Together : the rituals, pleasures, and politics of cooperation

Living with people who differ—racially, ethnically, religiously, or economically—is the most urgent challenge facing civil society today. We tend socially to avoid engaging with people unlike ourselves, and modern politics encourages the politics of the tribe rather than of the city. In this thought-provoking book, Richard Sennett discusses why this has happened and what might be done about it. Sennett contends that cooperation is a craft, and the foundations for skillful cooperation lie in learning to listen well and discuss rather than debate. In __Together__ he explores how people can cooperate online, on street corners, in schools, at work, and in local politics. He traces the evolution of cooperative rituals from medieval times to today, and in situations as diverse as slave communities, socialist groups in Paris, and workers on Wall Street. Divided into three parts, the book addresses the nature of cooperation, why it has become weak, and how it could be strengthened. The author warns that we must learn the craft of cooperation if we are to make our complex society prosper, yet he reassures us that we can do this, for the capacity for cooperation is embedded in human nature.

Living with people who differ—racially, ethnically, religiously, or economically—is the most urgent challenge facing civil society today. We tend socially to avoid engaging with people unlike ourselves, and modern politics encourages the politics of the tribe rather than of the city. In this thought-provoking book, Richard Sennett discusses why this has happened and what might be done about it.

Sennett contends that cooperation is a craft, and the foundations for skillful cooperation lie in learning to listen well and discuss rather than debate. In Together he explores how people can cooperate online, on street corners, in schools, at work, and in local politics. He traces the evolution of cooperative rituals from medieval times to today, and in situations as diverse as slave communities, socialist groups in Paris, and workers on Wall Street. Divided into three parts, the book addresses the nature of cooperation, why it has become weak, and how it could be strengthened. The author warns that we must learn the craft of cooperation if we are to make our complex society prosper, yet he reassures us that we can do this, for the capacity for cooperation is embedded in human nature.

Living with people who differ—racially, ethnically, religiously, or economically—is the most urgent challenge facing civil society today. We tend socially to avoid engaging with people unlike ourselves, and modern politics encourages the politics of the tribe rather than of the city. In this thought-provoking book, Richard Sennett discusses why this has happened and what might be done about it.

Sennett contends that cooperation is a craft, and the foundations for skillful cooperation lie in learning to listen well and discuss rather than debate. In Together he explores how people can cooperate online, on street corners, in schools, at work, and in local politics. He traces the evolution of cooperative rituals from medieval times to today, and in situations as diverse as slave communities, socialist groups in Paris, and workers on Wall Street. Divided into three parts, the book addresses the nature of cooperation, why it has become weak, and how it could be strengthened. The author warns that we must learn the craft of cooperation if we are to make our complex society prosper, yet he reassures us that we can do this, for the capacity for cooperation is embedded in human nature.

Living with people who differracially, ethnically, religiously, or economicallyis the most urgent challenge facing civil society today. We tend socially to avoid engaging with people unlike ourselves, and modern politics encourages the politics of the tribe rather than of the city. In this thought-provoking book, Richard Sennett discusses why this has happened and what might be done about it. Sennett contends that cooperation is a craft, and the foundations for skillful cooperation lie in learning to listen well and discuss rather than debate. In Together he explores how people can cooperate online, on street corners, in schools, at work, and in local politics. He traces the evolution of cooperative rituals from medieval times to today, and in situations as diverse as slave communities, socialist groups in Paris, and workers on Wall Street. Divided into three parts, the book addresses the nature of cooperation, why it has become weak, and how it could be strengthened. The author warns that we must learn the craft of cooperation if we are to make our complex society prosper, yet he reassures usand#160;that we can do this, for the capacity for cooperation is embedded in human nature Discusses Why People Tend To Avoid Social Engagement With Those Unlike Themselves, Why Increased Cooperation Is Necessary To Make Society Prosper, And The Skills Necessary For Strengthening Cooperation. Introduction: The Cooperative Frame Of Mind -- Pt. 1: Cooperation Shaped. The Social Question : Reformers In Paris Explore A Puzzle ; The Fragile Balance : Competition And Cooperation In Nature And Culture ; The Great Unsettling : How The Reformation Transformed Cooperation -- Pt. 2: Cooperation Weakened. Inequality : Imposed And Absorbed In Childhood ; The Social Triangle : How Social Relations Become Embittered At Work ; The Uncooperative Self : The Psychology Of Withdrawal -- Pt. 3: Cooperation Strengthened. The Workshop : Making And Repairing ; Everyday Diplomacy : Reformation Conversations Put To Practical Use ; The Community : Practising Commitment ; Coda: Montaigne's Cat. Richard Sennett. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction: The cooperative frame of mind -- pt. 1: Cooperation shaped. "The social question" : reformers in Paris explore a puzzle ; The fragile balance : competition and cooperation in nature and culture ; The "great unsettling" : how the Reformation transformed cooperation -- pt. 2: Cooperation weakened. Inequality : imposed and absorbed in childhood ; The social triangle : how social relations become embittered at work ; The uncooperative self : the psychology of withdrawal -- pt. 3: Cooperation strengthened. The workshop : making and repairing ; Everyday diplomacy : Reformation conversations put to practical use ; The community : practising commitment ; Coda: Montaigne's cat.;Discusses why people tend to avoid social engagement with those unlike themselves, why increased cooperation is necessary to make society prosper, and the skills necessary for strengthening cooperation. Living with people who differ -- racially, ethnically, religiously, or economically -- is the most urgent challenge facing civil society today. We tend socially to avoid engaging with people unlike ourselves, and modern politics encourages the politics of the tribe rather than of the city. In this thought-provoking book, Richard Sennett discusses why this has happened and what might be done about it.