culture war
What to know
“Culture war” is a recurring term in political discourse that refers to arguments over a broad range of topics, including racial and gender equity, secularism, substance use, education, and freedom of expression.
The term “culture war” is nonspecific and may largely serve to confuse or gloss over issues if it’s used without context. Consider carefully whether the term serves your reporting or if you would do better to choose more precise language. It’s also important to examine whether divisions over an issue are as profound as some sources may make them out to be. Keep in mind that issues like abortion, immigration, and affirmative action aren’t simply “cultural”; they have direct short-and long-term political and socioeconomic impacts on many people.
“Culture war” can reframe topics such as critical race theory, “cancel culture,” immigration reform, book bans, and queer and trans rights in ways that draw attention away from economic and structural forces (e.g., widening inequality). Framing climate science or public health as a “culture war” issue risks obscuring the empirical basis of findings and policies.
For historical context, there have been periods of so-called “culture wars” before. The term is a translation of Kulturkampf, a 19th-century German government effort to reduce the power of the Roman Catholic Church. In the US, some historians also recognize a 19th-century culture war in the nativist movement, in which Protestants accused Catholic immigrants of having un-American values.
The current usage of “culture war” seems to have emerged in the late 1980s and popularized in the early 1990s through the work of sociologist James Davison Hunter. Academics and pundits analyzed the conservative backlash to progressive social movements of prior decades. In the 1990s, conservative leaders like Pat Buchanan saw outcomes of these movements as evidence of cultural decline. Today the word “woke,” used as an epithet, serves a similar function.
Additional resources
- Why book banning is back in 2022 (Vox)
- The Politics of the Culture Wars in Contemporary America (Manhattan Institute)
- Poll Results: Post-Election Research on Voters’ Opinions on Issues Facing Public Education (National Education Association)
Summary
“Culture war” is a recurring term in political discourse that refers to arguments over a broad range of topics, for instance racial and gender equity, secularism, substance use, and freedom of expression. The term “culture war” is nonspecific and may largely serve to confuse or gloss over issues if it’s used without context. Consider carefully whether the term serves your reporting, and whether divisions over an issue are as profound as some sources may make them out to be. Keep in mind that issues like abortion, immigration, and affirmative action aren’t simply “cultural”; they have direct short-and long-term political and socioeconomic impacts on many people.