the world, and were ready to fight against Jim Crow segregation. They were not remarkable. African-American students all over the South were doing the same thing, had been doing the same thing, for some time. But something was different this time. The students decided that they had had enough of waiting around, of polite strategy, and decided to act. They went to the local Woolworth store in downtown Greensboro, and they sat down. They were told they wouldn't be served, but they stayed put. Simple enough. Within several months, thousands of sit ins were occurring everywhere. As simple as all this sounds, it was anything but. The students who decided to act had to face their parents, their school administrators, and established civil rights leaders who had their own ideas about how to tackle the indignities of Jim Crow. They faced white businessmen and politicians. They faced the public. And they also faced each other. However united they were in wanting to destroy Jim Crow segregation, they did not always agree on tactics, or even strategy. They had to build consensus. They had to build coalitions. They had to organize and plan and execute. Changing the world, it turns out, required a lot of work.
"David Warren Sabean was a pioneer in the historical-anthropological study of kinship, community, and selfhood in early modern and modern Europe. His career has helped shape the discipline of history through his supervision of dozens of graduate students and his influence on countless other scholars. This book collects wide-ranging essays demonstrating the impact of Sabean's work has on scholars of diverse time periods and regions, all revolving around the prominent issues that have framed his career: kinship, community, and self. The significance of David Warren Sabean's scholarship is reflected in original research contributed by former students and essays written by his contemporaries, demonstrating Sabean's impact on the discipline of history"--Provided by publisher
