Overview

In the twenty-first century, as in centuries past, stories of the supernatural thrill and terrify us. But despite their popularity, scholars often dismiss such beliefs in the uncanny as inconsequential, or even embarrassing. The editors and contributors to The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History have made a concerted effort to understand encounters with ghosts and the supernatural that have remain present and flourished. Featuring folkloric researchers examining the cultural value of such beliefs and practices, sociologists who acknowledge the social and historical value of the supernatural, and enthusiasts of the mystical and uncanny, this volume includes a variety of experts and interested observers using first-hand ethnographic experiences and historical records. The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History seeks to understand the socio-cultural and socio-historical contexts of the supernatural. This volume takes the supernatural as real because belief in it has fundamentally shaped human history. It continues to inform people’s interpretations, actions, and identities on a daily basis. The supernatural is an indelible part of our social world that deserves sincere scholarly attention.  Contributors include: Janet Baldwin, I'Nasah Crockett, William Ryan Force, Rachael Ironside, Tea Krulos, Joseph Laycock, Stephen L. Muzzatti, Scott Scribner, Emma Smith, Jeannie Banks Thomas, and the editors

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9781439915240

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Reviews

In their edited volume, Dennis Waskul and Marc Eaton collect efforts to understand the social and cultural implications of supernatural beliefs and experiences.... Most of the essayists profess an agnostic view of belief in the supernatural, which gives their findings more authoritative heft as none of the authors come off as proponents or detractors. Nor does the text demand the reader's belief or disbelief in the supernatural--again, this is not the aim--asking instead that the reader consider the social and cultural implications for believers and communities. Each author's writing is clear and engaging, and the chapters are often very enjoyable. --Teaching Sociology

"""In their edited volume, Dennis Waskul and Marc Eaton collect efforts to understand the social and cultural implications of supernatural beliefs and experiences.... Most of the essayists profess an agnostic view of belief in the supernatural, which gives their findings more authoritative heft as none of the authors come off as proponents or detractors. Nor does the text demand the reader's belief or disbelief in the supernatural--again, this is not the aim--asking instead that the reader consider the social and cultural implications for believers and communities. Each author's writing is clear and engaging, and the chapters are often very enjoyable.""--Teaching Sociology"

Author Information

Dennis Waskul is a Professor of Sociology and Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and former president of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction. He has auDthored, co-authored, or edited a variety of books, including Ghostly Encounters: The Hauntings of Everyday Life (with Michele Waskul); Body/Embodiment (with Phillip Vannini); The Senses in Self, Society, and Culture (with Phillip Vannini and Simon Gottschalk); and Popular Culture as Everyday Life (edited with Phillip Vannini).  Marc Eaton is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Ripon College, in Wisconsin.

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