Exploring Social Issues through Literature – serie

Bioethical and medical issues are among the most important concerns facing society today. Yet many of these contemporary debates have been anticipated and addressed in literary works. Designed to meet the needs of high school students, as well as college students or those in the health care field, this reference defines and situates major bioethical and medical issues in accessible literature ranging from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) to Margaret Edson's Wit (1999). Included are discussions of such topics as cloning, bioterrorism, organ transplants, genetics, obesity and heart disease, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, and civil rights. Chapters are devoted to broad categories, with each chapter discussing two major literary works.Tremendous advances in science and technology have made bioethical and medical issues central to contemporary philosophical debates. Many of these modern concerns have been anticipated and addressed to varying degrees in numerous literary works. Designed to meet the needs of high school students and teachers, pre-med and other college students, as well as any one in or entering a health care profession, this reference, a valuable addition to academic and public libraries, discusses literature as a means of approaching medical and bioethical issues. Chapters look at such broad topics as technology's creature, illness and culture, and end of life issues, with each chapter offering a close examination of two major literary works.Special features include a chronology of events in literature, medicine, and science; a glossary of literary, medical, and scientific terms; and lists of movies, Web sites, books and journals, and teaching methods.

Gang culture is one of the most volatile issues to have impacted young people throughout history and around the world. By focusing on the fictional representation of youth gangs, this work presents a unique perspective on an all-too-real phenomenon and its many manifestations. Organized chronologically and topically, the volume begins with a powerful essay tracing the origins and developments of youth gangs, from the early days of the Wild West to immigration gangs in 19th- and 20th-century America and the Twenty chapters, each introduced with a primary document, fully explore the different types of gangs, identifying their time, place, struggles, and demographic character. Included are the early gangs of New York City, prison gangs, Asian gangs, school gangs, African American gangs, and girl gangs. Each chapter analyzes one or more works of fiction in terms of its thematic message and the light it sheds on the nature of the depicted gang situation. The examined fiction will be of special interest to students and educators, and includes works often found on assigned reading lists, such as The Chocolate War, The Outsiders, and Lord of the Flies. Popular works, such as Gangs of New York, provide an historical perspective on early immigrant gangs, while presenting timeless themes of identity struggles that resonate for young people everywhere. In addition to the literary works and primary documents, suggestions for additional titles and sources for further information on the topics are offered.

Issues of race and racism permeate American society and are of central concern to students and teachers. The chapters in this reference explore how these issues have been addressed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Native Son, The House on Mango Street, Ceremony, and other major novels widely read by high school students. The works discussed reflect racial issues from a range of cultural perspectives. Each chapter is devoted to a particular novel and provides a plot summary, an overview of the work's historical background, a literary analysis, and suggestions for further reading.Issues of race and racism have long permeated American society and continue to be among the most important social concerns today. This volume explores how racial issues have been treated in a dozen major novels widely read by high school students and undergraduates. The works discussed are from different historical periods and reflect a range of cultural perspectives, including African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, Italian American, Jewish American, and Jewish-Arab experiences.The volume begins with an introductory essay on race and racism in literature. Each of the chapters that follow examines a particular novel, including:; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Native Son; The House on Mango Street; Ceremony; The Chosen; And others.Each chapter includes a plot summary, an overview of the work's historical background, a discussion of overt and subtle racism in the novel, and suggestions for further reading.