Transcript Political Culture Socratic Seminarx

Unit III
Socratic Seminar
S
Democracy in America
Democracy in America
S America is a unique exceptional nation. Very different than
Europe.
S All men were equal, without rank…had the ability to grow…land
is the great equalizer. Boundless potential.
S “The political consequences of such a social condition as this are
easily deductible. It is impossible to believe that equality will not
eventually find its way into the political world as it does
everywhere else. To conceive of men remaining for ever unequal
upon a single point, yet equal on all others, is impossible; they
must come in the end to be equal upon all.”
Habits of the Heart
Habits of the Heart
S “Individualism lies at the very core of American culture.”
S Perfect symbol is the cowboy – “…he can never fully belong
to society. His destiny is to defend it without ever really
joining it….The cowboy can be valuable to society only
because he is a completely autonomous individual who
stands outside it.”
S Individualism cannot exist without being balanced by a
sense of community
Habits of the Heart
S Connection to two real world examples:
1.
Most Americans believe that it is the duty of individuals to
make it (economically) in the world. That is why it is
difficult to pass social programs for the unemployed, poor,
indigent, and neglected in society.
2.
Communities dying as Americans pursue individual
needs/wants at the expense of nurturing their towns.
Bowling Alone
Bowling Alone
S https://youtu.be/NCqFZE1-amI
S Social capital: social ties that link/hold communities
together. These ties create trust.
S According to Putnam, social capital is declining. People
“Bowl Alone”….kids play on video games by
themselves….parents don’t bond. Society is not
strengthened…
Bowling Alone
S Who cares? So what? Is this a danger to our democracy?
S Civil society declines when social capital declines. People
are less engaged in civic activities in civic society.
S “Dense networks of interaction probably broaden the
participants sense of self, developing the “I” into the “we””
S Less opportunism
Culture Wars
The Enduring Culture War
S Americans are not just fighting about political ideologies.
Issues such as abortion, education, history represent a fight
over “competing moral ideals as to how public life ought to
be ordered and maintained.”
S Traditionalist/orthodox vs Progressive
S School reforms in North Carolina were scuttled because
Christian group said they promoted secular humanism
The Enduring Culture War
S Over and over we see issues seen through the lens of the
culture wars
S Examples: fight over AP US History last year
S Example: Trump claims of “political correctness” when it
comes to Muslims, women, transgender, etc