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The Heroic Shift: Emergence of the Collective as 21st-Century Hero by Priscilla Hobbs at Abbey's Bookshop,
The Heroic Shift: Emergence of the Collective as 21st-Century Hero
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Priscilla Hobbs Rebekah Lovejoy

The Heroic Shift

Emergence of the Collective as 21st-Century Hero

Priscilla Hobbs,  Rebekah Lovejoy

$180

Hardback

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English
Rowman & Littlefield
05 February 2026
Literary theory; Popular culture; Folklore, myths & legends; Analytical & Jungian psychology
During the 21st century, the collective hero has emerged as the defining archetype in media, reflecting shifts in global society and the necessity of cultural evolution.

Moving beyond the individualistic hero of Western myth, Priscilla Hobbs and Rebekah Lovejoy draw on contemporary popular culture and media to explore the challenges of today's world and propose a new heroic model characterized by thematic and ethical cores of collaboration and balance.

Hobbs and Lovejoy present the collective hero as a dynamic and diverse group where individual identities intersect, adapt, and contribute to a greater purpose. By engaging with and considering contemporary texts like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars, and Star Trek alongside historic movements and trends including the Civil Rights Movement, Woodstock, and Beatlemania, the authors analyze how collective heroes function both narratively and in reality. These examples demonstrate how archetypes are constructed within groups and how those groups mirror the complexity of real-world social dynamics.

Ultimately, the authors assert that collective heroism is not utopian fantasy, but a necessary cultural evolution for navigating social complexity, building resilient communities, and envisioning more democratic, pluralistic, and environmentally conscious futures.
By:   ,
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 229mm,  Width: 152mm, 
ISBN:   9781666951233
ISBN 10:   1666951234
Pages:   232
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Authors’ Note Introduction: The Multiverse and Collective Heroes 1. Deconstruction 2. Collective 3. Gender Expansive 4. Balance Conclusion Appendix: Select Media Researched for this Project Bibliography About the Authors Index

Priscilla Hobbs is Senior Associate Dean at Southern New Hampshire University, USA. Rebekah Lovejoy is an independent scholar and licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in LGBTQ+, women’s issues, and neurodivergent affirming care in the United States. She is also a writer, educator, and artist.

Reviews for The Heroic Shift: Emergence of the Collective as 21st-Century Hero

This ground-breaking work traces the evolution of heroic storytelling from folklore and fairytales to blockbuster contemporary franchises, highlighting where Campbell’s model falters in capturing the spirit of twenty-first-century narratives. Through an insightful exploration of ensemble protagonists, gender-expansive characters, and the pursuit of balance over conquest, the book introduces a new framework for understanding the heroes shaping our contemporary cultural landscape. From the reclamation of witches to the rise of communities as protagonists, this study reveals how popular culture is rewriting the mythic script, and what this means for our shared future. Both a deconstruction of old paradigms and a vision for new ones, this is an updated guide for readers, creators, and scholars seeking to understand the collective heroes who are transforming the stories we tell. * Lucía Bausela Buccianti, Lecturer of English, University of Salamanca, Spain *


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