Matthew Blackwell Livres

"Despite dramatic social transformations in the United States during the last 150 years, the South has remained staunchly conservative. Southerners are more likely to support Republican candidates, gun rights, and the death penalty, and southern whites harbor higher levels of racial resentment than whites in other parts of the country. Why haven't these sentiments evolved or changed? Deep Roots shows that the entrenched political and racial views of contemporary white southerners are a direct consequence of the region's slaveholding history, which continues to shape economic, political, and social spheres. Today, southern whites who live in areas once reliant on slavery--compared to areas that were not--are more racially hostile and less amenable to policies that could promote black progress. Highlighting the connection between historical institutions and contemporary political attitudes, the authors explore the period following the Civil War when elite whites in former bastions of slavery had political and economic incentives to encourage the development of anti-black laws and practices. Deep Roots shows that these forces created a local political culture steeped in racial prejudice, and that these viewpoints have been passed down over generations, from parents to children and via communities, through a process called behavioral path dependence. While legislation such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act made huge strides in increasing economic opportunity and reducing educational disparities, southern slavery has had a profound, lasting, and self-reinforcing influence on regional and national politics that can still be felt today. A groundbreaking look at the ways institutions of the past continue to sway attitudes of the present, Deep Roots demonstrates how social beliefs persist long after the formal policies that created those beliefs have been eradicated."--Jacket

"In modern times, international borders reflect discontinuous changes in political authority, no matter what the inconveniences are for the individuals that they separate. What explains this fact? Why are the citizens of neighboring regions that happen to lie across an international border often subject to very different governance systems? We argue that the defining feature of the modern territorial state system is the local, bounded, monopoly that states have in governing their citizens. States refuse to violate each other's monopolies, even when they could do so easily. We examine what makes this system stable, when and how it emerged, how it spread, how it has been challenged, what led it to be so resilient over time, and how might it change in the future."

Permaculture needs all of us, and all of us need permaculture. Permaculture is a way of farming, gardening, or managing land for sustainable food that emphasizes a reciprocal relationship with nature. It's also a way of living that has countless benefits for both individual and collective well-being and is an essential tool in the fight of our lives: tackling the climate crisis. Incorporating such concepts and practices as rewilding and community resilience, permaculture is an approach with core principles that center collectivism and stewardship. From these principles, we can take key lessons about how we interact with nature and with others in all areas of life. Exploring the history of permaculture, how it exists today, and combining practical prompts with personal stories, this book is written with expertise, yet is accessible and enjoyable for beginners and the experienced alike. Whether you're completely new to permaculture, or you're someone with experience who wants to reconnect and learn more about its history and principles, this book will contain valuable lessons for growth far beyond the garden.