The Twilight of Social Conservatism : American Culture Wars in the Obama Era / John Dombrink.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dombrink, John, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christianity and culture--United States.

Christianity and culture.

Politics and culture--United States.

Politics and culture.

Conservatism--United States.

Conservatism.

Culture conflict--Unnited States.

Culture conflict.

Social values--United States.

Social values.

United States--Politics and government.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (264 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : New York University Press, [2015]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Despite many Americans’ triumphant proclamations that Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 elections signified a post-partisan, post-racial society, it seems that the United States is more divided than ever. From the rise of the Tea Party, to strident anti-immigration and anti-welfare movements, to the so-called “war on women”, the United States on its surface appears to be caught in the turmoil of a culture war that has not relented since the Reagan era. But, as John Dombrink writes in The Twilight of Social Conservatism, the conservative backlash seen during Obama’s presidency is indicative not of a rising social conservative force in society, but of a waning one.Drawing on demographic research, political polls, contemporary media, and internet commentary, Dombrink demonstrates that the vitality of major social conservative ideas from the culture war era has faded. Support for once-divisive wedge issues, like same-sex marriage and reproductive rights, has increased dramatically, and Americans, particularly young Americans, are less religious and more libertarian than ever before. As he traces the end of the culture wars and the “unwedging” of American politics over the last eight years, Dombrink is quick to caution that social conservatism has not disappeared entirely from view. Nevertheless, the once-prominent “Moral Majority” pushing for dominance in American culture is now reconsidering itself as a minority, and Dombrink argues that it is unlikely that social conservative forces will ever regain the power and potency they once held in American politics. A comprehensive and insightful work, The Twilight of Social Conservatism deftly analyzes the liberalizing trends that created the social and political culture America has today and that portend to the culture America will have in years to come.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Liberalization and Backlash in the Obama Era

2. Anger and Resentment Anew

3. Marriage Equality

4. After Falwell

5. “Vota Tus Valores”

6. Campaign 2012

7. Whither the Culture War?

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Jul 2020)

ISBN:

9780814771471

0814771475

9780814771365

081477136X

OCLC:

913743639