Polity Press
The Sociology of Slavery: Black Society in Jamaica, 1655-1838
Key Metrics
- Orlando Patterson
- Polity Press
- Paperback
- 9781509550982
- -
- -
- Social Science > Sociology - General
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
Orlando Patterson's classic study of slavery in Jamaica reveals slavery for what it was: a highly repressive and destructive system of human exploitation which disregarded and distorted almost all of the basic prerequisites of normal social life. What distinguishes Patterson's account is his detailed description of the lives and culture of slaves under this repressive regime. He analyses the conditions of slave life and work on the plantations, the African origins and social institutions of the slaves, the psychological life of slaves - what it was like to be a slave and how they survived the system mentally, socially and culturally - and the patterns and meanings of slave resistance. He shows that the real life situation of slaves involved a complete breakdown of all major social institutions, including the family, marriage, religion and morality. And yet despite the repressiveness of the regime, slaves maintained some space of their own, and their adjustment to white norms did not mean that they accepted them. Slave culture was characterized by a persistent sense of resentment and injustice which underpinned the revolts and rebellions that were a constant feature of slave society.
This new paperback edition includes a new introduction by Orlando Patterson which explains the origins of the book and reflects on its enduring relevance. Widely recognized as a foundational work on the social institution of slavery, this book will be an indispensable text for students and scholars in sociology, history and the social sciences and humanities generally, and a valuable resource for anyone interested in the role that slavery has played in the shaping of the modern world.
Author Bio
Orlando Patterson, a historical and cultural sociologist, is John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University. He previously held faculty appointments at the University of the West Indies, his alma mater, and the London School of Economics where he received his Ph.D. His academic interests include the culture and practices of freedom; the comparative study of slavery and ethno-racial relations; and the cultural sociology of poverty and underdevelopment with special reference to the Caribbean and African American youth. He has also written on the cultural sociology of sports, especially the game of cricket.
Professor Patterson is the author of numerous academic papers and 6 major academic books including, Slavery and Social Death (1982); Freedom in the Making of Western Culture (1991); The Ordeal of Integration (1997); and The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth (2015).
A public intellectual, Professor Patterson was, for eight years, Special Advisor for Social policy and development to Prime Minister Michael Manley of Jamaica. He was a founding member of Cultural Survival, one of the leading advocacy groups for the rights of indigenous peoples, and was for several years a board member of Freedom House, a major civic organization for the promotion of freedom and democracy around the world.
The author of three novels, he has published widely in journals of opinion and the national press, especially the New York Times, where he was a guest columnist for several weeks. His columns have also appeared in Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Public Interest, The New Republic, and The Washington Post.
He is the recipient of many awards, including the National Book Award for Non-Fiction which he won in 1991 for his book on freedom; the Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Award of the American Sociological Association; co-winner of the Ralph Bunche Award for the best book on pluralism from the American Political Science Association; and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement.
He holds honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Chicago, U.C.L.A and La Trobe University in Australia. He was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica in 1999. Professor Patterson has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1991.
Source: Harvard University Press
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