The Wilding of America: How Greed and Violence Are Eroding Our Nation's Character (Contemporary Social Issues (New York, N.Y.).) - Softcover

Charles Derber

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312132905 ISBN 13: 9780312132903

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 1996

Synopsis

of teen-age gangs as a metaphor for the problems of our society, a famed sociologist shows how anti-social and ruthlessly individualistic thinking has become pervasive, linking street killings, Wall Street ""killings,"" corporate greed, and the Conservative revolution.

About this title

From Library Journal:

Derber (sociology, Boston Coll.), first explored the "wilding" phenomenon in Money, Murder and the American Dream (Faber, 1992). While the term refers to random street violence such as the brutal beating of a Central Park jogger in 1989, Derber extends the definition to encompass such antisocial behavior as hate crimes, spousal abuse, premeditated murder of parents or children, and less violent acts committed for personal gain. Among the notorious examples are murderers such as the Menendez brothers, Susan Smith, and Rob Marshall (a successful businessman who arranged his wife's murder for her insurance), and junk bond king Michael Milken. Derber sees America's social fabric breaking down at an alarming rate as more people at all social strata pursue divisive and unattainable goals, become frustrated, and react in antisocial ways. He blames Republican social policies for making matters worse, especially by widening the gap between rich and poor, but he remains optimistic that we can stop the trend toward anarchy. His optimism is based on the numerous examples of openness, generosity, and moral idealism he sees as still prevalent in U.S. society. We need to build on the positive examples and thereby resurrect civil society, he notes. Although not everyone will embrace Derber's faith in the social sciences to bring this about, his message needs to be widely read and debated. Highly recommended for most libraries.
Gary D. Barber, SUNY at Fredonia Lib.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Boston College sociologist Derber (Power in the Highest Degree) borrows the term "wilding" from the notorious "Central Park jogger" case?where it referred to gang violence?to encompass economic, political and social abuses based on greed, selfishness and violence. His broad-brush essay, commenting on recent phenomena from the S&L scandal to The Bell Curve to street violence, should interest both communitarians and left-wing social critics. Yes, America's culture of individualism, which has influenced the Menendez brothers as well as Republican government-shredders, can be pernicious, but Derber's suggestion that "the wilding virus" is both cause and consequence discounts factors beyond culture. Thus, while he suggests that we must rebuild cultural institutions such as schools, churches and families, his call for a "social market" that provides European-style benefits such as health care seems quixotic because it does not address the political reform that must come first.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0312132905
• ISBN 13: 9780312132903
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 189