The Very Short Introductions Podcast The Ghetto – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 9
Nov 9, 2020
Bryan Cheyette, Chair in Modern Literature and Culture at the University of Reading, delves into the multifaceted concept of the ghetto. He explains its hard and soft definitions, tracks its historical origins back to the Venetian Ghetto, and discusses its evolution through 20th-century events like Nazi-era ghettos. Cheyette also examines the cultural imagination surrounding urban segregation, especially in the African-American community, and advocates for structural changes to abolish ghettos and promote social justice.
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Personal Family Connection
- Bryan Cheyette connects personally to the topic through his parents' origins in urban enclaves.
- He emphasizes both escaped and retained ties to those so-called ghettos.
Two Definitions Of Ghetto
- The ghetto has a 'hard' legal meaning and a 'soft' socio-economic meaning.
- The hard version implies compulsory segregation while the soft implies trapped poverty with possible escape.
Venice Origin Story
- Ghettos originated in 16th-century Italy, starting with Venice in 1516.
- The word evolved from a local place-name to a general term for enforced Jewish quarters.
