The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870–1940
Cambridge University Press, 12/28/2017
EAN 9781107114623, ISBN10: 1107114624
Hardcover, 356 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm
Language: English
An innovative examination of American society, culture, and politics, The Age of Charisma argues that the modern relationship between American leaders and followers grew out of a unique group of charismatic social movements prominent in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Drawing on hundreds of letters and testimonials, Jeremy C. Young illustrates how 'personal magnetism' in public speaking shaped society by enabling a shift from emotionally-inaccessible leadership to emotionally-available leadership. This charismatic speaking style caused a rapid transformation in the leader-follower relationship, creating an emotional link between speakers and listeners, and the effects of this social transformation remain with us today. Young argues that, ultimately, charismatic movements enhanced American democracy by encouraging the personalization of leadership - creating a culture in which today's leaders appeal directly to Americans through mass media.
Introduction
1. Magnetic America
personal magnetism in American culture, 1870–1900
2. Command performances
leaders and their technologies, 1890–1910
3. Transformations
the follower experience, 1890–1920
4. Competing visions
imagining charisma and social change, 1890–1910
5. Changing society
the rise and fall of progressive charisma, 1910–20
6. End of an age
from magnetism to mass communication, 1920–40
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.