We are living in an age of conspiracy theories, whether it's
enduring, widely held beliefs such as government involvement in the
Kennedy assassination or alien activity at Roswell, fears of a
powerful infiltrating group such as the Illuminati, Jews,
Catholics, or communists, or modern fringe movements of varying
popularity such as birtherism and trutherism. What is it in
American culture that makes conspiracy theories proliferate? Who is
targeted, and why? Are we in the heyday of the conspiracy theory,
or is it in decline?
Though there is significant scholarly literature on the topic in
psychology, sociology, philosophy, and more, American Conspiracy
Theories is the first to use broad, long-term empirical data to
analyze this popular American tendency. Joseph E. Uscinski and
Joseph M. Parent draw on three sources of original data: 120,000
letters to the editor of the New York Times and Chicago Tribune
from between 1890 and 2010; a two-wave survey from before and after
the 2012 presidential election; and discussions of conspiracy
theories culled from online news sources, blogs, and other Web
sites, also from before and after the election. Through these
sources, they are able to address crucial questions, such as
similarities and differences in the nature of conspiracy theories
over time, the role of the Internet and communications technologies
in spreading modern conspiracy theories, and whether politics,
economics, media, war, or other factors are most important in
popularizing conspiratorial beliefs. Ultimately, they conclude that
power asymmetries, both foreign and domestic, are the main drivers
behind conspiracy theories, and that those at the bottom of power
hierarchies have a strategic interest in blaming those at the
top-in other words, "conspiracy theories are for losers." But these
"losers" can end up having tremendous influence on the course of
history, and American Conspiracy Theories is an unprecedented
examination of one of the defining features of American political
life.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
