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Bezig met laden... Take the Young Stranger by the Hand: Same-Sex Relations and the YMCAdoor John Donald Gustav-Wrathall
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. One could be forgiven for surmising from the reviews, blurbs, and (oddly unidentified) cover painting that this book concerns itself with how the YMCA, an evangelical organization, evolved into a noted site for same-sex carnal liaisons. In point of fact, that subject is dealt with only in the book's two final chapters, which, though competently written and researched, are unsatisfying and raise more questions than they answer. The main body of the book concerns itself with such mind-numbers as the proportion of nineteenth-century YMCA administrators who were married and whether women should be admitted to the group. Although the book is obviously well-researched (the bibliography is magnificent), the author ventures into larger themes of American history at his peril; groaners are frequent, most notably his assertion that Grover Cleveland was the only bachelor ever elected to the presidency. To call this a schoolboy error would probably be a trifle harsh on schoolboys. Errors such as this may seem trivial in a book about something else, but to this reader they call into question the entirety of the book's integrity. The last two chapters of this should have been a journal article or submitted to a volume of contributed papers, not an adjunct to a soporific book. For that matter, since the author is continually carping about the lack of a complete history of cruising at the Y, one wonders why he didn't just write it himself; he's more than capable. ( ) geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Onderdeel van de reeks(en)Prijzen
Now associated with family health clubs, the YMCA's bland image is the result of relentless outreach and the studied avoidance of controversy. But, as John Gustav-Wrathall shows in his revealing social history of the organization, the life of the YMCA has been filled with strife, tragedy, and irony, a life that itself reflects the struggle over the shifting societal mores regarding masculine friendship and intimacy. Take the Young Stranger by the Hand presents the YMCA as an institution of profound contradictions, reflective of society's views of same-sex love and sexuality. "Gustav-Wrathall's book offers an in-depth history of the origins and purposes of the Young Men's Christian Association and how it evolved into--and out of--a gay playland."--Arnie Kantrowitz, Lambda Book Report "The book's absorbing exploration of the sometimes schismatic, sometimes synergistic relationship between spirituality and sexuality is a fascinating addition to the growing body of social history."--Jim Van Buskirk, San Francisco Bay Guardian Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)267.3973Religions Christian church and church work Christian Associations Young Men's Christian associationsLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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