Book Review

Canada and the United States

Molly H. Mullin pursues several large subjects in this provocative monograph. First of all, she discusses rather extensively the now-familiar dichotomy between Matthew Arnold's elitist definition of culture and the "culture concept" of many modern social scientists. More specifically, Mullin also endeavors to examine "the social construction of value in relation to the patronage of American Indian art in New Mexico from the early twentieth century to the present day" (p. 3). In addition, the author comments on how taste, commodification, and consumption played notable roles in her complex story. Nor does she overlook the ways in which class and gender influenced the major topics she addresses. Finally, the author studies literary works by Willa Cather and Mary Austin, among others, "as strategic and partial representations—of people and places," and she is concerned with "how such works relate to practices of value construction and the formation of value-making institutions" (p. 7). To achieve these several large goals, Mullin, employing "an eclectic methodology," utilizes numerous secondary sources from anthropology, history, and literature.

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