Missing Colonies in American Myths of Slavery: Where Is the “Deep North” in Sociology Textbooks?

This exercise in reflexive sociology consists of a comparative analysis of the standard verbiage of Introduction to Sociology and Sociology of Race/Ethnicity textbooks on the subject of American slavery. We interrogate whether narratives about slavery in sociology textbooks present the system as a peculiar Southern institution, or as a cross-regional institution that includes the Northern colonies. The study found that a majority of the Introductory books present the system as Southern. The majority of the Race/Ethnicity books prominently feature Southern slavery, yet some are more likely to detail Northern slavery and the broader Atlantic World context. Given that the field of sociology is a key carrier of collective-memory institutionalization in its role as a remembrance environment, we argue that it has the potential to impact historical revisionist understandings of American history in public collective memory. Such revisions carry implications for transregional responsibility for racial injustices.

Sibling Relationships As Depicted In Sam Shepard’s Play True West

Sam Shepard (1943- ) is one of the most prominent modern American playwrights. Up till now he has written almost 50 plays. He has gained a reputation as one of America's foremost living playwrights. His works have found deep spirit in the nation’s cultural imagination as he has spoken in a convincing way to American theatre audience. The family relationship is one of the American myths. Besides, Fathers escaping to another land, brothers fighting brothers and mothers as off-stage voices or oppressive presences are some of the themes dealt with in modern American plays. This study deals with sibling relationships as depicted in Sam Shepard’s play True West. This play is concerned with two brothers who strive to understand each other but they represent totally contrast types, so the play ends with a never-ending conflict. The absence of the father, and the partial absence of the mother, besides the continuous struggle and misunderstanding of the two brothers show the broken or weak relationships between them.