The public representation of culture and history - Introduction

This article introduces this issue of American Behavioral Scientist in seve ral ways: (a) It provides background information about the conference on wh ich the issue is based, (b) it provides an intellectual and historical cont ext for the idea of the public representation of culture and history in Ame rican society, (c) ii develops several substantive propositions (derived fr om different articles in the issue) dealing with factors that produce conte ntious conflicts over the public representation of culture and history, and (d) it summarizes the articles in the issue in the order that they appear.