{"product_id":"feudal-america-vladimir-shlapentokh-9780271037813","title":"Feudal America: Elements of the Middle Ages in Contemporary Society","description":"\u003cp\u003eDo Americans live in a liberal capitalist society, where evenhanded competition rules the day, or a society in which big money, private security, and personal relations determine key social outcomes? Vladimir Shlapentokh and Joshua Woods argue that the answer to these questions cannot be found among the conventional models used to describe the nation. Offering a new analytical tool, the authors present a provocative explanation of the nature of contemporary society by comparing its essential characteristics to those of medieval European societies. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheir feudal model emphasizes five elements: the weakness of the state and its inability to protect its territory, guarantee the security of its citizens, and enforce laws; conflicts and collusions between and within organizations that involve corruption and other forms of illegal or semilegal actions; the dominance of personal relations in political and economic life; the prevalence of an elitist ideology; and the use of private agents and organizations for the provision of safety and security. \u003ci\u003eFeudal America\u003c\/i\u003e urges readers to suspend their forward-thinking and futurist orientations, question linear notions of social and historical progression, and look for explanations of contemporary social problems in medieval European history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Vladimir Shlapentokh,Joshua Woods\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0271037814\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780271037813\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penn State University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/17\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 184\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.88lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.27h x 6.20w x 0.69d","brand":"Vladimir Shlapentokh","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48064810090751,"sku":"9780271037813","price":66.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_e37953dd-dc4d-4bc1-a050-c47b5bfa7c91.jpg?v=1768671178","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/feudal-america-vladimir-shlapentokh-9780271037813","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}