Surviving the Culture Wars

Fresh insights + 10 practical tips

The other day, someone from my audience accused me of being part of the ‘radical left.’ 

Am I? Maybe. 

I’ve expressed that I’m apolitical in a sense that neither party represents my egalitarian worldview so I hardly think of myself as a leftist. However, given that I’m fairly liberal on most social issues, I can see why others would label me as such. 

My question is: is it really radical to support social policies that advocate for human rights, equality, and justice? Is it radical to challenge existing power structures that lead to systemic inequality? Is it radical to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and social and scientific progress? 

I felt pretty put-off by the way that this person seemed to reduce my perspectives into a derogatory political label–and then I realized that I probably do the same thing every time I slam conservatives for their rigid and dogmatic approach to complex social issues. 

In this highly polarized political climate, it feels nearly impossible to have debates about social issues without being sucked into the culture wars. Especially on social media, where ‘hot button’ topics (we all know what those are) are regularly weaponized to boost algorithms and drive engagement. 

Honestly, I had vowed to stay away from culture war drivel on social media because I’m skeptical if it does more harm than good (not to mention, it is so energetically/emotionally draining)….but alas, I caved. It’s hard when you deeply care about social issues, ya know? 

So I thought I would zoom out a bit and try (as hard as it may be) to take myself out of my ‘radical leftist’ politics and see things for how they are. And maybe offer some guidance on how to combat (no pun intended) these contentious culture wars.  

But first, some context:

A brief sociopolitical history of the culture wars

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when good ‘ol fashioned, wholesome political debates turned into a metaphysical warfare, but we can trace at least some of it back to the counter-culture of the 1960s/70s. This period represented one of the biggest sociocultural breakthroughs in civil rights, sexual liberation, women’s equality, and LGBTQIA rights. 

A lot has changed since then, but then again has it? After all, here we are still squabbling over the same dramatic struggle between orthodoxy and progressivism. The only difference is that social media (and the media, in general) has taken our disagreements to the level of mass disinformation campaigns via fake news and bot farms. Sometimes I really miss those days when the worst bot you encountered was a random AOL chat buddy who claimed to be a Nigerian prince looking to donate a large sum of money.

Seriously, though. In doing research for this newsletter, I tried to trace the origin of the term ‘culture wars’ and lo and behold, it took me down a conservative rabbit hole, like who even has time for this shit? I do, apparently.

Indeed, the very first mention of ‘culture wars’ appeared in this book published in 1992 which was a first look at the deep division within two distinct cultures in America: those who wanted to maintain the status quo of ‘Faith, Flag, and Family’ and those who wanted to challenge and reform it.

I haven’t read, Culture Wars: The Struggle to Control The Family, Art, Education, Laws, and Politics in America, so I can’t comment on it; but what’s highly suspect is not that it was written by a Christian evangelist. The thing that makes me squint my eyes is how the phrase was first introduced as an alt-right talking point by the political commentator Pat Buchanan, a literal xenophobic extremist who openly advocated for the superiority of the white race. If you’re privy to go down some conservative rabbit holes, you can check out Buchanan’s speech at the 1992 Republican Convention where he first weaponized the use of the term ‘culture wars’ to instigate a moral and religious divide between ‘the soul of America’ and homosexuality. His words. 

This gives me pause. 

I can’t help but wonder: Do the culture wars even exist? Or are they just a rhetorical device to foment moral panic and mobilize an ‘us v.s. them’ narrative that does not actually represent where most people fall on different social issues? 

A closer look under the hood

Two things are true: Americans have increasingly become more polarized over the years…AND, this polarization is a reflection of how polarized we think we are. It’s a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy on a collective scale that can be explained by what cognitive psychologists call, the availability heuristic. 

The availability heuristic influences our perception of the frequency or likelihood of events based on how easily examples or instances of those events come to mind. In other words, we tend to overestimate the prevalence of events or situations that we can easily recall or remember. 

So, if we are constantly being bombarded with polarizing/sensationalist content, we are going to believe we’re more polarized than we actually are, and thus we are likely to think, feel, and behave in ways that deepen this polarization. It’s very meta, and it makes me wonder how much my own perspectives might be different if I didn’t have this underlying assumption that the culture wars exist in the first place? 

The truth is, we know that people are more complex than being on the “religious right” v.s. “radical left.” While the culture wars give us a framework to predict where people stand on different social issues, they don’t really represent the way our personal politics are a process, rather than something set in stone. As we learn and integrate new information at hyperspeed, our beliefs about various social issues shift and change along a continuum, each with its own range of combinations, possibilities, and outcomes. 

I’ll give you an example of how complex our views can be when it comes to hot button social issues like transgender rights. 

The most recent research on Americans’ views on transgender issues shows that 80% of Americans believe that there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our country. AND 64% are in favor of laws and policies that protect transgender people from discrimination. But here is where things take an interesting turn: 60% of those who are in favor of protecting trans rights on a policy level also believe that a person’s gender is determined by their assigned sex at birth. These results suggest that our politics are not always organized around our moral values and vice versa. 

Personally, I think it’s fascinating that people don’t support policies that discriminate against transgender people on a systemic level, yet they still hold the belief that an individual’s gender identity is their assigned sex at birth. The reason why I find this so fascinating is because, depending on the context, this ‘gender essentialism’ argument can be seen as a form of social discrimination, microaggression, or even transphobia because it reinforces the very social stigma that leads to discriminatory policies. In other words, gender essentialism is often used to justify systemic injustices against transgender people. 

Is it a culture war, or…..? 

The incongruence between our moral and political code (i.e. people can hold both discriminatory beliefs while opposing discriminatory policies) has less to do with a single, distinct conflict that we’ve named as the “culture wars,” and more to do with the complexity of our beliefs and attitudes. 

What I know about human behavior based on the 20+ years that I’ve been studying it (both academically and through my own self-study) is that attitudes, beliefs, and opinions can be influenced by a myriad of factors. Things like cultural upbringing, lack of exposure to diverse perspectives, misinformation, and/or internalized biases can shape our beliefs moment to moment. And what I also know is that it takes a long time for our collective understanding about complex issues to reach widespread acceptance for social change to occur. Let’s remember that it took CENTURIES for the public to accept that the earth is round. 

So, instead of approaching our differences with the underlying assumption that we are at war, I think the better approach is to remember that we have conflicting intersubjective realities. The ‘culture wars’ are not so much a battle as they are a reflection of our collective struggle to determine the nature of reality. 

And hasn’t it always been this way? Isn’t the point of social progress to discuss and debate how to influence and alter our evolution? If so, is it radical to suggest that the communities who are most impacted by the consequences of these decisions should have a seat at the table? The problem is that in order to make space at the proverbial table, some people have to scoot over or give up their seat altogether. But they don’t want to. Instead, they use inflammatory rhetoric to get us shouting over each other at the proverbial table, while they stay glued to their seat. 

So maybe the real question is: are the ‘culture wars’ a reflection of how polarized we have become in our beliefs, values, and ideologies? Or are they a reflection of the power struggle between classes that have existed for millennia? 

There’s no denying that different social groups have clashing worldviews that can often feel irreconcilable, but as soon as we see the ‘culture wars’ as separate from the ongoing class wars and not deeply intertwined with them, we lose sight of the bigger picture. 

The bigger picture being that those with significant wealth and power often have greater influence over cultural and social narratives, which enables them to promote their own self-interests and perspectives. 

The bigger picture being that those with wealth, privilege, and power use diversionary tactics like ‘culture wars’ to redirect our attention away from social injustice and other structural inequalities. Which again, allows them to maintain their positions of power, status, and control. 

Here’s a ‘radical’ idea: maybe our struggle over cultural issues is really a symptom of the power imbalances and economic disparities that contribute to class divisions? Maybe instead of shouting over each other about gay rights, women’s rights, trans rights, immigration rights, and BIPOC rights, we should redirect our righteous indignation at those mega-institutions that contribute to our divisive ideologies. 

We’re not mad at each other. We’re mad at the way that capitalism has dehumanized us into ambassadors of an economic agenda, reduced our complex human experience into a political label, and turned our social climate into a battlefield.

The Target Boycotts 

By now, you’re probably aware of the most recent explosive episode of the culture wars—the Target boycotts.

While on the surface it certainly looks like the Target controversy is about the rising tension between conservatives v.s. liberals; Republicans v.s. Democrats; the ‘religious right’ v.s. the ‘radical left,’ I think this event serves as a proxy for a much deeper issue on the power struggle between mega-corporations and the communities they impact. 

I really wish more people would realize that misdirecting our anger at each other downplays the systemic issues within capitalism that are exploitative, culty, and could give less shit about our collective wellbeing. 

Toward collective liberation 

I myself get caught up in the culture wars from time to time–it’s hard not to when the tension reaches a boiling point and I find myself at odds with my own inner conflict between being an educator and an ally. I know I alienate people who unfollow me when I go hard to the paint about trans issues because this is a community that I deeply care about. However, there’s an effective and a less effective way to encourage constructive, respectful dialogue. Meaningful debates get lost in translation when our own biases muddy the waters. I get that. And I trust that those who are still here can both disagree with my politics and at the same time understand that my intention is to lead us on the path of collective liberation. I have no idea what the “right way” or the “best way” is to achieve that; my role is to ask questions, challenge perspectives (including mine) and facilitate conversations that will progress us in our shared goal of creating an equal, fair society. 

As we try to make sense of our confusing world, my biggest wish is for us to recognize our commonalities and remember that a reality outside the ‘culture wars’ is possible, if we continue to dismantle the inequality-generating institutions that pit us against each other and keep us divided by an arbitrary hierarchical distribution of wealth, privilege, and power. 

That’s the collective liberation that I’m after. Will you join me? 

Navigating the culture wars 

To conclude, I wanted to leave you with 10 tips for navigating our culture wars. I’m sure you’re aware of these strategies by now, so let this be a friendly reminder :)

1. Seek diverse perspectives. Actively seek out and engage with different viewpoints. This is so important for breaking out of echo chambers that stunt our learning. This can be done through reading diverse news sources, following people with different perspectives on social media, or participating in civil discussions with individuals who hold opposing views.

2. Foster empathy and understanding. Remember that attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives are complex and you won’t know why someone believes what they do until you ask them. Cultivate empathy by listening to others' experiences and perspectives. Seek to understand their underlying values and concerns, even if you disagree with their conclusions. Remember that people's views are often shaped by their unique life experiences. Not everyone who disagrees with you is a radical or a bigot ;).

3. Focus on common ground. Engaging in constructive dialogue is an art and it can be practiced through skills like deep listening, asking open-ended questions, and actively seeking common ground through shared goals and values.

4. Practice media literacy and critical thinking. Develop critical thinking skills to evaluate information critically and identify biases or misinformation. Be wary of sensationalized or polarizing content and fact-check before sharing information.

5. Strengthen emotional maturity. This has to do with understanding your own triggers and needs so you can engage in debates in a healthy way by knowing how to set and maintain personal boundaries. 

6. Expand self-awareness. Exploring your biases and identifying your own values can help you gain a deeper understanding of your own beliefs, perspectives, and opinions which is so important for personal growth and evolution. This in turn will help you participate in debates in healthy and meaningful ways. 

7. Build communities of care. Screaming into an internet echo chamber can certainly serve as cathartic relief but I want to stress the importance of finding supportive networks, both online and IRL, to share experiences, solicit feedback, and find comedic relief and solace during challenging times. 

8. Engage in offline conversations. Social media is a cult factory and not the best place to engage in debates. Face-to-face conversations are much more effective in fostering greater understanding and empathy.

9. Prioritize self-care. The culture wars can be emotionally draining and dysregulating for our nervous system (especially on social media)! Please remember to take breaks from social media and the news when needed, and prioritize activities that bring you joy and peace.

10. Express yourself and don’t self-censor. In this political climate, everyone’s opinion is controversial, lol. Remember that in a truly democratic society, it is perfectly fine to express your controversial opinions. It’s not the end of the world if people disagree with you, unfollow you, or challenge your perspectives. A healthy society is one where debates and dialogue are encouraged.

Remember, the culture wars are not an inevitable reality; we can consciously create something new! By actively seeking understanding, empathy, and common ground, we can move away from the divisive rhetoric and work towards a more inclusive and compassionate society. 🙂

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