Unity?

Wayne Baker, author of the new book America's Crisis of Values, is quoted in a Detroit Free Press article as saying: "I believe that this culture war is a myth in this country... We think we're divided -- and we're really not."

It's a question I've been pondering: If the United States is united, if Americans share the same core values of freedom, equality, justice, community, etc., why do we sense that we are deeply divided? Is it possible that the divisions we sense are not the ones we think? Is it possible that we are divided not by our values nor by our religious beliefs nor by our politics? Is it possible that the divisions we see (i.e., pro-choice vs. anti-abortion, fundamentalist vs. mainstream, science vs. religion, conservative vs. progressive, red state vs. blue state) are less divisions than they are symptoms of change?

David Crumm's article continues:

So what is causing that uncomfortable mix of feelings that might express itself as anxiety or fear or anger?

Baker said that, while an overwhelming number of Americans believe in God and patriotism and strong families, our culture is changing in one important way: It's moving further toward what he calls a culture of self-expression.

That's a phrase he uses to describe a whole cluster of values that encourage not only individual self-expression, but also political activism and a search for deeper meaning in a person's life. It's the common experience in so many of our lives in which we find ourselves struggling to come to grips with the rapid changes in global culture.

Think about it this way, Baker said: "Here we are as this country with very strong traditional values about religion and moral authority -- and yet, at the same time, we're affirming more and more that we should feel free to make our own choices and express ourselves. Well, there's a real tension building up there, and I think that's what many Americans are feeling."

There is a part of our population who are experiencing a strong pull backward--a stubborn, nostalgic, and anxious resistance to change that has grown more resistant as the pace of cultural change has accelerated. There is another part of our population--arguably a majority--who are experiencing the same anxiety but also recognize the rewards that change brings in terms of global interconnectedness, cultural inclusiveness, and personal freedoms.

We confuse the concrete with the abstract, the symptom with the source. We confuse the fearful pull backward with this or that vocal religious sect or political ideology to which the vocal people adhere. And we progressives do damage to our own ability to persuade and progress when we debate the merits of the symptoms instead of dealing with the source: the anxiety that arises when people feel they will suffer a traumatic and profound loss if they let go and stop trying to hold onto the past.

We need not agree, but I believe that we must understand. The harder we fight and the louder we yell, the stronger the resistance will become.

Note: The World Values Survey website has a fascinating map that shows the world's countries on a values grid. It's a great visual tool for understanding Baker's thesis. Click on "Introduction to World Values Survey" on their home page.

Posted by Elissa Bishop-Becker at January 30, 2005 5:23 PM | TrackBack