Entertainers or athletes? Leaders or losers? Cheerleaders, numbering 3.8 million in the United States alone, are part of everyone's school memories. Looking beyond the poms and megaphones, Cheerleader! An American Icon explores how the sport reflects our shifting beliefs about athletics, entertainment, gender, and national identity. Natalie Guice Adams and Pamela J. Bettis trace cheerleading's history, from its inception 135 years ago as a male leadership activity, through the sassy era epitomized by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, to its current incarnation as a physically demanding sport. Integrating history, pop culture, and interviews with participants of all ages and even those in the business, Adams and Bettis simultaneously celebrate cheering and provide critical analysis as well. Cheerleader!: An American Icon is a poignant, hilarious, powerful, and revealing look at a perennially popular activity.

This collection of state of the art interpretations of the thought of René Girard follows on from the volume Violence, Desire, and the Sacred: Girard's Mimetic Theory Across the Disciplines (2012). The previous collection has been acclaimed for demonstrating and showcasing Girard's mimetic theory at its inter-disciplinary best by bringing together scholars who apply Girard's insights in different fields. This new volume builds on and extends the work of that earlier collection by moving into new areas such as psychology, politics, classical literature, national literature, and practical applications of Girard's theory in pastoral/spiritual care, peace-making and religious thought and practice.

Provides practical help for the day-to-day concerns that keep managers awake at night. This book aims to fill the gap between the legal and policy issues that are the mainstay of human resources and supervision courses and the real-world needs of managers as they attempt to cope with the human side of their jobs.

It’s not just about cheering anymore. Since the early 1900s, cheerleaders have revved up crowds at pep rallies and sporting events. Today, cheerleaders also do something else – they cheer for trophies! With a mix of gymnastics, stunts, and spirit, competitive cheerleading is one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports out there. Whether it’s cheering for the home team or for the national title, cheerleaders are leading the way! Girls Play to Win highlights the trials and triumphs of women in sports. Topics include the sports history, rules, equipment, and key training skills. Enthusiasts will also learn more about the personalities and game-changers that contributed to their sport's development. Filled with fantastic action photos, this series gives young women the information they need to take their game to the next level. Library Media Connection's Editor's Choice

What are the components of youth cultures today? This encyclopedia examines the facets of youth cultures and brings them to the forefront. Although issues of youth culture are frequently cited in classrooms and public forums, most encyclopedias of childhood and youth are devoted to history, human development, and society. A limitation on the reference bookshelf is the restriction of youth to pre-adolescence, although issues of youth continue into young adulthood. This encyclopedia addresses an academic audience of professors and students in childhood studies, American studies, and culture studies. The authors span disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, history, and folklore. The Encyclopedia of Youth Cultures in America addresses a need for historical, social, and cultural information on a wide array of youth groups. Such a reference work serves as a corrective to the narrow public view that young people are part of an amalgamated youth group or occupy malicious gangs and satanic cults. Widespread reports of bullying, school violence, dominance of athletics over academics, and changing demographics in the United States has drawn renewed attention to the changing cultural landscape of youth in and out of school to explain social and psychological problems.

ntertainers, ditzes, or athletes? Cheerleaders: love them, hate them, hate to love them, they are part of everyone's school experiences and memories. Nearly four million cheer-leaders participate in competitions or lead cheers at sports events. Going beyond the poms and megaphones, Cheerleader! explores how cheerleading reflects our shifting beliefs about sports, entertainment, gender, and national identity. Adams and Bettis trace cheerleading's history, from its beginnings 135 years ago as a male leadership activity, through the sexual and sassy era epitomized by the Dallas Cow-boy Cheerleaders, to its current incarnation as a physically demanding sport. Integra-ting history, pop culture, and inter-views with cheerleaders of all ages and those in the cheer-leading business, Adams and Bettis simultaneously celebrate cheer-leading and provide a critical analysis of this perennially popular activity.