A Nation Of Meddlers (ePub)

We have become a nation of informers and professional meddlers. From social action and concerned citizen groups to psychiatrists and government bureaucrats, there is always someone watching. This book gets to the heart of Americas most visible obsession.. Meddling in the lives of others is now the republics most visible obsession; Americans are meddling into each others lives as never before. Working within the symbolic interactionist tradition of cultural analysis and criticism, Charles Edgley and Dennis Brissett analyze this emergent phenomenon with insightful and provocative descriptions about how we came to be this way, why meddling is so appealing, and how meddling is packaged and marketed. }There was a time when the phrase Its none of your business meant something. Not anymore. A boorish and persistent army of meddlers, equipped with righteous indignation and a formidable array of theories and technologies, has made almost everyones business its own. Meddling in the lives of others is now the republics most visible obsession. From national crusades against bad habits such as drinking, smoking, and gambling to the efforts of a group in Woodbury, Minnesota, to create a fragrance-free work environment, Americans are meddling into each others lives as never before. Often masquerading as social concern or community involvement, the contemporary meddlers intervene in the name of most everything: health, safety, the commonweal, God, and for the sake of the children.Working within the symbolic interactionist tradition of cultural analysis and criticism, Charles Edgley and Dennis Brissett analyze this emergent phenomenon with insightful and provocative descriptions about how we came to be this way, why meddling is so appealing, and how meddling is packaged and marketed. Their conclusion offers wise and sometimes witty cautions about the proper relationship between the individual and society. }