Jeremy Engels

The Politics of Resentment: A Genealogy Jeremy Engels

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.; Examines the problem of rhetorical violence in American political discourse, and maps the history of one form, the politics of resentment. Investigates key events in American history that have led to a current culture of resentment--Provided by publisher. Review Quotes: There may be no more pressing problem in contemporary U. S. political culture than a flourishing politics of resentment, which divides citizens, stalls policy, and excuses injustice. In The Politics of Resentment, Jeremy Engels helps readers understand how resentment has arisen as a political force and how scholars and citizens may respond. Toward these ends, The Politics of Resentment deftly weaves together history, criticism, and theory. Engels argues eloquently that we cannot ban resentment from the public sphere, but he suggests ways to productively turn resentment toward disclosing structural violence, thereby helping achieve justice and promote a public good. Robert Asen, University of Wisconsin Madison"Review Quotes: What is the relationship between rhetoric and violence? Jeremy Engels addresses that question in the aftermath of the 2011 shooting spree that seriously wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed several others. Drawing on wide-ranging scholarship in political theory and American public discourse, he argues that political elites hijack justified popular resentment against oppressive social systems and redirect it against powerless individuals, thereby creating the potential for violence. Provocative in its understanding of democracy, compelling in its case studies of Richard Nixon and Sarah Palin, and challenging in its call for reinvigorated rhetorical criticism, this is a book that makes us think. David Zarefsky, former president of the National Communication Association and of the Rhetoric Society of America"Publisher Marketing: In the days and weeks following the tragic shooting of nineteen Arizonans, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, there were a number of public discussions about the role that rhetoric might have played in this horrific event. In question was the use of violent and hateful rhetoric that has come to dominate American political discourse on television, on the radio, and at the podium. A number of more recent school shootings have given this debate a renewed sense of urgency, as have the continued use of violent metaphors in public address and the dishonorable state of America s partisan gridlock. This conversation, unfortunately, has been complicated by a collective cultural numbness to violence. But that does not mean that fruitful conversations should not continue. In The Politics of Resentment, Jeremy Engels picks up this thread, examining the costs of violent political rhetoric for our society and the future of democracy. The Politics of Resentment traces the rise of especially violent rhetoric in American public discourse by investigating key events in American history. Engels analyzes how resentful rhetoric has long been used by public figures in order to achieve political ends. He goes on to show how a more devastating form of resentment started in the 1960s, dividing Americans on issues of structural inequalities and foreign policy. He discusses, for example, the rhetorical and political contexts that have made the mobilization of groups such as Nixon s silent majority and the present Tea Party possible. Now, in an age of recession and sequestration, many Americans believe that they have been given a raw deal and experience feelings of injustice in reaction to events beyond individual control. With The Politics of Resentment, Engels wants to make these feelings of victimhood politically productive by challenging the toxic rhetoric that takes us there, by defusing it, and by enabling citizens to have the kinds of conversations we need to have in order to fight for life, liberty, and equality."

Contributor Bio:  Engels, Jeremy Jeremy Engels is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric in the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences at Penn State University. His work investigates the rhetorical foundations of democratic politics in the US, specifically by mapping the myriad ways that rhetoric has been transformed into a tool for taming the aspirations, and managing the power, of the public. He is the recipient of the National Communication Association's Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award, given to recognize early career achievement, and also the New Investigator Award. He lives in State College, PA, where he also teaches yoga.