In U.S. literary studies, Tom Lutz has recast established ideas of regionalism to make the case for "cosmopolitan vistas," while Leigh Anne Duck has argued that U.S. southern literature exhibits "provincial cosmopolitanism." In the field of history, David Hollinger makes the case for a cosmopolitan, postethnic America that promises to be ethnically less circumscribed than multicultural America.

However, the work of other scholars suggests that Bourne's vision of the United States as a "unique," even exceptional, "cosmopolitan enterprise" no longer holds. For example, Parag Khanna argues that the United States of Europe has eclipsed the United States of America by "transforming Europe's identities from tribal to cosmopolitan." Ian Tyrrell suggests that a cosmopolitan, transnational view of history spells the death-knell of American exceptionalism. Meanwhile Todd Gitlin and Richard Rorty have warned of the "dangers" and limits of cosmopolitanism, advocating instead a revised form of patriotism.
posted by Lloyd at 4:20 PM

(1) Consider religious adherence levels as affected by masculinity/household dominance and frontier organization.

(2) Do the city comparison as a close reading of urban space, using Lewis Mumford's comparisons, leisure choices, and the following analysis list from the urban class:

House, Shrine, Cistern, Public Way, Agora, Citadel, Refuse-pit (Mumford)
Authority, Spirituality, Boundary, Urban Hierarchy.
Race, Class, Gender, Life-Stage
Birth, Sickness, Death
Public, Private
Nature, Country
Cultural Construction or Contest
Oldest thing. Most recent thing.
Geometry: Square, Circle, Triangle, Loop, Squiggle, Void.
Largest Human-constructed entity; Smallest human-crafted detail.

posted by Lloyd at 11:04 AM