Democratic Culture and Moral Character : A Study in Culture and Personality

"· Illustrates the possibilities for Pragmatic Critical Theory · Describes the relevance of a psychodynamic perspective for the social sciences ·Shows what a return of Critical Theory to its social science roots can produce"-- "This book returns critical theory to its roots in both psychology and the social sciences. It shows some of the relationships between equality in a political and social sense and personal identity that either relates well to such equality, or rebels against it. All this reflects processes of social and cultural influence that involve not only random change but also processes of social and cultural evolution that themselves have effects regarding potentials for self-fulfillment and even public morality. This book provides a framework to help one study the interaction between individual aspirations and social opportunities. Jerome Braun, known for his writings in interdisciplinary social science, an approach he calls pragmatic critical theory, here provides a book that discusses issues relevant to the moral underpinnings of democratic society, including issues of social evolution and of culture and personality. This book will be of particular interest to scholars and students of Psychology (particularly in the areas of Political Psychology, Psychology of Personality and Cultural Psychology), Sociology (especially those interested in Sociology of Alienation and Sociology of Culture, as well as Historical Sociology, Political Sociology and Sociology of Mental Health), Anthropology (particularly in the areas of Psychological Anthropology and Political Anthropology), Cultural Studies, and Social Theory as well as Political Theory in general."-- Jerome Braun, known for his writings in interdisciplinary social science, an approach he calls pragmatic critical theory, here provides a book that discusses issues relevant to the moral underpinnings of democratic society, including issues of social evolution and of culture and personality. This book returns critical theory to its roots in both psychology and the social sciences. It shows some of the relationships between equality in a political and social sense and personal identity that either relates well to such equality, or rebels against it. All this reflects processes of social and cultural influence that involve not only random change but also processes of social and cultural evolution that themselves have effects regarding potentials for self-fulfillment and even public morality. This book provides a framework to help one study the interaction between individual aspirations and social opportunities. This book will be of particular interest to scholars and students of Psychology (particularly in the areas of Psychology of Personality and Cultural Psychology), Sociology (especially those interested in Sociology of Alienation and Sociology of Culture, as well as Sociology of Mental Health), Anthropology (particularly in the area of Psychological Anthropology), Cultural Studies, and Social Theory in general. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction to Democratic Culture and Moral Character: A Study in Culture and Personality....Pages 1-29 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Understanding Democracy as a Prerequisite for Spreading Democracy....Pages 33-41 The Faking of Charisma and Decadence: Cultural Decay Through the Ages....Pages 43-54 Modernity and Intimacy....Pages 55-68 How Nationalism is Similar to Juvenile Delinquency....Pages 69-85 Front Matter....Pages 87-87 Pragmatism as the Basis of American Culture in an Individualistic Society....Pages 89-101 Formal and Informal Uses of Law for Ensuring Political Freedom: A Short Cross-Cultural Comparison....Pages 103-110 Front Matter....Pages 111-111 Limited Alternatives and Personal Identity: The Relation Between Freedom and Personal Responsibility....Pages 113-132 America as a Post-Feudal Society, or How to Relate to the Islamic World....Pages 133-138 Personal Versus Impersonal Forms of Exploitation....Pages 139-153 Front Matter....Pages 155-155 Politics from the Bottom Up, Rather Than the Top Down....Pages 157-159 Means and Ends in Personal Relationships....Pages 161-177 The Sense of Self in Democratic Societies....Pages 179-213 A Basic Summary on Social Evolution and Character....Pages 215-229 Back Matter....Pages 231-264 This book returns critical theory to its roots in both psychology and the social sciences. It shows some of the relationships between equality in a political and social sense and personal identity that either relates well to such equality, or rebels against it. All this reflects processes of social and cultural influence that involve not only random change but also processes of social and cultural evolution that themselves have effects regarding potentials for self-fulfillment and even public morality. This book provides a framework to help one study the interaction between individual aspirations and social opportunities. Jerome Braun, known for his writings in interdisciplinary social science, an approach he calls pragmatic critical theory, here provides a book that discusses issues relevant to the moral underpinnings of democratic society, including issues of social evolution and of culture and personality-- Provided by Publisher