Why would an American ethnic group use racist terms, such as "JAP", "the Jewish prince', and the "ghetto girl", to describe itself? In her history of Jewish acculturation during the twentieth century, Riv-Ellen Press addresses this compelling question as she observes how deeply anti-Semitic stereotypes--particularly gender stereotypes--infuse Jewish men's and women's views of one another.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
wonderful book:
This eye-opening book takes a historical look at relationships between Jewish men and women -- long the source of jokes and stereotypes. Prell's innovative use of popular culture, diaries, fashion, films, novels and letters reveals the pressures and strains Jews felt as they struggled against stereotypes from the outside, as well as gender and generational tensions within the community. Her thoughtful analysis of the origins and meanings of gender stereotypes -- from the Ghetto Girl and the Jewish Mother to... more info
this is the most G-d awful book ever published:
I have been assigned this book to read for an anthropology class that I am taking and every word that i read makes me die a little more on the inside. I was supposed to read some 60 odd pages for tomorrow, and in 40 minutes I made it through pages 1-8 and 21-23, I fell asleep an average of 2.5 times per page and my naps usually lasted from 15 seconds to two minutes (it is very hard to judge how long you slept for when you are doing it that often).
A great study of a big topic:
This is a clear and careful look at a complicated subject : the interwoven issues of twentieth-century American Jews' class and gender anxieties - and the complex relationships and adjustments (within and outside of the group) that have emerged from these tensions. Riv-Ellen Prell is a committed academic and her passionate interest in her subject is obvious. In addition she is a clear thinker and terrific at conveying complex ideas without being the least bit reductive.
I always thought that the problems Jewish men and Jewish women had with each other were unique to our time. Not so! Prell examines the Jewish press of the early 20th century to show that Jewish men and Jewish women have (mis)understood each other ever since the 19th century mass migration to America. Women generally want good providers, and Jews are no exceptions. I would have devoted a bit more space to the problems caused by prosperity--for example, that as American Jews become more prosperous, women... more info
