Culture wars and enduring American dilemmas
Thomson, Irene Taviss, 1941-,
Culture wars and enduring American dilemmas [electronic resource] / Irene Taviss Thomson. - 1 online resource (270 pages). - Contemporary political and social issues . - Contemporary political and social issues. .
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-249) and index.
Culture wars and warring about culture -- Respect for religion but uncertainty about its role -- Moral but not moralistic -- Individualism but not to excess -- Pluralism within one culture -- Antielitist but respecting achievement -- Moderation, plain and simple -- Culture, class, and American exceptionalism.
"Irene Taviss Thomson gives us a nuanced portrait of American social politics that helps explain both why we are drawn to the idea of a 'culture war' and why that misrepresents what is actually going on."--Rhys H. Williams, Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago "An important work showing--beneath surface conflict--a deep consensus on a number of ideals by social elites."--John H. Evans, Department of Sociology, University of California, San Diego The idea of a culture war, or wars, has existed in America since the 1960s--an underlying ideological schism in our country that is responsible for the polarizing debates on everything from the separation of church and state, to abortion, to gay marriage, to affirmative action. Irene Taviss Thomson explores this notion by analyzing hundreds of articles addressing hot-button issues over two decades from four magazines: National Review, Time, The New Republic, and The Nation, as well as a wide array of other writings and statements from a substantial number of public intellectuals. What Thomson finds might surprise you: based on her research, there is no single cultural divide or cultural source that can account for the positions that have been adopted. While issues such as religion, homosexuality, sexual conduct, and abortion have figured prominently in public discussion, in fact there is no single thread that unifies responses to each of these cultural dilemmas for any of the writers. Irene Taviss Thomson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, having taught in the Department of Social Sciences and History at Fairleigh Dickinson University for more than 30 years. Previously, she taught in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University.
9780472022069 0472022067
9786612555923 9780472070886
255592 MIL 22573/ctt1djc12w JSTOR
2000-2099
Culture conflict--United States.
SOCIAL SCIENCE--Violence in Society.
Culture conflict.
Moral conditions.
Politics and government.
Social conditions.
SOCIAL SCIENCE / General
United States--Social conditions--21st century.
United States--Politics and government--21st century.
United States--Moral conditions.
United States.
Electronic books.
HN59.2 / .T525 2010eb
303.60973
Culture wars and enduring American dilemmas [electronic resource] / Irene Taviss Thomson. - 1 online resource (270 pages). - Contemporary political and social issues . - Contemporary political and social issues. .
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-249) and index.
Culture wars and warring about culture -- Respect for religion but uncertainty about its role -- Moral but not moralistic -- Individualism but not to excess -- Pluralism within one culture -- Antielitist but respecting achievement -- Moderation, plain and simple -- Culture, class, and American exceptionalism.
"Irene Taviss Thomson gives us a nuanced portrait of American social politics that helps explain both why we are drawn to the idea of a 'culture war' and why that misrepresents what is actually going on."--Rhys H. Williams, Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago "An important work showing--beneath surface conflict--a deep consensus on a number of ideals by social elites."--John H. Evans, Department of Sociology, University of California, San Diego The idea of a culture war, or wars, has existed in America since the 1960s--an underlying ideological schism in our country that is responsible for the polarizing debates on everything from the separation of church and state, to abortion, to gay marriage, to affirmative action. Irene Taviss Thomson explores this notion by analyzing hundreds of articles addressing hot-button issues over two decades from four magazines: National Review, Time, The New Republic, and The Nation, as well as a wide array of other writings and statements from a substantial number of public intellectuals. What Thomson finds might surprise you: based on her research, there is no single cultural divide or cultural source that can account for the positions that have been adopted. While issues such as religion, homosexuality, sexual conduct, and abortion have figured prominently in public discussion, in fact there is no single thread that unifies responses to each of these cultural dilemmas for any of the writers. Irene Taviss Thomson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, having taught in the Department of Social Sciences and History at Fairleigh Dickinson University for more than 30 years. Previously, she taught in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University.
9780472022069 0472022067
9786612555923 9780472070886
255592 MIL 22573/ctt1djc12w JSTOR
2000-2099
Culture conflict--United States.
SOCIAL SCIENCE--Violence in Society.
Culture conflict.
Moral conditions.
Politics and government.
Social conditions.
SOCIAL SCIENCE / General
United States--Social conditions--21st century.
United States--Politics and government--21st century.
United States--Moral conditions.
United States.
Electronic books.
HN59.2 / .T525 2010eb
303.60973