" De Tocqueville calls this "ignorance which originates in extreme publicity," and notes that in despotic states, the public is told how to act; they therefore act according to strict social norms of behavior. In the United States, however, people are "often obliged to do things which they have imperfectly learned, to say things which they imperfectly understand," (Book 3, Chapter 15). The segment on the Tonight Show called "Jaywalking" illustrates De Tocqueville's point exactly. De Tocqueville's analysis of gender roles and relations in the United States has mixed veritability. Although he was correct in observing that men and women operate in totally different spheres, a situation that persisted until only a few decades ago, the author nevertheless makes some unpalatable comments such as "the despotic sway of women," (Book 3, Chapter 12). Still, writing in the middle of the nineteenth century, de Tocqueville did note some of the definite differences between gender relations in Europe and the United States. What De Tocqueville did not predict were the second and third waves of feminism which obliterated some of the gender role differentiation de Tocqueville assumes characterizes American culture. It is questionable whether, especially given that women could not vote at the time of publication, Americans viewed men and women "as beings of equal value," (Book 3, Chapter 12). Yet even though De Tocqueville stereotypes gender roles and gender relations, he notices...
De Toqueville noticed that in spite of an ideology of total equality, the working poor submit to subservient positions and thereby create conflicts between the classes. De Tocqueville also noticed as Marx did how the manufacturers would become the new aristocracy in America and therefore sums up American capitalism beautifully (Book 2, Chapter 20).
What he found, in contrast to Europe, was that the American social ethic was not based on aristocracy, and in fact Americans seemed to have a deep-seated fear and loathing of European titles (at least the middle and common classes). Instead, Americanism was based on a system in which hard work and money-making (e.g. aggressive capitalism) was the dominant ethic of the time. In this period of radical change and
At the same time, democracy allows people ith different views come together on a particular subject they share an opinion, state their mind and make a positive change. Q6. What does De Tocqueville mean by 'artificial solidarity'? Artificial solidarity resembles a tailored feeling of solidarity based on a foundation that is not real and one which was applied to a society without real background that would support it in a true
De Tocqueville When concept takes on many different meanings it probably means nothing. One of the things that it is becoming apparent is that the terms "public sphere" and "civil sphere" appear to take on different meanings when described by different writers. Nonetheless, these terms and the nuances in what they represent depending on the writer can move beyond false universals and thinking that is entrenched in rigid definitions (Edwards 2004). Alexis
Tocqueville Alexis de Tocqueville was an aristocratic young Frenchman with vaguely liberal sentiments who wondered if the new democracy in the United States had any ideas that could be applied to France and other European countries. His real audience was therefore the middle and upper classes in Europe, although his book never became a popular classic or standard university text there like it did in the United States. Indeed, few people
The criticisms that de Tocqueville levels against American society, and especially against some of the particulars of its governance, continue in his discussion of the potential tyranny of the majority. Americans regard the majority much as Europeans viewed their king, according to de Tocqueville: it can do no wrong, and any wrong it does do is only due to bad advice or information. This subservience, according to de Tocqueville, creates
America's constitution allowed for freedom of religion, which made religion centrally important in the lives of Americans in a way that it was often not given the state-enforced place of religion in Europe. Religions were diverse and thus a divisive force between citizens. American's 'dream of home ownership' and America's status as 'the most religious nation on earth,' underlines the importance of property and home ownership and the vital,
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