Cultural Dilemmas of Progressive Politics

Why have conservatives fared better than progressives in recent decades, even though polls show no significant move to the right in public opinion? Cultural Dilemmas of Progressive Politics highlights one reason: that progressives often adopt impoverished modes of discourse, ceding the moral high ground to their conservative rivals. As Stephen Hart shows, however, some progressive groups are pioneering more robust ways of talking about their issues and values, providing examples other progressives could emulate. In case studies of grassroots organizations, Hart shows how each group develops a distinctive way of talking about politics and fashioning characteristic stories and ceremonies. The case studies include extensive treatment of economic justice work in faith-based community organizing, as well as human rights activism in Amnesty International. According to Hart, the way people engage in politics matters just as much as the content of their ideas. When activists engage issues with passion, make the moral basis for their activism clear, and articulate a unified social vision, they challenge the recent ascendancy of conservative discourse.