Customer Reviews

Middletown in Transition: A Study in Cultural Conflicts (Harvest/HBJ Book)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sociologists Robert and Helen Lynd conducted this remarkable study of a middle-American town (Muncie, Indiana) and its culture in the 1920's. The Lynds were the first to apply techniques of cultural anthropology, as they observed and interviewed ordinary citizens. The Lynds found most persons living in two-parent families (most women were housewives), clear divisions between professionals and the working class, and strong tendencies to conform. The Lynds noted increasing sketicism towards organized religion, politicians, and voting, with the city's business leaders almost exclusively Republican. The Lynds also found parents complaining about their kids avoiding them, staying out too late at parties, and having too much freedom. In turn, the kids felt their parents were uncommunicative, overly strict, and too old-fashioned. Sound familiar? Technology may change - at the time radio's, telephones and refrigerators were new devices in many homes - but human nature pretty much stays the same.

Robert Lynd (1892-1970) and his wife Helen (1896-1982) were highly capable professional sociologists blessed with the uncommon ability (among academics) of writing easy-reading prose. We read this book in college and most of us found it nicely readable and very insightful.