I'm sure that you've been noticing that on just about any issue of substance Americans have become deeply divided in the past few decades and conversations have become more contentious and hostile. More frustrating. More how can they not see what is so obvious. You may have wondered how these divides can happen between citizens of one nation.
Colin Woodard, author of Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America, seriously questions the one nation premise. He reminds us that America was initially colonized by quite diverse groups from a number of nations. The settlers didn't homogenize as the melting pot theory suggests. Rather the differences in beliefs and behaviors widened, entrenching distrust and division between groups. This gets us to the predicament we're in today. In his first chapter Woodard gives a detailed analysis of the groups and the differences between them. Most of the book is concerned with the impact of those cultural divides on today's hot button issues. The final chapter is about potential ways to pull the nation together.
"THE INDIVIDUALISTIC WORLDVIEW is poorly suited to collective action problems, such as confronting and containing a deadly airborne virus. During the terrifying first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, regional differences--and the abdication of federal leadership by then President Trump--made the United States ground zero for the global crisis, as elected officials and large numbers of citizens across the aggressively libertarian regions mobilized not against the deadly virus but against public health measures meant to contain it."
One of the differences between the "nations" is that between those with individualistic and communitarian orientations. In chapter three Woodard compares the effects of these orientations on reactions to a crisis we all remember vividly and visceraly. States with communitarian orientations mandated public health measures such as masking and sheltering in place while states with the individualistic orientations went in the opposite direction.
Woodard analyzes regional differences concerning our most volatile hot button issues: gun control, health and survival, war, immigration, abortion, climate, and authoritarianism vs democracy. Every one is thoroughly researched and nuanced with plenty of statistics and the visuals that bring them to life.
I really like Nations Apart. It makes sense. It doesn't demonize one "side" while touting the other as salvation. And Woodard has a lot of good ideas. If, like me, you're concerned about the polarization of today's America you'd do well to check the book out.
If you like Woodard's writing you're in luck. He has six other books in print.
On a purrrsonal note, Sunday morning Eugene and I took off for an overnight at camp. We spent a lot of time with the Browns at their camp across the road. Richard Brown and Eugene have been besties like forever. We got together in the morning and then for dinner and a campfire. Eugene who usually sacks out at 9:00 if he doesn't have to plow snow has now, counting the fireworks, stayed up until 10:30 two nights! May wonders never cease!!!
A great big shout out goes out to our good friends, the Browns.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my Galaxy
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