
Us Against Them
Ethnocentric Foundations of American Opinion
University of Chicago Press
Will be published approx. on 1. December 2009
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-0-226-43570-1 (ISBN)
Description
Ethnocentrism - our tendency to partition the human world into in-groups and out-groups - pervades societies around the world. Surprisingly, though, few scholars have explored its role in political life. Donald R. Kinder and Cindy D. Kam fill this gap with "Us Against Them", their definitive explanation of how ethnocentrism shapes American public opinion. Arguing that humans are broadly predisposed to ethnocentrism, Kinder and Kam explore its impact on our attitudes toward an array of issues, including the war on terror, humanitarian assistance, immigration, the sanctity of marriage, and the reform of social programs. The authors ground their study in previous theories from a wide range of disciplines, establishing a new framework for understanding what ethnocentrism is and how it becomes politically consequential. They also marshal a vast trove of survey evidence to identify the conditions under which ethnocentrism shapes public opinion. While ethnocentrism is widespread in the United States, the authors demonstrate that its political relevance depends on circumstance.
Exploring the implications of these findings for political knowledge, cosmopolitanism, and societies outside the United States, Kinder and Kam add a new dimension to our understanding of how democracy functions.
Exploring the implications of these findings for political knowledge, cosmopolitanism, and societies outside the United States, Kinder and Kam add a new dimension to our understanding of how democracy functions.
Reviews / Votes
"Learned, historically grounded, and theoretically ambitious. Seldom have I read social science this well written and broadly conceived. The way that Kinder and Kam weave together decades of important research with their view of ethnocentrism is wonderful." - Samuel L. Popkin, University of California, San Diego"More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago
United States
Publishing group
The University of Chicago Press
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 23 mm
Width: 16 mm
Thickness: 3 mm
Weight
539 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-226-43570-1 (9780226435701)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Kinder Donald R. Kinder | Kam Cindy D. Kam
Us Against Them
Ethnocentric Foundations of American Opinion
E-Book
04/2010
1st Edition
University of Chicago Press
€42.99
Available for download
Persons
Donald R. Kinder is the Philip E. Converse Collegiate Professor in the Department of Political Science and professor of psychology and research professor in the Center for Political Studies of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Cindy D. Kam is associate professor of political science at Vanderbilt University.