The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870-1940

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.

Author: Jeremy C. Young
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 07/04/2019
Pages: 355
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.79d
ISBN: 9781107535152

About the Author
Young, Jeremy C.: - Jeremy C. Young is an assistant professor of history at Dixie State University, Utah. His writing has appeared in the Journal of Social History, the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Forest History Today, and a dozen newspapers including the Chicago Sun-Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Seattle Times.

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