The Pursuit of Attention: Power and Individualism in Everyday Life - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0870738852 ISBN 13: 9780870738852

Publisher: Routledge, 1979

Synopsis

True, man is a social animal, but -- in this age of rampant attention-getting and "ego-surfing" (scanning the Internet for occurrences of one's own name) -- perhaps aggressively or competitively social would be a better description. This useful and popular volume, now in a second edition that features major new introductory and concluding essays, entertainingly ponders this proposition. Charles Derber argues that there is a general Lack of social support in today's America, one which causes people to vie hungrily for attention. Little wonder, then, that we should so often employ various techniques to turn the course of a given conversation back to ourselves. Illustrating "conversational narcissism" with sample dialogues that will seem disturbingly familiar to all readers, this book analyzes the pursuit of attention in conversation -- as well as in politics and celebrity culture -- and demonstrates the ultimate importance of gender, class, and racial differences in competing for attention. The Pursuit of Attention has been significantly reconsidered and rewritten to reflect just how self-involved we have become (and are still becoming).

About this title

From the Back Cover:

There is a general lack of social support in America which causes people to compete hungrily for attention. Individuals use various techniques to turn the course of a conversation towards themselves; Charles Derber illustrates and explains this 'conversational narcisism' in sample dialogues that will sound disturbingly familiar to everyone.

About the Author:

Charles Derber is professor of sociology at Boston College.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1979
• ISBN 10: 0870738852
• ISBN 13: 9780870738852
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 110
• Editor: Derber Charles