Perpetual Adolescence
Jungian Analyses of American Media, Literature, and Pop Culture
By Keith Polette, Sally Porterfield, Tita French Baumlin | Publisher: State University of New York Press
About the book
Arguing that American culture appeals to and is populated by children and adolescents who merely appear to be adult men and women, the essays in Perpetual Adolescence examine the Jungian archetype of the \"eternal youth\"—the puer aeternus—as it is manifested in the arrested development of American culture. From the infantilization of the American psyche and the lionization of teenaged celebrities and bodies, to fanatical conformity, and puerile entertainment, the contributors probe the various ways that American television, music, film, print, Internet, education, and social movements work to nourish and sustain this child archetype. Offering analytic psychology as an instrument of social analysis and critique, they point to the need for dialogue over the causes and effects of our puer-fixations, which have become, in large part, both a creation and a creator of the American zeitgeist.
Editions of Perpetual Adolescence
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781438427997
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781438428000
- PDF
- ISBN 9781438428031
Read an Excerpt
Arguing that American culture appeals to and is populated by children and adolescents who merely appear to be adult men and women, the essays in Perpetual Adolescence examine the Jungian archetype of the \"eternal youth\"—the puer aeternus—as it is manifested in the arrested development of American culture. From the infantilization of the American psyche and the lionization of teenaged celebrities and bodies, to fanatical conformity, and puerile entertainment, the contributors probe the various ways that American television, music, film, print, Internet, education, and social movements work to nourish and sustain this child archetype. Offering analytic psychology as an instrument of social analysis and critique, they point to the need for dialogue over the causes and effects of our puer-fixations, which have become, in large part, both a creation and a creator of the American zeitgeist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Perpetual Adolescence about?
Arguing that American culture appeals to and is populated by children and adolescents who merely appear to be adult men and women, the essays in Perpetual Adolescence examine the Jungian archetype of the \"eternal youth\"—the puer aeternus—as it is manifested in the arrested development of American culture. From the infantilization of the American psyche and the lionization of teenaged celebrities and bodies, to fanatical conformity, and puerile entertainment, the contributors probe the various ways that American television, music, film, print, Internet, education, and social movements work to nourish and sustain this child archetype. Offering analytic psychology as an instrument of social analysis and critique, they point to the need for dialogue over the causes and effects of our puer-fixations, which have become, in large part, both a creation and a creator of the American zeitgeist.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Perpetual Adolescence?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Cultural and media studies > Cultural studies > Popular culture
Where can I read a sample of Perpetual Adolescence?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438427997
How long is Perpetual Adolescence and how many pages does it have?
Perpetual Adolescence has 238 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Perpetual Adolescence?
Keith Polette, Sally Porterfield, Tita French Baumlin
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Perpetual Adolescence is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781438427997) and paperback(ISBN 9781438428000) and pdf(ISBN 9781438428031)
Where can I buy Perpetual Adolescence online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Perpetual Adolescence?