Culture Wars in American Politics and Media

general courses

Classroom

According to Prof. J. D. Hunter (1991), the striking polarization in contemporary American society takes a form of „culture wars” between the cultural right (conservatives, traditionalists) and the cultural left (liberals, secular progressives). The fundamental ideological and axiological divisions have become more important than those based on strictly religious or political affiliation, social class, economic status or ethnicity.

The course will introduce students into the concept of culture wars, its origins and exemplifications. J.D. Hunter’s conception will be presented and thoroughly discussed, together with a number of key divisive issues, polarizing American society (status of moral values, relations between church and state, abortion, homosexuality, gun control, evolution vs. creationism, climate change, etc.). The main ideologues and “culture warriors” will be identified and characterized. Critical approaches to culture war model will be also discussed.

The concept of culture wars has been used in Europe, in a variety of meanings, since late 19th century, even though some instances of the phenomenon can be traced back to ancient times. Its more recent use is associated with James Davison Hunter’s (1991) interpretation of the striking axiological and ideological polarization of the American society. According to him, in contemporary American society the fundamental ideological and axiological divisions have become more important than those based on strictly religious or political affiliation, social class, economic status or ethnicity. The polarization led to formation of two major ideological “camps”, struggling with each other: the cultural right (conservatives, traditionalists) and the cultural left (liberals, secular progressives).

In the last twenty years, Hunter’s model of the culture wars attracted considerable attention, especially among activists and journalists (usually on the right side), and, to some extent, also sociologists and political scientists. Theoretical adequacy and explanatory advantages of this model remain a highly contested matter (A. Wolfe, 2006, I. T. Thomson, 2010), but the phenomenon of culture wars keeps manifesting itself in various forms, on daily basis, in American social life, politics and media.

The course will introduce students into the concept of culture wars, its origins and exemplifications. J.D. Hunter’s conception will be presented and thoroughly discussed, together with a number of key divisive issues, polarizing contemporary American society (as status of moral values, relations between church and state, abortion, homosexuality, gun control, evolution vs. creationism, climate change, etc.). We will identify and characterize the main figures and personalities involved in these struggles in American culture, public discourse and the media (B. O’Reilly, G. Beck, M. Moore, J. Stewart, etc.). Critical approaches to culture war model will be also discussed.

Classes:

WEEK ONE: Organization of the course. Introduction: why culture wars matters? Clarification of the key terms. Origins of the concept.

WEEK TWO: The historical roots and axiological/ideological premises of deepening polarization, the role of religious differences and conflicts in the US.

WEEK THREE: 1960s and 1970s: The New Left, the counterculture and the neoconservative reaction. Between culture and politics – evolution of “the political”. Conservative revival in politics and media. The rise of Christian Right.

WEEK FOUR: J. D. Hunter’s model of culture wars (1991).

WEEK FIVE: Going beyond Hunter’s explanations – clarification of the main notions: what is the right and the left in the political sense? The meaning of liberalism, conservatism, fundamentalism, pluralism, progressivism, secularism, relativism in the American context.

WEEK SIX: Divisive issues - status of moral values, the role of religion.

WEEK SEVEN: Mid-term exam. Divisive issues - abortion, gay rights.

WEEK EIGHT: Divisive issues - gun control, creationism vs. evolution, climate change.

WEEK NINE: Divisive issues - education, freedom of speech, political correctness, media.

WEEK TEN: Who is who in culture wars? Characterization of the main ideologues and “warriors”.

WEEK ELEVEN: Political meaning and importance of culture wars – threat to democracy or rather the essence of it?

WEEK TWELVE: International dimension of culture wars – how they correspond with the supposed clash of civilizations (as understood by S. Huntington)? Culture wars in the era of globalization. The challenge of terrorism – what has changed after 9/11?

WEEK THIRTEEN: Critique of the culture wars conception. Is the model applicable outside of the US?

WEEK FOURTEEN: Summary and a final exam.

Reading (selected chapters):

J. D. Hunter, Culture Wars. The Struggle do Define America. Making sense of the battles over the family, art, education, law, and politics, Basic Books, New York 1991.

J.D. Hunter, A. Wolfe, Is There a Culture War? A Dialogue on Values and American Public Life, Brookings Institutions Press, Washington D.C. 2006.

M.P. Fiorina, S.J. Abrams, J. C. Pope, Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America, Pearson Education, New York 2006.

B. O’Reilly, Culture Warrior, Broadway Books, Ney York 2006.

Ph. E. Devine, Human Diversity and the Culture Wars: A Philosophical Perspective on Contemporary Cultural Conflict, Praeger Publishers, 1996.

J. Rabkin, A Supreme Court in the Culture Wars, Public Interest, No. 125, Fall 1996.

J. Nuechterlein, Culture War No More? First Things, A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, October 1999.

D. Rieff, Therapy or Democracy? The Culture Wars Twenty Years On, World Policy Journal, Vol. 15, 1998.

R. H. Williams, Is America in a Culture War? Yes - No - Sort Of, The Christian Century, Vol. 114, November 12, 1997.

S. Fields, Culture Wars and Terrorism, The Washington Times, November 12, 2001.

D. S. Browning, B. J. Miller-McLemore, P. D. Couture, K. B. Lyon, R. M. Franklin, From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate, Westminster John Knox Press, 1997, p.p. 50-72.

D. L. Eck, What is Pluralism? (2006), From Diversity to Pluralism, in: On Common Ground: World Religions in America, 1997 (Revised 2006) - The Pluralism Project, Harvard University

The reading list will be supplemented shortly before the beginning of the course – it will include current relevant publications.

Most texts will be e-mailed to students in electronic form.

1. Knowledge

Upon completing this course a student:

a) has in-depth knowledge of the significance and exemplifications of axiological conflicts in contemporary American society,

b) understands historical origins and the religious background of these conflicts,

c) defines key concepts and notions related to the culture wars conception.

2. Skills:

Upon completing this course a student:

a) is able to identify and characterize the main divisive issues in American culture wars,

b) recognizes and understands the importance of culture wars in the wider context of American democracy and electoral politics,

c) identifies and recognizes main representatives/activists in American culture wars,

d) is able to asses the applicability of culture wars model in other societies.

3. Competences:

Upon completing this course a student:

a) understands the importance of axiological divisions in contemporary America,

b) is able to formulate his/her own opinion on the main divisive issues in the culture conflict in the USA,

c) helps others in interpreting axiological conflicts and in finding constructive resolutions.

Assessment:

1. Regular attendance. Two absences are allowed without consequences. In case of greater number of absences, some additional reading or an extra assignment paper may be required.

2. Active participation in class discussions, based first of all on assigned reading.

3. Mid-term written examination (class essay).

4. Final written examination (class essay).

(6.) Optional class presentation. (Limited number of topics for class presentations will be available. These presentations are voluntary, recommended for students who are particularly interested in a given topic and would like to increase their chances of getting best final grade possible.

Grade distribution (approximately):

Attendance, participation in class discussions: 35%

Mid-term examination: 20%

Final examination: 45%

In order to complete the course, student needs to receive at least a passing grade (“3”) from the final exam.