Why read Habits of the Heart?

Book cover of Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life

Book description

First published in 1985, "Habits of the Heart" continues to be one of the most discussed interpretations of modern American society, a quest for a democratic community that draws on our diverse civic and religious traditions. In a new preface the authors relate the arguments of the book both to…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked Habits of the Heart as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Gerard A. Hauser

Author

The idea of citizenship is vague and can be complicated. Sometimes it refers to a person recognized as a natural-born or naturalized denizen of a nation, sometimes the right to cast a ballot, sometimes law-abiding behavior, sometimes civic engagement, and, too seldom, engaging in public work. Bellah and his associates conducted a series of interviews with ordinary citizens across the US to ascertain their understanding and values with respect to private and public (citizenly) life.

Overwhelmingly, those interviewed (mostly white, middle-class Americans) attached great value to their private lives, while acknowledging the importance of civic participation. They commonly expressed a…

From Gerard's list on why ordinary citizen voices matter to a democracy.