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The American Exception, Volume 1

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  • © 2017

Overview

Authors:
  1. Frank J. Lechner

    1. Department of Sociology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA

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  • Addresses how American citizens visualize and contextualize the successes and failures of their nation
  • Paints a non-partisan and unique portrait of the American psyche
  • Written in a clear, engaging style that readers will find accessible

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Table of contents (5 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
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  2. Introduction

    • Frank J. Lechner
    Pages 1-21

  3. “A Shining City”? Perspectives on the American Exception

    • Frank J. Lechner
    Pages 23-75

  4. “A Sea of Faith”: The American Religious Exception

    • Frank J. Lechner
    Pages 77-131

  5. “Equal Justice under Law”: The American Legal Exception

    • Frank J. Lechner
    Pages 133-188

  6. “Almost an Island unto Itself”: The American Sports Exception

    • Frank J. Lechner
    Pages 189-246

  7. Back Matter

    Pages 247-253
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Keywords

About this book

This book examines what makes the United States an exceptional society, what impact it has had abroad, and why these issues have mattered to Americans. With historical and comparative evidence, Frank J. Lechner describes the distinctive path of American institutions and tracks changes in the country’s national identity in order to assess claims about America’s ‘exceptional’ qualities. The book analyzes several focal points of exceptionalist thinking about America, including the importance of US Constitution and the American sense of mission, and explores several aspects of America’s distinctive global impact; for example, in economics and film. In addition to discussing the distinctive global impact of the US, this first volume delves into religion, law, and sports.  

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Sociology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA

    Frank J. Lechner

About the author

Frank J. Lechner is Professor of Sociology at Emory University, USA. He has published World Culture: Origins and Consequences (2004; with John Boli), The Netherlands: Globalization and National Identity (2008), and Globalization: The Making of World Society (2009). With John Boli he edited The Globalization Reader (fifth edition, 2015). 

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The American Exception, Volume 1

  • Authors: Frank J. Lechner

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58717-6

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan New York

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-58716-9Published: 13 January 2017

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-58717-6Published: 09 January 2017

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 253

  • Topics: Social Theory, American Culture, US History

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