Stigma Cities

“Stigma Cities sets an example for other scholars’ efforts to work effectively with popular-culture sources that help us to understand how images of cities are shaped, contested, manipulated, and changed.”—Eric Fure-Slocum, author of Contesting the Postwar City: Working-Class and Growth Politics in 1940s Milwaukee

“This is an excellent study that should prompt scholars to examine how other communities have dealt with their stigmas.” —Western Historical Quarterly
“Stigma Cities: The Reputation and History of Birmingham, San Francisco, and Las Vegas is a beautifully written, well-researched, and illuminating portrayal of the dynamic history of place stereotype and reputation.” —The AAG Review of Books
“By exploring how stigma imagery permeates the identities of some cities, this book invites us to think about other instances where similar stigmas exist.” —The Journal of American History
“The book is firmly rooted in comprehensive and useful theoretical framework provided by Foster’s deft explanation of complex sociological and psychological scholarship on the concept of stigma and process of stigmatization. Scholars of the urban South, the civil rights era, and public history will find this book especially illuminating.” —Journal of Southern History
“A vibrantly written, thoroughly researched, and highly readable work that will appeal to urban, historical, and cultural geographers, particularly those interested in the Southeastern and Western United States. Foster adds valuable perspective to explorations of place-based identity.” —Southeastern Geographer
“Foster’s work has broad applicability not only for urban scholars but also for urban planners, civic leaders, architects, and other practitioners in allied fields.” —Journal of Urban History