Steeltown U.S.A.: Work and Memory in Youngstown (CultureAmerica) - Softcover

Linkon, Sherry Lee; Russo, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0700612920 ISBN 13: 9780700612925

Publisher: University Press of Kansas, 2003

Synopsis

Exploring conflicting representations of Youngstown across a century of growth, struggle and heartbreaking decline, this study looks at the roles of work and memory. It acts as a cautionary tale about corporate responsibility in an era of globalization.

About this title

Review:

"Compelling. . . . An intriguing history of the deindustrialization experience in Youngstown. . . . Linkon and Russo have succeeded in illustrating the importance and use of historical memory in shaping the future discourse of public policy issues involving deindustrialization."--Journal of American History

"The authors compellingly examine Youngstown's struggle for re-definition and recovery by studying its contradictory representations of itself, before and after the steel mills. . . . Rewarding reading for any Ohioan--or any American--interested in the psychological effects of deindustrialization on Rust Belt communities. This book proves that, in the authors' words, 'Youngstown's story is America's story.'"--Ohioana Quarterly

"This richly textured portrait of Youngstown, Ohio probes the injured soul of a declining city and exposes the contradictions embedded in working-class life. Unlike so many community studies, Steeltown resists the temptation to idealize the past or its subjects. . . . The authors correctly note that 'Youngstown's story is America's story.' The sharp and increasing disparities in wealth, the growing consolidation and power of corporations, racial stratification, and declining industrial unions and communities reflect the country at large in the twenty-first century. Steeltown's emphasis on the importance of remembering and the process of denial and redefinition of identities makes a significant contribution to American culture studies."--American Quarterly

"This excellent study combines an impressive collection of diverse sources into a complex, well-written analysis of conflicting community memories and their meanings; its import extends to all communities confronting structural change."--Choice

"A fascinating study, critical yet accessible. . . . The authors' conclusions leave the reader with a sense of hope."--Youngstown Vindicator

"Beautifully written with a plainspoken lyricism reminiscent of William Carlos Williams, Steeltown U.S.A. sensitively probes conflicting representations of Youngstown across a century of growth, struggle, and heartbreaking decline. . . . A cold-eyed, warm-hearted elegy for industrial America that somehow renews our rusty spirits."--Jack Metzgar, author of Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered

"Linkon and Russo document with stunning precision the meaning of the erasure of memory. Steeltown U.S.A. should not only be read as a cautionary tale about corporate responsibility in an era of globalization, but as a lesson to all Americans that we must understand and preserve our past if we are to effectively deal with our future. Steeltown U.S.A. is a vital book."--Dale Maharidge, coauthor of And Their Children After Them and Journey to Nowhere

About the Author:

Sherry Lee Linkon and John Russo are the cofounders and codirectors of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University, where Linkon is professor of English and coordinator of American studies and Russo is professor of labor studies and coordinator of the labor studies program.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kansas
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0700612920
• ISBN 13: 9780700612925
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288