Reluctant Modernization

Andreas Hess

ISBN 10: 3039119087 / ISBN 13: 9783039119080

Published by Peter Lang, Peter Lang Jun 2009, 2009

About this Item

Neuware -Three institutions that are of particular importance to Basque history and culture form the main subject of this book: the baserria (the Basque farmstead), the cofradía (the fraternity of fishermen) and the txoko (gastronomic society). In this study the three institutions are seen as windows; once we look through these windows, we get an opportunity to see the larger picture ¿ namely the structural components of a rich plebeian culture and moral economy. While the investigation of baserri culture provides insights into Basque rural life and the radical changes that occurred with industrialization, the cofradía allows the reader to see the connection that the Basque Country has with the sea. The third institution, the txoko or sociedad gastronómica, represents a more recent and urban phenomenon and reflects an effort to come to terms with urbanization and the anonymous forms of modern life. The book closes with some reflections on cultures that have been somewhat reluctant to modernize.Books on Demand GmbH, Überseering 33, 22297 Hamburg 208 pp. Englisch.

Seller Inventory # 9783039119080

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Reluctant Modernization
• Publisher: Peter Lang, Peter Lang Jun 2009
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3039119087
• ISBN 13: 9783039119080
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 225W x 150H x 12D millimeters 225 millimeters width by 150 millimeters height by 12 millimeters depth
• Weight: 300 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Three institutions that are of particular importance to Basque history and culture form the main subject of this book: the baserria (the Basque farmstead), the cofradía (the fraternity of fishermen) and the txoko (gastronomic society). In this study the three institutions are seen as windows; once we look through these windows, we get an opportunity to see the larger picture – namely the structural components of a rich plebeian culture and moral economy. While the investigation of baserri culture provides insights into Basque rural life and the radical changes that occurred with industrialization, the cofradía allows the reader to see the connection that the Basque Country has with the sea. The third institution, the txoko or sociedad gastronómica, represents a more recent and urban phenomenon and reflects an effort to come to terms with urbanization and the anonymous forms of modern life. The book closes with some reflections on cultures that have been somewhat reluctant to modernize.

About the Author

The Author: Andreas Hess teaches sociology at University College Dublin. His main publications include the authored books American Social and Political Thought: A Concise Introduction (2000) and Concepts of Social Stratification: European and American Models (2001); and the edited books American Social and Political Thought: A Reader (2003) and (with Christian Fleck and E. Stina Lyon) Intellectuals and their Publics: Perspectives from the Social Sciences (2009).