Most Popular Books by David Jacobson

How did the American people come to develop a moral association with this land, such that their very experience of nationhood was rooted in, and their republican virtues depended upon, that land? And what is happening now as the exclusivity of that moral linkage between people and land becomes ever more attenuated? In Place and Belonging in America, David Jacobson addresses the evolving relationship between geography and citizenship in the United States since the nation''s origins. Americans have commonly assumed that only a people rooted in a bounded territory could safeguard republican virtues. But, as Jacobson argues, in the contemporary world of transnational identities, multiple loyalties, and permeable borders, the notion of a singular territorial identity has lost its resonance. The United States has come to represent a diverse quilt of cultures with varying ties to the land. These developments have transformed the character of American politics to one in which the courts take a much larger role in mediating civic life. An expanding web of legal rights enables individuals and groups to pursue their own cultural and social ends, in contrast to the civic republican practice of an active citizenry legislating its collective life. In the first part of his sweeping study, Jacobson considers the origins of the uniquely American sense of place, exploring such components as the Puritans and their religious vision of the New World; the early Republic and agrarian virtue as extolled in the writings of Thomas Jefferson; the nationalization of place during the Civil War; and the creation of post-Civil War monuments and, later, the national park system. The second part of Place and Belonging in America concerns the contemporary United States and its more complex interactions between space and citizenship. Here Jacobson looks at the multicultural landscape as represented by the 1991 act of Congress that changed the name of the Custer Battlefield National Monument to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and the subsequent construction of a memorial honoring the Indian participants in the battle; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He also reflects upon changing patterns of immigration and settlement. At once far-reaching and detailed, Place and Belonging in America offers a though-provoking new perspective on the myriad, often spiritual connections between territoriality, national identity, and civic culture.

Agrippa II is the first comprehensive biography of the last descendant of Herod the Great to rule as a client king of Rome. Agrippa was the last king to assume responsibility for the management of the Temple in Jerusalem, and he ultimately saw its destruction in the Judaean-Roman War. This study documents his life from a childhood spent at the Imperial court in Rome and rise to the position of client king of Rome under Claudius and Nero. It examines his role in the War during which he sided with Rome, and offers fresh insights into his failure to intervene to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem and its Sanctuary, as well as reviewing Agrippa’s encounter with nascent Christianity through his famous interview with the Apostle Paul. Also addressed is the vexed question of the obscurity into which Agrippa II has fallen, in sharp contrast with his sister Berenice, whose intimate relationship with Titus, the heir to the Roman throne, has fired the imagination of writers through the ages. This study also includes appendices surveying the coins issued in the name of Agrippa II and the inscriptions from his reign. This volume will appeal to anyone studying Judaean-Roman relations and the Judaean-Roman War, as well as those working more broadly on Roman client kingship, and Rome’s eastern provinces. It covers topics that continue to attract general interest as well as stirring current scholarly debate. Maps 1 and 2 available in colour at www.routledge.com/9781138331815

Women''s bodies have become a battleground. Around the world, people argue about veiling, schooling for Afghan girls, and "SlutWalk" protests, all of which involve issues of women''s sexuality and freedom. Globalization, with its emphasis on human rights and individuality, heats up these arguments. In Of Virgins and Martyrs, David Jacobson takes the reader on a fascinating tour of how self-identity developed throughout history and what individualism means for Muslim societies struggling to maintain a sense of honor in a globalized twenty-first century. Some patriarchal societies have come to see women’s control of their own sexuality as a threat to a way of life that goes back thousands of years. Many trace their lineage to tribal cultures that were organized around the idea that women’s virginity represents the honor of male relatives and the good of the community at large. Anyone or anything that influences women to the contrary is considered a corrupting and potentially calamitous force. Jacobson analyzes the connection between tribal patriarchy and Muslim radicalism through an innovative tool—the tribal patriarchy index. This index helps to illuminate why women''s sexuality, dress, and image so compel militant Muslim outrage and sometimes violent action, revealing a deeper human story of how women''s status defines competing moral visions of society and why this present clash is erupting with such ferocity. -- Subrata Mitra, Department of Political Science, and South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg

This volume explores key states and their changing conceptions of the international order in the post-Cold War era. Taken collectively, the contributors'' analyses of the United States, the Soviet Union and its successor states, Japan, the People''s Republic of China, the East Asian Little Dragons and Germany and the European Community paint a detailed portrait of the emerging world order. This multidisciplinary group of contributors utilizes a diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches to confront common themes and questions: How do states reorganize the world by creating idioms and conceptions of international order? What is the state''s definition of its own role and the role of others? How has the state''s idiom and conception of the international order shifted from the recent past? What role does the past play in approaches to the world order–in terms of historical traditions, fears, and memories? These questions are illuminated by considering such crucial issues as the state''s approach to international or supranational institutions and legal codes, particularly in the area of economy and international human rights, and the role of the state vis-à-vis other states: Does the state have hegemonic tendencies and an active role in maintaining international stability? Does it stress independence or interdependence? Isolationism or internationalism? These original essays suggest the nascent form the international order is taking in an otherwise turbulent world. Understanding how states view the post-Cold War arena is of paramount importance for comprehending the development of the new world order. In addressing these issues, this volume not only provides concrete, timely answers but offers a variety of theoretical and methodological tools for scholars, policymakers, and the informed public.

This book presents a model for analyzing and evaluating ethnographic arguments. It examines the relationship between the claims anthropologists make about human behavior and the data they use to warrant them. Jacobson analyzes the textual organization of ethnographies, focusing on the ways in which problems, interpretations, and data are put together. He examines in detail a limited number of well-known ethnographic cases, which are selected to illustrate basic theoretical frameworks and modes of analysis. By advancing a method for assessing ethnographic accounts, the book contributes to the current debate on the role of rhetoric and reflexivity in anthropology.

Political sociologist David Jacobson argues that transnational migrations have affected ideas of citizenship and the state since World War II. Examining illegal immigration in the United States and migrant and foreign populations in Western Europe, Jacobson shows how differing political cultures have shaped both domestic and international politics.

"Drawing on a wide variety of sources, the authors of this accessible study describe the organization of the responsible agency...and the development of radiological, sonic and seismic technology that has monitored nuclear activity worldwide for over 40 years. This study fills a gap in the historical record..." Publishers Weekly

Poking fun at everyone from the locals, to folks from away, and even to the wildlife, Lobster Therapy collects more than 100 cartoons from five of Maine’s best artists working in the field. It’ll leave you in stitches and just might help lower your blood pressure the next time you’re stuck on Route 1 or I-95.

"Having been born in Windhoek in 1951, [Jacobson] left South West Africa in 1971. He only returned in August 2003 to an independent Namibia intending to repeat the rite of passage for his generation, to drive on route B1/B2 from Windhoek to Swakopmund and back. A road trip into the Namib Desert. ... [His] resolve never to use personal history as source material for his work unravelled. Objects, images, and texts from his past combine with images taken on his ''prodical'' journey, in montages, vitrines and ''narratives''"--Last p.

Why does citizenship emerge, historically, and why does it maintain traction, even if in compromised forms? How can citizenship and democracy be revived? Learning from history and building on emerging social and political developments, David Jacobson and Manlio Cinalli provide the foundations for citizenship''s third revolution. They consider three historical periods for citizenship and reveal the underlying principles of citizenship--and its radical promise. Jacobson and Cinalli demonstrate how the effective functioning of citizenship depends on human connections that are relational and non-contractual, illustrate how rights can undermine as well as reinforce civic society, and document the emerging foundations of a "21st century guild" as a basis for repairing our democracies.

Have you ever been stuck with a bore at a party? Bumped into your ex-husband with his new girlfriend? Suffered through a long car trip with your boss? Gotten sucked into attending your friend''s foreign wedding? You''ll have better luck next time escaping at the last minute or avoiding the situation entirely once you''ve mastered David Jacobson''s hilarious and ingenious techniques for finding the trap door in any social quagmire. Get Me Out of Here! provides expert advice and killer lines that really work, whether you''re trying to avoid making small talk on a bus or desperate to leave your own party early. Every conceivable life scenario is anticipated here and addressed, from avoiding a landlord to evading your in-laws. With dozens of detailed illustrations, this entertaining reference gives step-by-step guidance on how to extricate yourself from almost any delicate situation.