The American Paradox
Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty
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- $29.99
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
For Americans entering the twenty-first century, it is the best of times and the worst of times. Material wealth is at record levels, yet disturbing social problems reflect a deep spiritual poverty. In this compelling book, well-known social psychologist David G. Myers asks how this paradox has come to be and, more important, how we can spark social renewal and dream a new American dream.
Myers explores the research on social ills from the 1960s through the 1990s and concludes that the materialism and radical individualism of this period have cost us dearly, imperiling our children, corroding general civility, and diminishing our happiness. However, in the voices of public figures and ordinary citizens he now hears a spirit of optimism. The national dialogue is shifting—away from the expansion of personal rights and toward enhancement of communal civility, away from efforts to raise self-esteem and toward attempts to arouse social responsibility, away from “whose values?” and toward “our values.” Myers analyzes in detail the research on educational and other programs that deal with social problems, explaining which seem to work and why. He then offers positive and well-reasoned advice, suggesting that a renewed social ecology for America will rest on policies that balance “me thinking” with “we thinking.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Echoing cultural critics of the 1950s, Hope College psychology professor Myers observes that America's economy is booming but our society is crumbling. Despite a high Standard & Poor's 500 rating and a low unemployment rate, America is, he argues, beset by problems, from increasing materialism to a climbing divorce rate. Myers calls for a renewal of society and an abandonment of consumerism and individualism; citing his own Christian faith, he points to religion as one possible antidote to many of society's ills. Myers is particularly passionate about marriage: rehearsing familiar statistics, he reminds us that people marry later and are more likely to divorce than in previous generations. He writes approvingly of innovative legislative attempts to make divorce less appealing, such as Louisiana's institution of covenant marriages, and cites studies that demonstrate that people who live together before getting married are more likely to divorce. Another bee in Myers's bonnet is individualism. He bemoans weakened "social connections": because of ATMs and drive-through lines at McDonald's, we have less eye-to-eye contact with other people than ever before. And we have no sense of community responsibility, he says, pointing out that, in 1994, Americans were 42% less likely to work for a political party or serve as an officer in a club than they were in 1973. Few readers will disagree with Myers's call for strong families and his denouncement of materialism, but many may wish for a more stimulating discussion as to how we can get from here to there.
