Culture Wars | Red Zone | Blue Zone

Culture Wars

The phrase "culture wars" refers to the ongoing struggle to define the moral character of the nation. The term was first coined by James Davison Hunter (search) in his book of the same name. "Culture Wars" is used by the authors of The Fourth Turning as a name for the Third Turning, or Unraveling era, of the current saecular cycle.

The culture wars are manifest today in the conflicts among individuals and social institutions over abortion, gay rights, gun control, and religious expression, as well as other issues. The deepness of the divide between the competing values camps is evident in the uncompromising stance taken by the fiercest moral advocates on either side.

The terms "red zone" and "blue zone" are often used to refer to the two camps. This terminology derives from a map of the results of the 2000 presidential race, which colored the counties Gore won in blue and the counties Bush won in red. While it is certainly true that American's beliefs do not fit exactly into two distinct clusters, the generalization is useful when discussing values conflicts.

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