Ancestors, Avotaynu, Roots: An Inquiry into American Genealogy Discourse

Abstract

The monograph is an inquiry into the genealogical assumption, the cultural notion that "who you are" is tied to who your ancestors were and that genealogy and family history will provide knowledge of that bond. The assumption is problematized by an examination of American genealogy discourse during two broad periods of heightened interest in ancestry: from the 1890s through 1930s and from the late 1960s through the present. The material is organized into six case studies of genealogy discourse, which are interpreted through textual and historical analysis. When the various formulations of the assumption uncovered in the case studies are placed side-by-side, the genealogical assumption is "opened-up" and its surface essentialism is brought into question as differing interpretations are exposed. The study concludes that the genealogical assumption is neither a completely satisfactory nor unsatisfactory way to articulate the consequences of social bonds between a person and his or her ancestors.