Professor Pens Book Examining Gender Studies and Pop Culture

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Professor Pens Book Examining Gender Studies and Pop Culture

Tuesday, January 19, 2021
newly cropped image of dice and poker chips

Raritan Valley Community College Professor of English Dr. Andrew Manno is the author of a new book, Toxic Masculinity, Casino Capitalism, and America's Favorite Card Game: The Poker Mindset, published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Dr. Manno’s intriguing critical study incorporates pop culture, gender studies, and cultural studies to examine what the game of poker reveals about ourselves and our culture.

In Toxic Masculinity, Casino Capitalism, and America's Favorite Card Game: The Poker Mindset, Dr. Manno shares important insights into the intersection of gaming, gender, and capitalism that illuminate how the shift to a casino capitalist economy—combined with a culture of toxic masculinity—impacts workers and how it has led to the rise of populism in the United States that manifested in the 2016 election of Donald Trump. The book ponders such questions as: Why has poker, a centuries-old American game, become so popular in the 21st Century? And what does the current interest in the game tell us about some of our most pressing social issues?

A resident of Somerville, Dr. Manno has been a faculty member at RVCC for more than 27 years. He teaches courses in writing, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Men and Masculinities. His research focuses on masculinities and popular culture.

Ranked by WalletHub.com and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute, and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2021

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #53