Thesis on "Dyson Michael Eric"

Thesis 3 pages (1248 words) Sources: 6

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson has become a pivotal figure in the world of race relations in America. The professor and author has written several books on race relations over the last decade. The purpose of this discussion is to explore the life and scholarship of Michael Eric Dyson as it pertains to the book Come Hell or High Water. The research will reveal that Come Hell or High water is a book that is insightful in both breadth and depth as it pertains to racial politics and the reaction of the federal government in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Michael Eric Dyson

Dyson was born in 1958 in Detroit, Michigan ("Michael Eric Dyson"). At a young age he was recognized as a great orator and a profound thinker. He was able to escape the poverty stricken streets of Detroit through academic pursuits. Dyson's pursuits led him to Princeton University where he received a PHD in religion. He has worked at a professor at DePaul University, Brown University, and University of Pennsylvania ("Michael Eric Dyson"). He is currently a professor of Sociology at Georgetown University.

The courses he teaches at Georgetown include African-American Studies and theology ("Michael Eric Dyson").

Connections between Dyson's life, his scholarship and his book, Come Hell or High Water

The links between Tyson's life, scholarship and the book Come Hell or High Water are obvious and concrete. As it pertains to his life the book come hell or high water chronicles the difficulty that people of New Orleans had in getting out of the city when confronted with the reality that a dangerous storm was coming. In the book he pointed to the plight of the poor and the working class and how the cost of daily living impeded upon their ability to escape the storm. He points out in the book that these were not people who could afford to just pick up and leave, quite often they did not have transportation and if they did have transportation they would not have money for a hotel room once they fled the city. Those who were able to get out and had to rebuild their lives elsewhere had to overcome a great deal of adversity. This scenario and other aspects of the book are connected to Dyson's life in that he comes from an impoverished background and as such he has a personal understanding -- to some extent -- of the difficulty that the poor and working class individuals face.

As it pertains to scholarship, the book highlights Dyson's in depth knowledge of history and sociology. His scholarship in history can be seen in the way he relates the fate of the slaves in the ancient city of Pompeii who were left to be devoured by the erupting volcano to the working class people of New Orleans who were left to be devoured by Hurricane Katrina. The ability to make this connection is evident in the following passage from Hell and High Water

The way it was for the poor people of Pompeii is the way it was for the poor people of New Orleans. They were ensconced in a city rich with culture and yet that couldn't take full advantage of its incredible delights. They served a ruling class and visiting tourists but they were kept from the pleasures they helped to provide. And when the city fail to the fury of nature, they were most vulnerable to the environment's brutal backlash (Dyson, 2006, pg X (preface))."

Dyson's sociological scholarship can be seen in the manner in which Dyson displays his expertise as it pertains to black migration and also the policies of government that prevented the victims of Katrina from being properly cared for. Dyson's studies on sociology in… READ MORE

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