Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest: Reconstructing the Mississippi River explores the interaction of people and environment in two contemporary rural villages in the Midwest. Michael O. Johnston examines how place and identity are constructed differently among residents of these two villages and how this reflects and shapes the different experiences that people have while attending this annual interstate festival. Johnston analyzes media coverage about this event from local newspaper, local television news, and freelancers who covered this festival to show the significance of media representations in providing a glimpse at people's experiences while attending this festival. Throughout this book, Johnston demonstrates the dialectical relationship between the making of identity and place at this festival. By tracing these contemporary festivals, this book challenges the persistent homogenization of people and place that often exists when talking about communities in the Midwest.
Michael O. Johnston is assistant professor of sociology at William Penn University and is a host for New Books in Sociology (a channel on New Books Network).
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: The Birth of a Tug Fest Chapter 1: The Making of Place and Identity in the Midwest Chapter 2: Kiddy Tug, Farm Boys, and Beefy Women: Identity and Body Politics Chapter 3: Hands Covered in Resin: Party Tourism or Sport Tourism Chapter 4: The Tides that Bind and Unravel: The Social Construction of Environment Chapter 5: More than Just a Map Dot: Globalization and Tourism Conclusion: The Mississippi River All but Lost Its Wild Afterword: Tug Tied Appendix References About the Author
"From the iconic study of Yankee City parades by W. Lloyd Warner, examining festivals has been influential in understanding how communities define themselves in space and time. By detailing how two Mississippi River towns celebrate their past and present, Michael Johnston provides an insightful contribution to local sociology. Tug Fest, a friendly tug-of-war between two cross-river settlements, powerfully demonstrates how sporting competition builds meaning for residents and visitors. A most welcome contribution to cultural sociology and environmental studies." -- Gary Alan Fine, Northwestern University "Clearly written and engaging, Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest by Michael Johnston skillfully investigates how a tug-of-war festival on the banks of the Mississippi river both draws from and shapes a place, its local and international identity, historical path, and economic and tourist prospects." -- Pepper Glass, author of Misplacing Ogden, Utah: Race, Class, Immigration, and the Construction of Urban Reputations
