Description
Book SynopsisRecent demographic changes have sparked debate about the civic health of American democracy. Democracy requires people of different backgrounds to be disposed toward working together, and it requires little-noticed meeting places where neighbors interact with each other, share their thinking, and address common problems. As issues of ethnic and social diversity become increasingly foregrounded, social scientists find pervasive social distrust and civic withdrawal in racially and ethnically heterogeneous communities, whether in big cities (Los Angeles) or small (Yakima, WA). In this book, Yi argues that increasing diversity can revitalize social and civic connectedness if our institutions rise up to the challenge of finding common ground and shared enterprise for people of different backgrounds. He highlights two types of organizational actors in the USA. One type renews and adapts longstanding religious, cultural, and civic traditions to a dynamic, multiethnic society. The second typ
Trade ReviewYi's scholarship is refreshingly open minded and reflective not only on the limits of liberal political discourse but on the limits of his subjects themselves. The book is well worth reading for those who hold out hope that America's supposed culture wars are not as intractable as they seem. * Christians in Political Science Newsletter *
Table of ContentsPart 1 Part One. America Dividing, America Uniting Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Nature of the Problem: Diversity and Indifference Chapter 4 Many-Stranded Theory of Liberal Democracy Part 5 Part Two. Bridging Differences, Building Communities Chapter 6 God Bridging: Chicago (International) Church of Christ Chapter 7 Framing Religion: Limits of Christian Engagement Chapter 8 Karate Bridging: Fitzpatrick's Tang Soo Do Chapter 9 Framing Karate: Frontiers of Engagement Part 10 Part Three. Analysis and Discussion Chapter 11 Religious Participation and Race Relations: General Social Survey Chapter 12 Renewing Democracy in America
