TY - JOUR AU - Tepper, Steven J. PY - 2010/04/26 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - CULTURE WARS: THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF AMERICA’S "HOT BUTTON" ISSUES JF - TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology JA - TRAILS VL - IS - SE - DO - UR - https://trails.asanet.org/article/view/culture-wars-the-political-and-social-dimensions-of SP - AB - In recent years, many scholars, political analysts, and pundits have proclaimed that America is being torn asunder by a culture war. These voices worry that the American ideal – E Pluribus Unum, Out of Many, One – is becoming untenable in large part because we are divided, like never before, over cultural and moral issues. The dividing line is supposedly between people who hold conservative, traditional or orthodox beliefs, and those who hold liberal, progressive, secular and humanistic ideals. The field of battle involves issues over gay rights, abortion, prayer in school, sex education, affirmative action, women’s rights, evolution and creationism, pornography, arts funding, college curricula, history books and exhibits, flags, music, and other symbols that seem to resonate deeply with many citizens. What is at stake, according to many, are radically different visions of what American society should be like. ER -