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The topic of my final research project is anti-intellectualism in America. I believe that this is a problem that affects multiple social institutions, and which is unfortunately facilitated by dysfunctional social institutions too. Some of the most important social institutions in society are related to the domain of education, and anti-intellectualism is a phenomenon that is most closely related to education even though anti-intellectualism permeates other social institutions like political and economic institutions. Furthermore, the social institutions of religion and the media can be adversely related to intellectualism to the point where it can be said that in some cases, religion and the media both foment anti-intellectualism. Verwiebe (n.d.) points out that "media and religion are responsible for the transmission of contexts of meaning, value orientations and symbolic codes," (p. 3). The media is based on profit more than it is on truth, which is why it is possible to blame the media at least in part for allowing anti-intellectualism to take root. Without ethical standards, the media has been allowed to disseminate information and points of view that are contrary to intellectual thought, and which discourage critical thinking. Religion is often anti-intellectual because religion purports...
Public education is by definition dependent on government financing, which means that there is a serious lack of prioritization in American politics with regards to the importance of education. In articles in Social Problems, we learn how education has become the "shame of a nation." Education should be a basic human right, as should health care. Yet unequal access to quality education perpetuates poverty and other social problems. When citizens do not access quality education, they are more prone to believing mistruths, the "alternative facts" that are easily spread by the media, both traditional and new media. Likewise, when people from any religious tradition do not have access to the tools of critical thought, they might mistake religious dogma with absolute truth.
We are all stakeholders in anti-intellectualism. All citizens are either party to perpetuating anti-intellectualism by choosing to remain ignorant and not challenging what we see or hear, or are victims of the poor public policy that results from an uneducated public. How is it possible to actually be anti-intellectual? For many Americans, the very thought of…
References
"The Shame of a Nation." Social Problems.
Verwiebe, R. (n.d.). Social institutions. Retrieved online: https://www.soz.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/inst_soziologie/Personen/Institutsmitglieder/Verwiebe/Social_Institutions_in_Encyclopedia_of_Quality_of_Life_Research.pdf
Anti-science is nothing new and in fact has been seamlessly woven into the story of human progress. Locating historical incidents linked to the repercussions of anti-intellectualism or anti-science is easy. One of the first European examples of the repercussions of anti-intellectualism is the story of Socrates's death sentence due to his philosophy of reason contradicting the established religious authorities in ancient Athens. Anti-intellectualism permeates European history, culminating with the excommunication
Anti-intellectualism is a social problem, not just a social issue, because it has a direct and immediate bearing on the lives of individuals and because it has a long-term deleterious effect on social, economic, and political progress. Without information, the people have no power. If the tools of critical thought are not taught to children, an entire generation lacks access to power. In fact, critical inquiry, science, and intellectual debate
Laverghetta, A., Stewart, J. & Weinstein, L. (2007). Anti-intellectualism and political ideology in a sample of undergraduate and graduate students. Psychological Reports 2007(101): 1050-1056. Primary sources include original research like a study by Laverghetta, Stewart & Weinstein (2007). Starting with the hypothesis that anti-intellectualism will have correlates in political conservatism, economic conservatism, and religiosity, the authors used a survey methodology and all hypothesized correlations were confirmed. That is, anti-intellectualism is correlated
socially constructed. What was considered a problem in one era or cultural context is not considered a problem at all in another context. Social issues can be reframed as social problems, and likewise, social problems can be downgraded into simple issues that matter to specific segments of the population. However, sociologists need to be mindful of the problems of ethical relativism when offering too much leeway with regards to
Religion as a Social Phenomenon Religion serves both a personal and a political function. As a personal phenomenon, religion can provide psychological and emotional sustenance, mitigate grief, and provide solace in the midst of existential crises. Similarly, religion can help people to resolve complex questions related to the nature of transcendental experiences ranging from love and sexuality to the sublimity of nature. We all have a sense of "wonder" that religion
Strangers in Their Own Land, Arlie Hochschild presents what she calls the "great paradox" of American society: why ultra conservatives vote against their best interests. By almost all accounts, red states are poorer economically, have much poorer health and educational outcomes, and a lower quality of life overall than blue states. That being the case, why would the reds continue to vote for the same platforms, even going so far