Michael Ryan – författare

Although there has been much recent interest in the interaction of England and Ireland in the Viking Age, the links between the Anglo-Saxons and the Irish in the period before 800 have been much less studied. This collection of essays provides the first interdisciplinary assessment of these connections. The essays range widely in their scope. Seven papers look at issues of language and literature, legal traditions, and ecclesiastical history. A further ten papers consider the evidence of material culture, through art history and archaeology. This overview of recent advances in the field of Anglo-Saxon/Irish relations will be essential reading for all those interested in early medieval studies.

" a modern mythography, a study of contemporary Hollywood films based on the tools offered by feminism, psychoanalysis, Marxist cultural theory, and deconstruction." —Village Voice"Solidly thought-out observation of the films of the 70's and 80's that comment on the system." —Audience" . . . intelligent, open advocacy. Its responsible arrangement of carefully described cultural materials will challenge students and instructors alike." —Teaching PhilosophyCamera Politica is a comprehensive study of Hollywood film during a period of tremendous change in American history, a period that witnessed the end of the American empire, crises in the economy, a failure of political leadership, loss at war, and the rise of the Right.

God in the Corridors of Power: Christian Conservatives, the Media, and Politics in America is a comprehensive study of Christian conservative power in America's political culture—how it was achieved, how it is maintained, and where it is going. It came about in part because of an enduring influence in the school room, the seminary and in the pulpit, and in part because conservatives are so skilled at using commercial and non-commercial media, including religious media, to disseminate their views to broader audiences. Though their power has waxed and waned, they continue to be a potent force in public policy today.The authors argue that the astonishing electoral successes of Christian conservatives at all levels of national, state and local government was made possible by linking political, social, media and religious interests with an emerging consensus about what constitutes a conservative mindset in American politics. Christian conservatives unquestionably have been the most significant component in a coalition of religious conservatives, traditionalist conservatives and neoconservatives that has driven the Republican Party now for almost two generations.This multifaceted understanding of Christian conservative activists in religion and politics traces the impact Christian conservatives have had on American Christianity as a whole while also examining the limitations imposed on the Christian conservative agenda by American civil religion, the Constitution and case law. The authors explore women's reproductive rights in the debate over contraception and abortion, and gay civil rights in the debate over gay marriage and family rights. The debate over intelligent design and evolution is examined in the context of the campaign to transform public school education. The run-up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is scrutinized against the background of the declared "war on terrorism."While the conservative religious and secular coalition within the Republican Party began to fragment even before the end of George W. Bush's first term in office, it remained a powerful force in the 2004 and 2008 elections. The book concludes with some thoughts about the impact of Christian conservatives in politics, media and religion in the future.

This remarkable book looks at the physical and metaphorical attributes of the human body as a site of contention, politics, and cultural protest. Essayists from the social sciences and the humanities discuss a range of issues, from torture and moral panics to the "AIDS plague" and the homosocial subtexts of George Bush's political speeches. Sometimes written in shocking and graphic language, these essays embrace the notion that there is a viable place in scholarly writing for anger, sadness, joy, despair, grief, and celebration—an infusion of passion. The tradition of emotional involvement in the issues was lost in late twentieth-century academia but is revisited here through the theories of postmodernism. Trading upon the theory that good cultural studies can affect politics, the contributors to this book take on current political and social issues of consequence. Pierre Bourdieu, Nancy Armstrong, Stephen Pfohl, Donna Haraway, Toni Negri, George Marcus, and others tackle such subjects as the politics of pharmacology; women, war, and AIDS; ethnicity, national identity, and the Japanese Emperor system; the meaning of property; and the "death and sinister afterlife" of the American family. These dynamic essays go beyond examination and point to ways in which the societies they identify can be improved, rebuilt, or redirected toward ends other than power, social discipline, inequality, and violence. The intent of the volume is transformative—assuming that politics is culture, the essayists attempt through cultural analysis to offer a means of remaking politics. A compendium of innovative scholarship, Body Politics bristles with interesting information and creative energy.

This book looks at the physical and metaphorical attributes of the human body as a site of contention, politics, and cultural protest. It discusses a range of issues, from torture and moral panics to the "AIDS plague" and the homosocial subtexts of George Bush's political speeches.

In this unique amalgam of neuroscience, genetics, and evolutionary psychology, Ryan argues that leftists and rightists are biologically distinct versions of the human species that came into being at different moments in human evolution.The book argues that the varying requirements of survival at different points in history explain why leftists and rightists have anatomically different brains as well as radically distinct behavioral traits. Rightist traits such as callousness and fearfulness emerged early in evolution when violence was pervasive in human life and survival depended on the fearful anticipation of danger. Leftist traits such as pro-sociality and empathy emerged later as environmental adversity made it necessary for humans to live in larger social groups that required new adaptive behavior. The book also explores new evolutionary theories that emphasize the role of the environment in shaping not only human political behavior but also humans' genetic architecture. With implications for the future of politics, the book explores how the niche worlds we build for ourselves through political action can have consequences for the evolution of the species.Proposing a new way of understanding human politics, this is fascinating reading for students and academics in psychology, the social sciences, and humanities, as well as general readers interested in political behavior.

In this unique amalgam of neuroscience, genetics, and evolutionary psychology, Ryan argues that leftists and rightists are biologically distinct versions of the human species that came into being at different moments in human evolution.The book argues that the varying requirements of survival at different points in history explain why leftists and rightists have anatomically different brains as well as radically distinct behavioral traits. Rightist traits such as callousness and fearfulness emerged early in evolution when violence was pervasive in human life and survival depended on the fearful anticipation of danger. Leftist traits such as pro-sociality and empathy emerged later as environmental adversity made it necessary for humans to live in larger social groups that required new adaptive behavior. The book also explores new evolutionary theories that emphasize the role of the environment in shaping not only human political behavior but also humans' genetic architecture. With implications for the future of politics, the book explores how the niche worlds we build for ourselves through political action can have consequences for the evolution of the species.Proposing a new way of understanding human politics, this is fascinating reading for students and academics in psychology, the social sciences, and humanities, as well as general readers interested in political behavior.

"Bob Cover was and remains the dominant voice of his generation among legal scholars. These essays, each one magnificent in itself, are, when taken together, even more important. The wisdom they impart is forever." --Guido Calabresi, Dean and Sterling Professor of Law, Yale University "Robert Cover drew his sources for the authority of law--for its violence, but also for its paideic potential--from the structuring stories that spark our communal imaginations. Literally until the day of his untimely death, his irreplaceably restless spirit was binding itself with the pages of the Midrash, of The Brothers Karamazov, of Billy Budd, Sailor. It is for us now to work also with these--Bob Cover's stories."--Richard Weisberg, Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva University "The writings of Robert Cover were usually provocative, sometimes exasperating, but always relevant. In his last years, he concentrated on Jewish sources as well as mystical and Messianic thought. This collection of his articles is a thesaurus of some of his finest writings."--Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Georgetown University Law Center The late Robert Cover was Professor of Law, Yale Law School. Martha Minow is Professor of Law, Harvard Law School. Michael Ryan is Professor of English, Northeastern University. Austin Sarat is William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science and Chair of the Program in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought, Amherst College.

This memoir features as its subject childhood molestation and sexual addiction. It is a portrait of the artist as a young pervert, containing intimate and at times repelling details. The author recounts the sex he has had with the family pet, a male teacher and other assorted women and men.

"A breadth of interdisciplinary voices" discuss how geographical insularity - specifically that of Britain and Ireland - has affected artistic tradition.A generously illustrated collection, The Insular Tradition explores the various ways in which tradition becomes part of our definition of insular culture and cultural history. The essays are the outcome of a conference held within the Medieval Academy of America meeting at Kalamazoo in 1991. Scholars from America, Scandinavia, Britain, and Ireland came together to discuss the latest research on the remarkable Christian art which flourished among the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon peoples in the Early Medieval Period. New discoveries and a renewed research interest are shedding light on the splendid manuscript illuminations, sculpture, and metalwork of the time. Historical sources are reanalyzed and, together with modern approaches to interpretation, provide fascinating new insights into the social, economic, and spiritual background of the creative artists.This book presents a number of challenging reinterpretations of landmark achievements such as the Book of Kells, the Irish High Crosses, and the enigmatic symbolic and decorative systems of the Pictish people of Scotland. The contributors discuss the processes of creativity, the way in which influences are transmitted, the cross-fertilization of the arts in different media, and the role of trade and exchange and of the patron.Extensive illustrations, some of them difficult to source elsewhere, and comprehensive up-to-date bibliographies make the volume especially useful to those wishing to find a suitable point of entry into this expanding and ever-changing field.

A Complete Guide to Literary Analysis and Theory offers an accessible introduction to all the current approaches to literary analysis. Ranging from stylistics and historicism to post-humanism and new materialism, it also includes chapters on media studies and screen studies.The Guide is designed for use in introductory literature courses and as a primer in theory courses. Each chapter summarizes the main ideas of each approach to the study of literature in clear prose, providing lucid introductions to the practice of each school, and conducts readings using classic and modern works of literature from around the world. The book draws on examples from a wide range of works from classics such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Shakespeare's King Lear to contemporary works such as Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb."This wide-ranging introduction is ideal for students encountering literary study for the first time, as well as more advanced students who need a concise summary of critical methods. It strives to make complex ideas simple and provides readings that undergraduates should be able to understand and enjoy as well as training them to conduct analyses of their own.

A Complete Guide to Literary Analysis and Theory offers an accessible introduction to all the current approaches to literary analysis. Ranging from stylistics and historicism to post-humanism and new materialism, it also includes chapters on media studies and screen studies.The Guide is designed for use in introductory literature courses and as a primer in theory courses. Each chapter summarizes the main ideas of each approach to the study of literature in clear prose, providing lucid introductions to the practice of each school, and conducts readings using classic and modern works of literature from around the world. The book draws on examples from a wide range of works from classics such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Shakespeare's King Lear to contemporary works such as Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb."This wide-ranging introduction is ideal for students encountering literary study for the first time, as well as more advanced students who need a concise summary of critical methods. It strives to make complex ideas simple and provides readings that undergraduates should be able to understand and enjoy as well as training them to conduct analyses of their own.

The new edition of this bestselling literary theory anthology has been thoroughly updated to include influential texts from innovative new areas, including disability studies, eco-criticism, and ethics. Covers all the major schools and methods that make up the dynamic field of literary theory, from Formalism to PostcolonialismExpanded to include work from Stuart Hall, Sara Ahmed, and Lauren Berlant. Pedagogically enhanced with detailed editorial introductions and a comprehensive glossary of terms

Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction, Third Edition, presents a comprehensive introduction to thefull range of contemporary approaches to the study of literature and culture, from formalism, structuralism, and historicism to ethnic, gender, and science studies.Introduces students to a variety of contemporary approaches to the study of literature and cultureDemonstrates how the varying perspectives on texts can lead to different interpretations of the same workFeatures numerous updates that include new literary texts, new and expanded sectionsRepresents the ideal accompaniment to the upcoming Third Edition of LiteraryTheory: An Anthology

The Student Book and ActiveBook has clearly laid out pages with a range of supportive features to aid learning and teaching:

 

• Getting to know your unit sections ensure learners understand the grading criteria and unit requirements.

• Getting ready for assessment sections focus on preparation for external assessment with guidance for learners on what to expect. Hints and tips will help them prepare for assessment and sample answers are provided for a range of question types including, short and long answer questions, all with a supporting commentary.

• Pause point features provide opportunities for learners to self-evaluate their learning at regular intervals. Each Pause point feature gives learners a Hint or Extend option to either revisit and reinforce the topic or encourage independent research or further study skills.

• Case study and Theory into practice features enable development of problem-solving skills and place the theory into real life situations learners could encounter.

• Assessment practice features provide scaffolded activities that help prepare learners for assessment. Within each assessment practice activity, a Plan, Do and Review section supports learners’ formative assessment by to making sure they fully understand what they are being asked to do, what their goals are and how to evaluate the task and consider how they could improve.

• Literacy and numeracy activities provide opportunities for reinforcement in these key areas, placing the skills into a children’s play, learning and development context.

• Dedicated Think future pages provide case studies from the industry, with a focus on aspects of skills development that can be put into practice in a real work environment and further study.

Packed with practical activities and planning support to help you deliver these exciting new qualifications.

A complete unit-by-unit course companion for learners. Helps prepare learners for specific job roles. Includes ‘Hands on’ and ‘Ready for Work?’ features to develop practical skills. Assessment practice activities and dedicated ‘Getting Ready for Assessment’ sections support preparation for assignments, tasks and external tests. Your Learner Handbook also includes an ActiveBook (a digital version of the Learner Handbook) - ideal for revision and reforcement of key skills. The ActiveBook is available to buy separately and a range of institutional site licences are also available.

A political sociology textbook which examines the impact of political thought on a society's culture, and theorizes on the attitudes a post-revolutionary society would adopt towards such subjects as feminism, the arts and ideology.

This anthology of classic and cutting-edge statements in literary theory has now been updated to include recent influential texts in the areas of Ethnic Studies, Postcolonialism and International Studies A definitive collection of classic statements in criticism and new theoretical work from the past few decadesAll the major schools and methods that make up the dynamic field of literary theory are represented, from Formalism to PostcolonialismEnables students to familiarise themselves with the most recent developments in literary theory and with the traditions from which these new theories derive

CULTURAL STUDIES This comprehensive anthology brings together classic and contemporary essays in the diverse field of Cultural Studies. It is designed for classroom use in a variety of settings and departments, from Communications and Film Studies to Literature and Anthropology. With an international scope and interdisciplinary approach, this book represents the diversity, depth, and leading scholarship of this complex field. This important new anthology: Provides an overview of the history of the discipline, and argues for better placement of Cultural Studies within the academyOffers a range of important perspectives on key topics, including policy, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, identity, visual culture, and diasporaHas an advisory board composed of leading scholars, and an internationally renowned general editor.Cultural Studies: An Anthology is an indispensable scholarly and pedagogical tool, which fills a longstanding gap in the literature of the field. It will be essential reading for scholars and students in Cultural Studies and the many related disciplines with which it engages.

CULTURAL STUDIES This comprehensive anthology brings together classic and contemporary essays in the diverse field of Cultural Studies. It is designed for classroom use in a variety of settings and departments, from Communications and Film Studies to Literature and Anthropology. With an international scope and interdisciplinary approach, this book represents the diversity, depth, and leading scholarship of this complex field. This important new anthology: Provides an overview of the history of the discipline, and argues for better placement of Cultural Studies within the academyOffers a range of important perspectives on key topics, including policy, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, identity, visual culture, and diasporaHas an advisory board composed of leading scholars, and an internationally renowned general editor.Cultural Studies: An Anthology is an indispensable scholarly and pedagogical tool, which fills a longstanding gap in the literature of the field. It will be essential reading for scholars and students in Cultural Studies and the many related disciplines with which it engages.

This hands-on survey introduces students to the diverse fields that comprise cultural studies, from visual culture to popular music and new media. It can be used as a standalone text or is the perfect companion volume to Ryan's Cultural Studies: An Anthology. Provides a comprehensive overview of the field, from cyberculture and digital media to fashion and new formulations of gender identityIncludes student exercises and activities for each chapterTeaches cultural analysis through practical examples and applicationGives students across disciplines the tools to become practitioners of Cultural Studies and active cultural analysts  The perfect companion volume to Ryan's Cultural Studies Anthology (2008)