Barry Glassner’s The Culture of Fear Essay

The murder of thousands of the Statesns on their own soil on phratry 11, 2001 created a new era in United States History the era of fear. That is the finding Barry Glassner, author of The Culture of business organisation Why Americans Are apprehensive of the Wrong Things. In the keep backs pages is found a positive examination of wherefore Americans be fearful, why they atomic number 18nt, and what this says ab expose the average citizen. It is not to say that Glassner indicates that Americans do, or should, live in fear of un attended terrorist attack.Rather, his intend in writing is to illuminate why it is that Americans fear the wrong things and decompose to act on the right fears he cites congresswomans much(prenominal) as fearing shootings on school grounds, and not limiting access to guns. In opposite words, he is attempting to describe what fear is like in the culture of America and what it says ab kayoed reality and perception. That is his thesis. Summed up, G lassner writes that when it comes to fear, Americans live in a culture of imitation paranoia and irrational paradoxes. His methodology comes through clearly.He utilizes individual case studies to coherently and cohesively build a strong unified theory. Each story and government issue becomes one much brick in the foundation of his thesis. In that way he easily compels and convinces wholly besides the well-nigh cynical reader. Fin totallyy, it is Glassners transmit of view that really works wonders. He acts as if he is but a casual, though analytical, objective observer. What Does the Author Have to Say? terror can be created and manipulated. Time and again Glassner returns to the example of the events of September 11, 2001 for treasures with which to aggrandise his theory.It is indeed ripe ground for that. It seems to be the case study for bonny why American citizens are paranoid for all of the wrong reasons. Yes, the terrorist attacks were awful, and all the more so bec ause 1) they were completely unexpected and unannounced, and 2) they targeted the innocent civilian populace. That macrocosm said, writes Glassner, they were also completely anomalous. The fear of such an attack in the future day due to the fact that it authorizeed once before is unjustifiable.It had been two hundred and twenty-five years from the beginnings of the United States for such an attack to occur, and as of this tenth day of remembrance edition of the book it has been another ten years without such attack. Sure, that is not to say that it couldnt happen again. However, the point that the author makes is that it is just dower like this that are fertile breeding ground for manipulators. In this case, he cites the then ongoing efforts of President George W. Bush to convince the population that in that location was an active war on terror.This war, he reminded frequently, was directed at the American citizen, the mom and pop on the street. The war could reach either home , every business. The entire country was under various alert conditions at all times. This supports the first main point of The Culture of Fear. Fear can be a force of manipulation and creation. The second point of the book is closely related to its main premise. It is the ongoing effects of a mass media accentuating the nigh unlikely of crimes. Each and every day the media, including the press, the internet, and the television networks, blares out stories of kidnappings, murders and more.The head teacher aim seems to be that it could happen to you. In fact, it belike lead happen to you unless you take precautions daily. Fingerprint your children. Update your photographs and dental records. Plant microchips in your childrens skin. Anything to do to escape the boogeyman, because undoubtedly hes out there. never mind the fact that more often than not, the statistics behind the reports are reorient mightily to prove these points ex post facto. The announcements alone are make e nough for most people. The culture of fear is encouraged, and bought into.After all, the media is a respectable presence. When it comes to the third point, it becomes mostwhat murky as to how some things come about. Glassner relates example after example of public policy responses to these scenarios and how they absolutely fail to spate with the actual situations that spawn the fear. In other words, ineffective public policy is the knee jerk reaction to fear. The author is quick to relate such failures. He points out the sheer number of dollars allocated to these efforts and the startling statistics that show the line of work has not changed at all.Also, he is not shy at pointing out that this culture of fear and reaction provides great political opportunity for candidates that are tough on crime to emerge, ready to raise the banners of various well-intentioned causes. Once the candidates become elected officials, either the cause is dropped along with its passion, or new law s are passed that in essence are just excuses to exceed money and advance political careers. Criticism of the Author I greatly enjoyed this book. I will be unequivocal about that. Perhaps it biases my review, but I do deliver points to support my response.To begin with, the book is well-paced. By that I mean to say that it reads well. Much of non-fiction particularly educated and researched non-fiction is dry, and fails to reside the reader in the sense that its subjects remain remote. Granted, Glassner has a subject that is overmuch more accessible to readers than the typical tome, but he does not pillock with statistics or inane stories. He moves the action right along by showing readers why this involves them, and why it should naturally interest them. Each chapter begins with a premise that is readily understandable.It also includes a counterpoint and then the gaming begins. all chapter delivers. There is a natural satisfaction to this and makes reading the book enjoyab le. I never ensured a more well plotted out book, in this regard. I was never left wondering why something was missing, or what the authors point was after all. He provides vignettes that most every reader either has knowledge of, or direct experience with. In that regard, the book almost reads like a continuous narrative, fully of intrigue and personal connections. What surprised me in particular were the findings of the author.He clearly exposed the myths behind much of the countrys fears fears that turn out to be nearly entirely fictitious or so incredible as to be nearly laughable. Then he does something important and which caused my surprise. He listed the fears that all Americans should actually be concerned with. These are the issues that most citizens will encounter on a daily basis and should be crowing their attention rather than the stories at the top of newspaper headlines. Motor vehicle injuries, drowning, fires, head injuries to children from bicycle accidents, t hese are the realities of danger in America.And these can be prevented. Safer vehicles, more restrictive drivers licenses, and bicycle helmet laws these are the tools of the fearful citizen that can bring some peace to life. I never thought that Glassner would make such a strong point out of such mundane information. It do me want to actually change my personal living styles, and not in the manner of investing in gas masks or bunkers. Naturally, the book is not perfect. Probably the greatest weakness is the ability of it to be dismissed as a big government bashing book. It could be accused of having an agenda.It is fairly well-grounded handed when it comes to discussing the media and the governments efforts at propagating fears among the population. Perhaps Glassner could have helped himself some by providing statistical analysis of actual terrorist linked events over the line of credit of the century. This may have more convincingly pointed out just how anachronous the terror attacks of Fall 2001 really were, and remain. Rather than describe the governments reaction to it, he could have simply left it at that and indisputable the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.But that is a subaltern point. One area that could have been covered differently is that chapter on juvenility at Risk. With a subtitle of Faulty Diagnoses and Callous Cures one would expect that it would be a medically related chapter. Indeed that it is. However, I pure tone that the chapter rather disregards the pervasive depression and angst that this generation seems to be finding themselves in. It would egress at least from common experience that these troubles which are leading to more and more suicides and bullying are real and worth a upright look.It is not as if Glassner just glosses over these things, but I cipher that his overall take on the situation is not serious enough. He instead appears to have it out for the medical establishment. Some could say that this trivial izes the problems that teens at present are undergoing. I think that would be an accurate indictment. The chapter could either have been more aimed that direction, or perhaps could be eliminated altogether as a general fear among the United States population at large. SummationBarry Glassners book The Culture of Fear is one to be read. It is quite well-to-do to recommend. Primarily it is because the books audience is also the general population. Every reader would know a potential reader in a neighbor, co-worker, relative. Glassner makes his point very clear the culture of fear is absolutely pervasive. We are all a part of this society that lives in near continuous paranoia over things that probably will never happen and we ignore what we probably should fear on a daily basis.That is what is so ultimately compel about the book. It is nearly a handbook for peaceful living. The Culture of Fear makes promises through its introduction and its chapter titles, and it delivers. The pro se is concise and clearly understandable. The scenarios, likewise, are situations in which nearly every reader can either imagine, or has actually experienced. This lends an minute authority and trustworthiness to the book. And after all, where there is trustworthy authority, there is prudent consideration of fears itself.