Suchergebnisse

Who am I? The question today haunts every society in the Western world. Legions of people--especially the young--have become unmoored from a firm sense of self. To compensate, they join the ranks of ideological tribes spawned by identity politics and react with frenzy against any perceived threat to their group. As identitarians track and expose the ideologically impure, other citizens face the consequences of their rancor: a litany of "isms" run amok across all levels of cultural life; the free marketplace of ideas muted by agendas shouted through megaphones; and a spirit of general goodwill warped into a state of perpetual outrage. How did we get here? Why have we divided against one another so bitterly? In Primal Screams, acclaimed cultural critic Mary Eberstadt presents the most provocative and original theory to come along in recent years. The rise of identity politics, she argues, is a direct result of the fallout of the sexual revolution, especially the collapse and shrinkage of the family. As Eberstadt illustrates, humans from time immemorial have forged their identities within the structure of kinship. The extended family, in a real sense, is the first tribe and first teacher. But with its unprecedented decline across a variety of measures, generations of people have been set adrift and can no longer answer the question Who am I? with reference to primordial ties. Desperate for solidarity and connection, they claim membership in politicized groups whose displays of frantic irrationalism amount to primal screams for familial and communal loss. Written in her impeccable style and with empathy rarely encountered in today's divisive discourse, Eberstadt's theory holds immense explanatory power that no serious citizen can afford to ignore. The book concludes with three incisive essays by Rod Dreher, Mark Lilla, and Peter Thiel, each sharing their perspective on the author's formidable argument

If it's true that by age 50 we all get the faces we deserve, it is also true that no such grimly satisfying rule applies to biography. There and there alone does the hapless subject, living or dead, remain uniquely at the mercy of whoever chooses to tell his tale and hence uniquely at the mercy of the biographer's motivations, high and low. Some such storytellers, for example, strive to elevate themselves by throwing great men and women down (a genre that Joyce Carol Oates has dubbed 'pathography'). Others, such as those specializing in celebrity tell-alls, sort the dirty laundry of their subjects for more straightforward reasons: to pay their own rent. Then there are the closet narcissists who thrash out their own selves between the lines of the stories of others as when melancholics are drawn to interpreting the life of Lincoln, say, or professional political enemies to rewriting the lives of their adversaries. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses the clash between motherhood & soldiering present since the US passed a law allowing women with dependent children to enlist in the military, using the case of Army Specialist Alexis Hutchinson to illustrate. At issue is why the US military is allowed to engage in a "morally questionable" policy of recruiting mothers or soon-to-be mothers. It is contended that this practice exists as a function of US cultural values & because the military as well as political leaders have remained silent on the subject; further, there seems to be an activist & academic blindness to the moral distinction between women & mothers. Of particular interest is why progressives & conservatives bear responsibility for the fate of military mothers as represented by Hutchinson's story. Attention is given to some of the empirical evidence indicating the impact of military service on mothers & their children, & to the tricky issue of distinguishing women service members with children from those without them. D. Edelman

Compares the consumption of tobacco a half century ago to that of pornography currently. Discussion begins with a look at how the social consensus on smoking & pornography has changed between 1958 & now. At issue is that, while tobacco & pornography are indeed different, they play similar social roles. This is discussed in terms of harm, consumption, corporate dimensions, & politics. D. Edelman

After affirming the fundamental link between food & sex & the traditional need for rules governing access to them, contemplated is the near total freedom to have either, at least in theory & at least in advanced countries. It is argued that what is occurring runs counter to what might be expected, referring to it as mindful eating & mindless sex. Expansion in access to food & sex is attributed to technological advance & the diminishment of religious prohibitions. The change in how people approach food & sex is illustrated with the example of a hypothetical 30-year-old housewife from 1958 compared to her 30-year-old granddaughter, positioning the latter in the Kantian definition of the Categorical Imperative when it comes to food & the former in the same when it comes to sex; ie, the 1958 housewife considers food a matter of taste, whereas sex is governed by universal moral law, while the granddaughters convictions are exactly reversed. Why this infusion of morality into food codes & away from sex codes, has occurred is explored, pondering what has become of sex if food is indeed the new sex, suggesting that while consumption of food may have become more discriminate & thoughtful, consumption of sex has become more indiscriminate & unthinking. What it means for a civilization that is puritanical about food & licentious about sex is touched on in closing. D. Edelman

Questions the generally accepted narrative of European secularization to argue that the Nietzchean view is a defective explanation. Analysis of social evidence indicates that the notion that European Christians stopped having families after they became secular is a backwards logic. Rather, the fundamental change in family formation is at least partly responsible for changes in religious belief. Thus, the natural family is the conveyor of religion - not the prophets or philosophers. The conventional story of secularization misses the point when it speaks to atomized individuals & makes no reference to the totality of a family & children that is the source of many people's deepest opinions. References. J. Harwell

Argues that the preponderance of charges that the US political leadership is in denial over an array of issues points to an underlying truth about a disconnect between some political ideas & reality. In this light, attention is given to post-9/11 intellectual & political currents, discerning the creation of political scapegoats: immigrants, US Christian fundamentalists, George W. Bush, European Islamism, & the US. Adapted from the source document.

Explores why contemporary popular music resonates so powerfully with adolescents. The lyrics of various rock & hip-hop musicians are drawn on to shed light on the themes of abandonment that drive their songs, which focus on divorce & broken homes. Particular attention is given to the work of Eminem & his take on rage against irresponsible parents. It is argued that yesteryear's rock & roll rebelled against parents who were entirely too present as authority figures, while contemporary pop music rails against parents who do not nurture, are inattentive, or absent. Adapted from the source document.

Examines the social & economic impact of the child-fat problem in the US. After looking at some of the popular explanations as to why many US children are fat, it is argued that the real reason is absentee parents, particularly working mothers. In this light, attention is given to the correlation between child fat & television watching, breast-feeding, & exercise & how a mother's presence is a key factor in a child's nutritious diet & healthy lifestyle. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses effects of divorce, single parenting, working mothers, and contemporary home life on children and youth; relates less time and attention from mothers to behavioral, health, and educational problems; US.

Examines the explosion in Ritalin consumption, a drug taken for attention deficit disorder, and the close similarity of the drug to cocaine; argues that ADD is normal childhood behavior; US.