Author Question: Describe some of the ways that society is fragmented in the United States. Discuss types of ... (Read 88 times)

swpotter12 · **on:** Jul 2, 2018

Describe some of the ways that society is fragmented in the United States. Discuss types of fragmentation, as well as causes and effects that are discussed in the chapter.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Discuss the ways in which consensus toward values functions to unify a society.

What will be an ideal response?

sultansheikh · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 2, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Feedback: The chapter addresses four indicators of reduced societal cohesion: increasing polarization, declining trust in societal institutions, the widening inequality gap, and the deepening divides over diversity. Group polarization is caused in part by the increased number of media outlets available, which allow people to limit their exposure to only their own point of view. Events such as fraud and deceptive advertising on the part of businesses, inadequate government oversight and protection, and scandals in religious institutions have left people cynical and mistrustful of institutions. There is a widening gap between the rich and poor, which now encompasses the middle class. The nation is growing, and growing more diverse, but assimilation is unlikely, which makes conflict more likely.

Answer to Question 2

Feedback: Order theorists assume that commonly held values are like social glue binding otherwise diverse people in a cohesive societal unit. Unlike functional integration, unity is achieved here through similarity rather than through difference. Wright and Rogers identified common values among most people in the United States such as freedom, prosperity, efficiency, fairness, and democracy. People in the United States also demonstrate consensus in attitudes toward unifying symbols such as the flag and the Constitution.