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A Macat Analysis of David Riesman's The Lonely Crowd: A Study of the Changing American Character
Jarrod Homer
American lawyer-turned-sociologist David Riesman published his first book, The Lonely Crowd, in 1950. Aimed at academics, it nonetheless gained a large popular audience. In it, Riesman explores the links between social character—the ways in which members of a society are similar to one another—and social structures. He argues that as the United States became predominantly consumer-driven, rather than production-driven—particularly after World War II—American social character changed. Riesman said that prewar Americans had been largely inner-directed: they based their behavior on their own internal values and beliefs. Postwar Americans were becoming other-directed, with external groups including peers and the media now a key influence on the way they behaved. Riesman was observing, rather than judging, this change. The public, however, read his book as a criticism of the United States’ newly developing social character. Riesman’s work popularized sociology, helping to establish it as an academic discipline, and today it provides a fascinating window into the 1950s American psyche.
Author - Jarrod Homer.
Narrator - Macat.com.
Published Date - Sunday, 08 January 2023.
Location:
United States
Description:
American lawyer-turned-sociologist David Riesman published his first book, The Lonely Crowd, in 1950. Aimed at academics, it nonetheless gained a large popular audience. In it, Riesman explores the links between social character—the ways in which members of a society are similar to one another—and social structures. He argues that as the United States became predominantly consumer-driven, rather than production-driven—particularly after World War II—American social character changed. Riesman said that prewar Americans had been largely inner-directed: they based their behavior on their own internal values and beliefs. Postwar Americans were becoming other-directed, with external groups including peers and the media now a key influence on the way they behaved. Riesman was observing, rather than judging, this change. The public, however, read his book as a criticism of the United States’ newly developing social character. Riesman’s work popularized sociology, helping to establish it as an academic discipline, and today it provides a fascinating window into the 1950s American psyche. Author - Jarrod Homer. Narrator - Macat.com. Published Date - Sunday, 08 January 2023.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:10:41
Chapter 2
Duration:00:07:52
Chapter 3
Duration:00:08:04
Chapter 4
Duration:00:06:19
Chapter 5
Duration:00:07:02
Chapter 6
Duration:00:07:00
Chapter 7
Duration:00:07:36
Chapter 8
Duration:00:07:33
Chapter 9
Duration:00:06:08
Chapter 10
Duration:00:07:23
Chapter 11
Duration:00:07:32
Chapter 12
Duration:00:06:38
Chapter 13
Duration:00:07:52