Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id VAA12118 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 19 Feb 2002 21:35:56 GMT X-Originating-IP: [194.117.133.84] User-Agent: Microsoft-Outlook-Express-Macintosh-Edition/5.02.2022 Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 21:28:16 +0000 Subject: Memes and CUlture Wars From: Steve Drew <srdrew_1@hotmail.com> To: Jom-emit <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Message-ID: <B8986388.15C%srdrew_1@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 Feb 2002 21:30:18.0379 (UTC) FILETIME=[A09565B0:01C1B98C] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
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From: =?iso-8859-1?q?John=20Croft?= <jdcroft@yahoo.com>
Subject: Memes and CUlture Wars
I am currently reading the book on "Cultural
Creatives" which proposes the USA is split between
three cultures.
Firstly we have the Modernists as follows
8% 11 million American adults are "Business
conservatives", upper middle to upper class people, of
whom 59% are in the top income level. or them
modernism and capitalism are working and they want it
kep that way
12% 23 million American adults are "conventional
moderns". They dislike the cultures of "traditionals"
and "cultural creatives". They are cynical about
politics and disgruntled aout society, but work hard
for private family interest.
13% 25 million American adults are the "striving
centre". Just below middle income, they strive for
upward mobility and success and inclusion, white
collar, lower paid professionals and small business
people, lean to conservative religion.
15% 29 million American adults are "alienated
moderns", including a large proportion of "angry white
males", and about 50% drawn from the blue collar
workforce. These are falling into poverty as a result
of economic globalisation.
Total 51% of the population
The first "counter culture" to this - which started
over a century ago as a reaction to the moderns are
the "traditionals".
They are split into two
10% 14 million American adults "new traditionals" are
the Moral Mojority types, politically active,
anti-abortion, anti feminist, fundamentalist, upwardly
mobile, defend private ownership (form an alliance
with "business conservatives" on many matters)
14% 19 million American adults "old conservatives" who
distrust politicians and politics. Anti-big money,
small town, family values, religiously conservative,
generally downwardly mobile. Farmers, small business
people.
Cultural Creatives are roughly equally split between
12% 24 million Adult Americans are the "core
creatives" wwho openly espouse Cultural Creative
vaules. Post consumer, they espouse ecology and
environmentalism, feminism, support alternative health
care, self actualisation, peace, social justice,
participatory democracy and spiritual growth (raher
than religious conservatism).
13% 26 million American adults are "green cultural
creatives, follow environmental concerns or social
issues. Of average interest in the spiritual or
personal-growth dimension of cultural creatives, are
less well educated and less activist than the core
group.
Cultural Creatives are the last of the three cultures
to emerge, having emerged as a result of the 1960s
generation and their "children" and cultural
successors. About 60% of Cultural Creatives are
women.
Cultural creatives are the fastest growing group.
They gave grown from 5% of the population in 1985, so
both traditional and modern numbers have been
declining.
If this analysis by Paul Ray and Sherry Anderson,
based on close interviews of 100,000 people are
correct, we could expect there would be three sets of
"memeplexes" currently competing for adherents in
America at the moment.
It is interesting that there are different attitudes
between these various groups. There is also a growing
split between these groups over most issues, and a
constant jockeying and alliance building for adherents
and power to be able to "swing supporters" into action
about different issues.
Interested in other's thoughts.
Regards
John<
Hi John.
The main thing i can see is that the researchers have drawn up their own
list of categories for classification of human activities. Market
researchers, sociologist etc all have different classifications depending on
what aspect of society they are investigating. All societies (modern ones
anyway) have various stratifications, groupings etc and all of these will be
in a constant jockying for position to further their own ends. The problem
is of course that the number of groupings that it is possible to make are
going to be very large, so any large scale classification is not going to be
too accurate.
I agree that the varying attitudes and alliance building are interesting
though.
Regards
Steve
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