Culture Wars and Enduring American Dilemmas (Contemporary Political And Social Issues)

"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.

History

Thomson, Irene Taviss

Americas

The University of Michigan Press

"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 DiegoThe 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.

University of Michigan Press

In Conflict No Longer

Drawing on social-criticism, self-help manuals, and the social scientific analysis of American character, In Conflict No Longer examines American thinking about individualism, conformity, and community from 1920 through 1995. Taviss-Thomson's analysis reveals a basic shift in American culture: from a belief that the individual is necessarily in conflict with society and that the self chafes against the constraints imposed by society, to a belief that the self is expressed in the groups, relationships, and subcultures that help shape it. Taviss Thomson contends that this new model of a relational or "embedded" self arose because a weakening of traditional identities based on occupation, social class, gender and age permitted individuals more freedom to construct their own identities. As Americans increasingly abandon the traditional mythology of an individual struggling against social constraints, In Conflict No Longer forecasts a picture of American culture for the new millennium.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Drawing on social-criticism, self-help manuals, and the social scientific analysis of American character, In Conflict No Longer examines American thinking about individualism, conformity, and community from 1920 through 1995. Taviss-Thomson's analysis reveals a basic shift in American culture: from a belief that the individual is necessarily in conflict with society and that the self chafes against the constraints imposed by society, to a belief that the self is expressed in the groups, relationships, and subcultures that help shape it. Taviss Thomson contends that this new model of a relational or 'embedded' self arose because a weakening of traditional identities based on occupation, social class, gender and age permitted individuals more freedom to construct their own identities. As Americans increasingly abandon the traditional mythology of an individual struggling against social constraints, In Conflict No Longer forecasts a picture of American culture for the new millennium.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thomson, Irene Taviss. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Thomson, Irene Taviss

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thomson, Irene Taviss. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Culture Wars and Enduring American Dilemmas (Contemporary Political And Social Issues)

Culture Wars and Enduring American Dilemmas (Contemporary Political And Social Issues)

In Conflict No Longer

In Conflict No Longer