The Culture of Fear : Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things: Crime, Drugs, Minorities, Teen Moms, Killer Kids, Muta

In the age of 9/11, the Iraq War, financial collapse, and Amber Alerts, our society is defined by fear. So it's not surprising that three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today then they did twenty years ago. But are we living in exceptionally dangerous times? In The Culture of Fear, sociologist Barry Glassner demonstrates that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk. Glassner exposes the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our fears, including advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the preva. Read more... Abstract: In the age of 9/11, the Iraq War, financial collapse, and Amber Alerts, our society is defined by fear. So it's not surprising that three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today then they did twenty years ago. But are we living in exceptionally dangerous times? In The Culture of Fear, sociologist Barry Glassner demonstrates that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk. Glassner exposes the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our fears, including advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the preva The bestselling book revealing why Americans are so fearful, and why we fear the wrong things-now updated for the age of Trump In the age of Trump, our society is defined by fear. Indeed, three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today than they did only a couple decades ago. But are we living in exceptionally perilous times? In his bestselling book The Culture of Fear , sociologist Barry Glassner demonstrates that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk. Glassner exposes the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our fears: politicians who win elections by heightening concerns about crime and drug use even as rates for both are declining; advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the prevalence of particular diseases; TV shows that create a new scare every week to garner ratings. Glassner spells out the prices we pay for social panics: the huge sums of money that go to waste on unnecessary programs and products as well as time and energy spent worrying about our fears. All the while, we are distracted from the true threats, from climate change to worsening inequality. In this updated edition of a modern classic, Glassner examines the current panics over vaccination and "political correctness" and reveals why Donald Trump's fearmongering is so dangerously effective. In This Eye-opening Examination Of A Pathology That Has Swept The Country, Sociologist Barry Glassner Reveals Why Americans Are Burdened With Overblown Fears. He Exposes The People And Organizations That Manipulate Our Perceptions And Profit From Our Anxieties: Politicians Who Win Elections By Heightening Concerns About Crime And Drug Use Even As Both Are Declining; Advocacy Groups That Raise Money By Exaggerating The Prevalence Of Particular Diseases; Tv Newsmagazines That Monger A New Scare Every Week To Garner Ratings. Barry Glassner's Book Diagnoses A Predominant Pathology Of Our Age And Provides A Rallying Cry For A Return To Rationality In Our Personal Lives And In Our National Sense Of Purpose.--jacket. Dubious Dangers On Roadways And Campuses : How Fears Are Sold -- Crime In The News : Tall Tales And Overstated Statistics -- Youth At Risk : Faulty Diagnoses And Callous Cures -- Monster Moms : On The Art Of Misdirection -- Black Men : How To Perpetuate Prejudice Without Really Trying -- Smack Is Back : When Presidents And The Press Collude, The Scares Never Stop -- Metaphoric Illnesses : How Not To Criticize The Establishment -- Plane Wrecks : Small Danger, Big Scare -- Final Thoughts : The Martians Aren't Coming. Barry Glassner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 211-257) And Index. In this eye-opening examination of a pathology that has swept the country, the noted sociologist Barry Glassner reveals why Americans are burdened with overblown fears. He exposes the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our anxieties: politicians who win elections by heightening concerns about crime and drug use even as both are declining; advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the prevalence of particular diseases; TV news-magazines that monger a new scare every week to garner ratings. Psychology,MARXTOR In the age of 9/11, the War on Terror, financial collapse, and around-the-clock coverage of child abductions, our society is defined by fear. Glassner shows that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk, and he exposes the price we pay for social panic Examines the reasons why Americans have become so fearful in the waning years of the twentieth century, and presents facts to support the author's argument that such fears are often misplaced A noted sociologist examines why Americans are subject to misplaced fears, discussing the people and organizations who manipulate common perceptions and raise anxieties for their own benefit Revised for the first time in ten years, an update of the classic book, with new material on the administration of George W. Bush and the use of fear in the war on terror