America"s Crisis of Values (ebook)

Argumento de America"s Crisis of Values (ebook)

"This is an indispensable book to understanding the transformation of American culture on the basis of solid evidence and rigorous methodology. It demonstrates the usefulness of social science to clarify the fundamental debates, which have been obscured by ideology and prejudice. It should be required reading in universities around the world."--Manuel Castells, Professor of Communication and Wallis Annenberg Chair in Communication Technology and Society, University of Southern California

"This is by far the most complete and comprehensive empirical examination of the topic. A significant contribution to the field."--John H. Evans, University of California, San Diego

"America's Crisis of Values is the most sophisticated account we have of opinion and value polarization in cross-national perspective. Clear, accessible, and loaded with evidence, it makes a uniquely valuable contribution by placing the U.S. case in a much broader context; distinguishing polarization of values from polarization of policy preferences (and demonstrating how surprisingly weak is the link between the two); and by showing where each has been growing or declining around the world. This book is required reading for any social scientist concerned with the "culture wasr" and the issues surrounding themt."--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University

"Amid continuing speculation about culture wars and an erosion of traditional values, Wayne Baker has produced a valuable study grounded in an extensive examination of empirical data. Optimists and pessimists alike should read this book carefully--for both will find surprises that challenge their preconceived ideas."--Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University

"Wayne E. Baker tries to explain why a gap has opened between the public perception that the U.S. is sharply divided and the empirical reality that it is not. . . . America's Crisis of Values is an important book that ought to be included in any seminar designed to provide background reading for our elected politicians."--Alan Wolfe, Christian Century

[A] deeply provocative book. It raises many questions for further investigation, and it will reward careful study."--Barry Schwartz, American Journal of Sociology

"Wayne Baker has produced a thoughtful and engaging work. Scholars interested in public opinion, values, and the discourse surrounding the culture wars in the United States should read America's Crisis of Values."--James A. McCann, Perspectives on Politics

"Is America experiencing a crisis of values, as popular media and politics claim? In a word: no. Wayne Baker . . . give[s] the most comprehensive empirical analysis of the topic to date."--Contemporary Sociology

"Anyone concerned about American values in the larger world will be impressed by the elegance and clarity with which Baker treats this complex subject."--Choice

"[T]he arrival of Wayne Baker's important book . . . is a welcome development. . . . By Baker's account, the perceived crisis of values is unlikely to disappear any time soon. One can only hope that pundits and politicians will take some time off from waging culture war to read America's Crisis of Values."--David Callahan, Political Science Quarterly0List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xv

Chapter One: A Question of Values 1
The Widespread Perception of Crisis 2
Three Ways to Think About a Crisis of Values--Loss, Unfavorable Comparison, and Division 6
Threats to America as an Imagined Community 10
Conclusion 13

Chapter Two: America's Values in Global Context 17
Two Dimensions of Cultural Variation and Change 18
Global Cultural Maps 22
Loss of Traditional Values 35
Unfavorable Comparisons with Other Societies 38
Why Have Some Values Changed and Others Stayed the Same? 42
Conclusion 61

Chapter Three: Culture War 64
The Culture War Thesis 65
The Polarization of Americans 73
Linkage of the Hierarchy of Beliefs 85
The Connection between Social Capital and Moral Visions 95
Is There an American Culture War--Could There Be? 103
Conclusion 107

Chapter Four: Dynamics of Crisis 110
Tides of American History 112
An Interpretation of the Dynamics of Crisis 134
Conclusion 156

Chapter Five: The Search for Meaning 159
Mixed Systems, Cultural Contradictions, and Cognitive Dissonance 161
Rising Spirituality and the "New Age" 166
The Special Role of Absolutism in America 173
An Integration of Opposites 180
Summary of Key Findings 183

Appendix A: World Values Surveys 189
Appendix B: Statistical Tables 197

Notes 251
Index 299