Country of exiles

by Leach, William

Two contradictory patterns of behavior have worked in concert to shape American history and identity - our willingness to pull up stakes and our determination to put down roots. Over the past fifteen years, the balance has tipped against established communities with shared rituals and traditions. Leach suggests that a new mentality is emerging, one that challenges our traditional understanding of community and denies its importance. This new cosmopolitanism opposes all kinds of boundaries and all older traditions of place - concealing behind the promise of mobility the pain of displacement. Leach reminds us about what we are losing and about the crucial role of place in the political and psychological stability of our lives.