Building a Community of Citizens: Civil Society in the 21st Century

By Don E. Eberly

This book explores the condition of American civil society, evaluates the forces-political, social, demographic, and global-that are operating upon it, and provides critical thinking on how to strengthen it in the decades ahead. Drawing from some of the country's leading thinkers, it looks candidly at the stress fractures on American society- issues such as the underclass, gender, family, and religion, and concludes with five philosophical perspectives: libertarian, populist, communitarian, traditionalist, and the political and cultural center.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0819196142
• ISBN13: 9780819196149
• Release Date: November 1994
• Publisher: University Press of America
• Length: 550 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

An excellent discussion of American culture.

The twenty-three chapters are each written by a different scholar and are brought together by editor Don Eberly. This remarkable collection gives clear insights into the world around each of us in America. The discussions enlighten us about areas of thought that we each know are important in our lives, but may not have taken the time to think through. This collection brings many ideas together for those individuals who believe in the future of America and a quest for a civil society. Each chapter unfolds our society starting with the basic "building blocks" and moves us through the trends we find ourselves in and then points out ways to build on what we have. The process of life in America is such that we can not go back to what was, but we can go forward from where we are. This book is execllent reading.