I) Culture war
James davison hunter, an American sociologist, popularised the term “culture wars” in his book of
the same name (its subtitle was “The Struggle to Define America”).
It appeared in 1991, during a period of heated disagreement over cultural and social issues. Although
Americans have become less religious => polarisation between conservatives and progressives on
issues such as abortion and sexual mores has increased.
However, it has become a highly effective political strategy using emotions and fears to Trump facts
and reasons => it helps mobilize people that helps pull people.
In fact : it is easier to spur anger and fear about cultural issues than to fix problems.
Intro : What was supposed to be a knife edge election was actually a sweeping electoral victory for
Trump => But Trump has not only won the election => he also won a culture war that started with
the rise of the Tea Party movement in 2009 and social media.
A) Polarization
Over the past 60 years America’s political parties have not only grown further apart racially;
they have also become angrier at each other.
In “American Rage”, a forthcoming book on the subject, Steven Webster, a political scientist at
Indiana University => finds that Americans’ ratings of the opposing party have dropped by roughly
40% since 1960.
He theorises that voters have been baited by the media and political leaders to view the
other side as fundamental threats to their livelihood => as a group to be detested, not to
work with.
Partisan Media
Le terme "Partisan Media" désigne des médias ou des plateformes d'information qui
adoptent une position clairement alignée avec un point de vue politique, idéologique ou
culturel particulier.
* Reinforcing existing beliefs: The rise of partisan media outlets and the proliferation of online echo
chambers has led to individuals being exposed primarily to information that confirms their existing
beliefs. This reinforces polarization by limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints.
* Tribalism: Partisan media often fosters a sense of tribalism => it can be defined as a social
phenomenon where individual identify strongly with their political group and view those from
opposing parties as opponents.
James davison hunter, an American sociologist, popularised the term “culture wars” in his book of
the same name (its subtitle was “The Struggle to Define America”).
It appeared in 1991, during a period of heated disagreement over cultural and social issues. Although
Americans have become less religious => polarisation between conservatives and progressives on
issues such as abortion and sexual mores has increased.
However, it has become a highly effective political strategy using emotions and fears to Trump facts
and reasons => it helps mobilize people that helps pull people.
In fact : it is easier to spur anger and fear about cultural issues than to fix problems.
Intro : What was supposed to be a knife edge election was actually a sweeping electoral victory for
Trump => But Trump has not only won the election => he also won a culture war that started with
the rise of the Tea Party movement in 2009 and social media.
A) Polarization
Over the past 60 years America’s political parties have not only grown further apart racially;
they have also become angrier at each other.
In “American Rage”, a forthcoming book on the subject, Steven Webster, a political scientist at
Indiana University => finds that Americans’ ratings of the opposing party have dropped by roughly
40% since 1960.
He theorises that voters have been baited by the media and political leaders to view the
other side as fundamental threats to their livelihood => as a group to be detested, not to
work with.
Partisan Media
Le terme "Partisan Media" désigne des médias ou des plateformes d'information qui
adoptent une position clairement alignée avec un point de vue politique, idéologique ou
culturel particulier.
* Reinforcing existing beliefs: The rise of partisan media outlets and the proliferation of online echo
chambers has led to individuals being exposed primarily to information that confirms their existing
beliefs. This reinforces polarization by limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints.
* Tribalism: Partisan media often fosters a sense of tribalism => it can be defined as a social
phenomenon where individual identify strongly with their political group and view those from
opposing parties as opponents.
