Does Anxiety Make Us More Conservative?
by Lee DrutmanLink to article
This is an excerpt from Alternet.org. Click on link to read entire article.
“Conservative ideas, like support for the status quo and justifications for inequality, can make the world seem like a more secure place for those who don’t like uncertainty.
Over the past year, a conservative right-wing movement has found a loud political voice in the United States. Strongly anti-government, the movement seems largely oriented around a message that anything the Obama administration wishes to accomplish is an attack on American tradition, and it is up to them to stop this radical socialist agenda emanating from Washington to preserve the country.
This burst of activity has left some asking where such a rush of conservative energy might come from. Is it a response to the anxiety and uncertainty of tough economic times? Does having an African-American president have anything to do with it?
According to some new research on the cognitive origins of political conservatism, the answers may be yes and yes.
Miriam Matthews, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at the Claremont Graduate University, Shana Levin, an associate profess of psychology at Claremont McKenna College, and Jim Sidanius, a professor of psychology and African-American studies at Harvard University, have found evidence that both general feelings of threat and specific anxiety about other ethnic groups sometimes do lead individuals to embrace two tenets of political conservatism — support for the status quo and a belief that there is a natural social hierarchy to society. These tenets provide a salve for uncertainties and anxieties by offering a belief system in which there is a strong order to things.
This theory was originally elaborated in a 2003 paper, “Political conservatism as motivated social cognition,” by John T. Jost and colleagues. They posit that individuals embrace political conservatism to satisfy internal needs for order, structure and closure in the face of uncertainty, complexity and fear. The paper was based on a meta-analysis of numerous studies showing that people who were more uncomfortable with complexity and ambiguity generally tended to also be more conservative. (For more on Jost’s work, see here and here.) …”
Tags: anxiety of tough economic times, conservative right-wing movement, Jim Sidanius, John T. Jost, Miriam Matthews, radical socialist agenda, Shana Levin
January 24th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
A lesson from the animal kingdom seems germane to our musings – namely, the turtle. When a turtle is frightened or startled, it retreats into its shell. And anyone who has ever witnessed such behavior probably remembers the little fella doesn’t re-emerge for a good long time. And as you suspected, herewith I’m comparing the American electorate to our withdrawn four-legged friend. Because people are very frightened.
Back in the Seventies, Alvin Toffler immediately became a guru of psychosocial phenomena with his best-selling book, “Future Shock.” In it he argued, and I’m summarizing rather broadly here, that human beings were becoming unhinged by the pace of specific scientific and social changes; and moreover, these jolts were generating far-reaching consequences that would have to be addressed by citizens, politicians and policy-makers. (All right, it was forty years ago.) And yes, I fear Americans are experiencing a profound sense of future shock today – though the phrase is almost archaic.
Overall, the cumulative affects of September 11th, two ongoing wars, double-digit unemployment, the implosion of the American Dream, and the excesses of Wall Street are simply overwhelming. In addition, long-standing assumptions like “Things will get better over time” and “Hard work and perseverance will ultimately prevail,” seem almost quaint. Success more often seems only weakly linked to effort and ability and more due to dumb chance, company gamesmanship, and personal connections. Even the venerated artifacts and institutions of the American Dream – a nice home, a college degree, competent government, and fiscal responsibility (personal, state, or Federal), are drifting towards the ash heap of history.
Although the driving forces behind our anguish over shrinking opportunities are complex and have festered since the mid-Seventies, an angry impatience is afoot. It scours the land oblivious to its quasi-fascist tone and threatens to unhinge the prospects for progressive change. In short, like our cowed turtle, decent folks could decide its too risky to challenge the growing rabble. But that would be tragic. Because our crisis is also our opportunity. If we can acknowledge their unhappiness and forge common and constructive cause, progress is possible. When we advocate our most cherished values, values like equality and responsive government and international peace, they re-enter the debate – and Thomas Paine’s despondent and desperate “sunshine patriots” retreat. The choice is ours.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
This is why news outlets typically attempt to raise anxiety to induce consumer spending (interspersing news with commercials…). Anxiety triggers the need to consume as an tension reducing mechanism.