""Orbe has executed an ambitious project, undertaken with extreme care and attention to the personal and political facets of Obama's impact on people every day. This book sets a tone and a standard for future research, and provides the kind of intimate details we need to get beyond polls and punditry. A must-read for anyone concerned about how we communicate about race in the Obama Era.""—Catherine R. Squires, University of Minnesota
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This book seeks to go beyond existing public polls regarding Barack Obama, and instead offers a comprehensive treatment of public perceptions that resist mass generalizations based on race, gender, age, political affiliation, or geographical location. Drawing from a large national qualitative data set generated by 333 diverse participants from twelve different states across six U.S. regions, Mark P. Orbe offers a comprehensive look into public perceptions of Barack Obama's communication style, race matters, and the role of the media in 21st century politics. Communication Realities in a "Post-Racial" Society: What the U.S. Public Really Thinks about Barack Obama is the first of its kind in that it uses the voices of everyday U.S. Americans to advance our understanding of how identity politics influence public perceptions. The strength of a book such as this one lies within the power of the diverse perspectives of hundreds of participants. Each chapter features extended comments from rural volunteer fire fighters in southern Ohio, African American men in Oakland, CA, religious communities in Alabama; New England senior citizens; military families from southern Virginia; Tea Party members from Nebraska; business and community leaders from North Carolina; individuals currently unemployed and/or underemployed in Connecticut; college students from predominately White, Black, and Hispanic-serving institutions of higher learning; and others. As such, it is the first book that is based on comments from multiple perspectives - something that allows a deeper understanding that hasn't been possible with public polls, media sound bites, and political commentary. It is a must read for scholars interested in contemporary communication in a time when "post-racial" declarations are met with resistance and political junkies who seek an advanced understanding of the peculiarities of rapidly changing political realities.
About the Author
Mark P. Orbe is professor of communication and diversity at Western Michigan University.
I believe this to be a great subject matter for a book that could be quite relevant as the political scene is erupting with various candidates for the upcoming presidential election. The opinions of the every day American are not typically portrayed in the national media. The examination of how the election of the first African American President has impacted politics and attitudes towards race draws the audience in to see if there is a new dimension to race relations in our country today.
ReplyDeleteThis is a just proof that racism in Society Today. I believe it was a good idea to write the book however, the book itself is racial. Why wasn't this book written about any other presidents. I'm quite sure before now many people had the same views regarding past presidents.
ReplyDeleteIt is transparent racism that some of our diverse society choose to disrespect the president in an era that is considered to have the most informed persons. My perception is that this book was written to discredit President Barack Obama based upon his race not his work performance. Further, the scope of this “diverse society” seem to be very narrow in regard to the complexity of the workload inherited by the Obama Administration. Needless to say, the so-called 'diverse American public' need to open their eyes of objectivity as they consider Obama based on the accomplishments made during his term. The message is that blatant racism is alive and well no matter the educational background or competence. Let us support the safety and welfare of our country by judging President Obama by “the content of character rather than the color of his skin.
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