Secular Crisis and Identity Crisis—American Style

The recent flare up at the American Anthropological Society (AAA) about whether or not they would use the word science in a mission statement reminded me that I haven’t clearly articulated the concept of secular crisis.  In my first essay about the AAA problem I made the comment that they were in an identity crisis. Let’s take a look at what this means.

In the context that I am using the phrase, identity crisis is a social problem.  AAA is an organization whose members join freely because they have some common ground that unites them.  The crisis occurs because that common ground is shaken by new ideas and new power structures among members—the overall trust that exists within the organization becomes mistrust. The group no longer has unified goals and objectives. The crisis is resolved when some resemblance of trust is reestablished; they may or may not redefine their goals and objectives.

Sometimes an identity crisis can be transformative.  In the 1970s-1980s the industry of medicine went through an identity crisis that led to the deprofessionalization of medicine.  In those years the roles and responsibilities of doctors and nurses were redefined (probably due to insurance companies getting more power over the industry).  Part of the resolution was the wider acceptance of other roles (the physician assistant & nurse practitioner) that previously had been minor within the industry.

Likewise, the profession of journalism is currently in an identity crisis.  Journalists are fighting the same battle as AAA. The recent debate between Ted Koppel and Keith Olbermann was about those who adhere to the ethos of Modernism (Koppel) and those who don’t. (Olbermann is similar to the Romantic scientists--he claims to be doing good journalism without adhering to the narrow strictures of old Modernism; Romantic scientists pursue a expanded version of science and don't limit themselves to narrow causality or positivism). Within AAA it’s the Modernist scientists who feel that they are marginalized (Peter Peregrine’s closing comments here) while the Romantic scientists and non scientists are okay with the way things are. Remember, Modernism is fading in American culture while Romanticism is raging.

Additionally, journalism is deprofessionalizing. The rise of the internet, the rise of bloggers, the decline in newspaper readership, and the decline in TV viewing, all point to the transformation of journalism.  Will it survive? I don’t care and I don’t expect Modernist journalism to rebound.

Now, take the idea of identity crisis and step it up a whole level of scale and think about a whole society that is undergoing an identity crisis.  Do the majority of Americans still believe we are Number One? Are we still a superpower? Is the US dollar still the most powerful currency? Is the US military still the best functioning weapon in the world?  Today, it seems that there is much doubt about positive answers to all these questions.  America is in secular crisis.

A secular crisis is a culture wide identity crisis.  However, it has other attributes that make it different such as:  it is transformative because a status quo is changed, genocidal warfare is common, and it is recursive in American culture history.  Previously, I reviewed the cultural eras in American history.  The secular crisis is winter within the Four Seasons theme. Let’s review the crises.

The Glorious Revolution (ca. 1676-1700) from the perspective of colonists

   Identity question: do English colonists have full rights as English citizens?

   Events: King Philip’s War (genocidal); governors from all colonies are evicted via several rebellions; CT, MA and RI colonial charters are terminated-all three are combined into a provisional colony called New England; Salem witch trials.

   Status Quo change: King James dethroned with William and Mary seated jointly; new colonial governors seated.

   Identity resolution:  Colonists are not English citizens with full rights; colonial charters rewritten.

The American Revolution (ca. 1763-1794) from the perspective of colonists

   Identity question: do English colonists have full rights as English citizens?

   Events: Succession (independence); civil war (Continentals v Redcoats); genocidal warfare on western front against Indians, and, in the Carolinas as guerilla fighting.

   Status Quo change:  “these” United States created out of the English empire

   Identity resolution: Americans are free of English control; Tories are evicted.

Slavery Conflict/Civil War (ca 1854-1876)

   Identity question:  can we have slavery and believe in freedom too?

   Events: Succession and civil war with widespread genocidal behavior; reconstruction

   Status Quo change:  The Southern power block that had prevailed since the 1790s was overthrown; the federal government became more powerful.

   Identity resolution:  we believe in freedom; slavery abolished; “these United States” became “the United States”

Depression/WWII (ca 1929-1946)

   Identity question:  Are Americans isolationists or are we a superpower?

   Events: depression; WWII with genocide in the Pacific theater

   Status Quo change: Power center of Western Civilization shifts to US from Europe

   Identity resolution:  the US is a superpower.

Our current Crisis of Confidence (ca 2001 to about 2025)

   Identity question:  is US still Number One?

   Events: World Trade Center attack; War on Terrorism, Great Recession; FED owns everything; we can expect an episode of genocidal warfare

   Status Quo change:  US Dollar replaced? Decline in economic and political influence? Will some wealthy folks get lynched?

   Identity resolution: America will either become a more powerful Superpower or a fallen one.

Our current crisis is still unfolding.  I tend to see it as being similar to the Glorious Revolution and the Civil War era since those played out during Dionysian times.  There will be lots of seemingly isolated events that take place that actually are connected reciprocally or reflexively (but not in a cause/effect way). Thus, I can foresee rebellions in several states with the governors and elected bodies being replaced wholesale like.   I can foresee many wealthy families leaving the country or being lynched.  This could all happen as WW3 plays out overseas and our need for collective emotional release allows for some genocidal events. Resolution will come when there is a sense that fairness is returned to the population; America will either become a more powerful Superpower or a fallen one.

Stepping back down to the organization level, AAA isn’t likely to go through a blood bath.  They either agree to get along or break up. Years ago at Stanford U they chose to break up and now there are two Anthropology programs there, the scientists (Department of Anthropological Sciences) and the non scientists (Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology). Must be nice to have the luxury to afford both.