Dancing in the Streets

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Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy
Dancing in the Streets.jpg
First edition
Author Barbara Ehrenreich
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Subject Social history
PublisherMetropolitan Books
Publication date
January 1, 2006
Media typeHardcover
Pages336
ISBN 978-0-8050-5723-2
OCLC 70718693
394.26 22
LC Class GT3940 .E47 2007
Author Barbara Ehrenreich Barbara Ehrenreich by David Shankbone.jpg
Author Barbara Ehrenreich

Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy is a book authored by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Contents

Description

The author coins the term "collective joy" to describe group events which involve music, synchronized movement, costumes, and a feeling of loss of self. There is no precise word in English to describe the phenomenon.

The book describes cycles of creation and suppression of collective joy events. The events generally arise spontaneously and are regarded as dangerous (see Collective hysteria, Riot). The powerful elements of society gradually convert the participants into spectators. This conversion drains the events of their power, and the cycle begins anew. The author describes Western Society as particularly lacking in such events and describes current and recent examples of Collective Joy events.

Well-known examples of Collective Joy

Historical

Current

Collective Joy in transition

See also


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