Library:The Culture of Fear
| The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things | |
|---|---|
| Author | Barry Glassner |
| First published | 1999 |
| ISBN | — |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Society, Identity & Demographics News Media & Journalism |
| Tactics | Statistical & Evidentiary Distortion Propaganda Technique |
The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things is a 1999 book by Barry Glassner.
Summary
Sociologist Barry Glassner of the University of Southern California examines why Americans in the 1990s feared crime, drugs, plane crashes and other dangers that were declining or rare, while paying less attention to more common risks.
An updated edition was published in 2009.
Key points
- Who benefits. Glassner argues that politicians, advocacy groups and media profit from fear.
- Anecdotes over data. Vivid individual stories stand in for statistics and create the impression of an epidemic.
- Misplaced attention. Panics divert attention and money from real problems, such as poverty.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book offers a toolkit for spotting exaggerated threats, a pattern seen in entries on crime, children and public safety.
Related entries
- Strangers poison children's Halloween candy
- Most abducted children are taken by strangers
- Folk Devils and Moral Panics