April 14, 2003
Publications
New books by G. William Domhoff reflect range of interests and expertise
Research professor G. William Domhoff retired in 1994, but he doesn’t
seem to know the meaning of the word. Domhoff has authored three new books
that reflect his ongoing involvement in the fields of sociology and psychology.
The books span the range of Domhoff’s interests, covering dreams, social change, and African Americans in the mostly white establishment.
- The Scientific
Study of Dreams (Washington, D.C.: American Psychological
Association Press, 2002) presents Domhoff’s provocative neurocognitive
model of dreams that draws on empirical research to explain the process
of dreaming and the nature of dream content. Domhoff is at the forefront
of recent efforts to revitalize dream research and is a leading advocate
of the application of scientific methods to the study of dreams. His
work incorporates neuroscience, dream content analysis, cognitive linguistics,
and statistics to explore the neural and cognitive bases for dreaming,
examine how dreams express conceptions and concerns, and confront the
limits of understanding dream content. The Scientific Study of Dreams
has been hailed as a work that "will have a lasting impact on the
continuing debate over the meaning of dreams." The web site includes
an annotated table of contents and the first chapter of the book.
- Changing the Powers That Be: How the Left Can Stop Losing and
Win (Lanham, Md.: Rowman
& Littlefield, 2003) is a timely analysis of the failures of
the left’s political strategies. Domhoff discusses the failure
of campaigns by Ralph Nader and other third-party progressives and presents
a new way for progressives to enter the political arena without compromising
their values. Domhoff makes a case for greater freedom and fairness
through "planning through the market" rather than centrally
planned economies, and he discusses more inclusive ways progressives
can redefine who is "us" and who is "them" to allow
people across the class spectrum to support a renewed egalitarian vision.
- Blacks in the White Elite: Will the Progress Continue? (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003) is an extensively revised edition of the book Blacks in the White Establishment?, which was published 15 years ago. Also coauthored by Richard L. Zweigenhaft, this new book updates the life stories of African Americans profiled in the first edition and brings home the impact of national policy issues and debates on race and class in America. The book examines the lives of people whose opportunities were shaped by a national educational opportunity program that provided scholarships for disadvantaged people of color to attend the same elite boarding schools that educate the children of wealthy white Americans. The new book follows these individuals into middle age, expands coverage of their careers, and adds a new chapter on their children's education and early careers.
