Typecasting: On the Arts & Sciences of Human Inequality: A History of Dominant Ideas

This fascinating if overly ambitious study examines the rise of stereotyping in modern society and how the mainstream stereotypes the "other"—whether black, Jewish, gay, disabled, etc.—to maintain social order. Ewen & Ewen—the pseudonym of Elizabeth and Stuart Ewen, professors, respectively, of American studies and film and media studies—have amassed a huge amount of material across a broad spectrum of disciplines, all providing concrete examples of how Western culture, beginning in the mid-18th century with the study of physiognomy (the evaluation of character based on facial features), has consciously created visual, verbal, scientific and artistic cues to identify those outside of the dominant culture. The Ewens' research is prodigious and their examples eclectic—silent star Mary Pickford's film persona and notions of femininity, the social philosophy behind Roget's Thesaurus, blackface and minstrel shows, and George W. Bush's rhetoric on Iraq—and this mass of information is extremely well organized thematically. While the Ewens' writing is clear and compelling, the overall effect can be overwhelming, and often the nuances get lost. Still, this is a terrific volume that will be eye-opening to academics and general readers alike. B&w illus. (Sept.)