Latest news with #AmericanSociologicalAssociation
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why Many Women Pretend They're Happy In A Marriage That's Not Working
On the outside, it looks like she has it all together—smiling at dinner parties, posting anniversary tributes on Instagram, going through the motions like a perfectly content wife. But inside, many women are quietly enduring marriages that feel more like performance art than partnership. Why? Because the social script tells them that being a "good wife" means preserving the illusion of happiness at all costs. Whether it's fear of judgment, financial dependency, or emotional exhaustion, the reasons women fake marital bliss are layered and complex. Some don't even realize they're doing it—it's just what's expected. But under the surface, a quiet kind of grief is growing. These are the signs and reasons women stay in performative relationships—and why it's more common than you think. One of the main reasons women fake happiness is the crushing social pressure not to 'fail' at marriage. Divorce still carries a cultural stigma—especially for women—despite how common it is. According to the American Sociological Association, women initiate nearly 70% of divorces, but they often wait years because of the fear of being judged. Admitting you're unhappy feels like an admission of failure, not a step toward freedom. Many women also fear being labeled as difficult, ungrateful, or unable to 'keep a man,' especially in communities where marriage is seen as a moral achievement. This fear can be paralyzing and leads to years of pretending everything is fine when it's far from it. From early on, many women are taught that being a devoted wife is one of the ultimate goals. So even when a marriage feels lonely or misaligned, walking away can feel like an identity crisis. She's been trained to invest so much of her worth in the title of 'wife' that losing the marriage feels like losing herself. Pretending to be happy becomes part of upholding that identity. If she looks like she's winning the game—perfect house, devoted husband, beautiful family—then maybe no one will ask what's actually going on behind the curated life. In many marriages, women carry the emotional labor: managing the household, planning social calendars, soothing conflicts, and holding everyone's feelings. Over time, this unrelenting pressure breeds resentment and burnout. As reported in The New York Times, women consistently report higher stress levels than men, especially those in caregiving or family-oriented roles. By the time she realizes how emotionally drained she is, she's often too tired to rock the boat. So she fakes the smile, cooks the dinner, and tries not to think too hard about what's missing. Economic dependence is one of the most overlooked reasons women stay in unhappy marriages. For many, leaving isn't just emotional—it's financial. Especially if she stepped back from a career to raise children or manage the home, the thought of re-entering the workforce can be terrifying. Pretending to be happy becomes a survival tactic. She keeps the peace because she literally can't afford not to. Financial entanglement becomes emotional imprisonment. Mothers often put their children's perceived stability ahead of their own well-being. Many fear that divorce will ruin their kids' lives, so they stick it out, thinking the sacrifice is noble. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals, what actually harms children most is exposure to chronic tension, silence, or emotional detachment between parents. Staying in a marriage that lacks love or intimacy may model unhealthy relationships for kids more than it protects them. But the pressure to perform for the sake of family optics is a powerful silencer. When she voices her pain, she's told she's overreacting. When she asks for emotional connection, she's met with defensiveness or stonewalling. Over time, this gaslighting erodes her confidence. She begins to wonder: 'Is it me?' Rather than confront the dysfunction, she starts minimizing her needs to keep the peace. Faking happiness becomes less about deception and more about emotional self-preservation. Many women were raised to believe that being a wife means enduring discomfort, swallowing disappointment, and serving others first. Cultural and religious narratives often glorify female self-sacrifice, framing it as strength. As psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula explains, this martyrdom mindset keeps many women stuck in quietly miserable relationships. Pretending to be happy becomes a twisted form of virtue. She believes the suffering makes her 'strong,' even as it slowly chips away at her mental health. Hope can be a powerful drug. Maybe he wasn't always this disengaged. Maybe there's still a version of him she could reach—if she just tried harder, waited longer, changed herself. So she waits. Pretending to be content becomes a placeholder while she clings to the version of the marriage she wishes she had. If everyone around her is also settling, it's easy to convince herself this is just what long-term relationships look like. Shared dissatisfaction becomes the new normal, and unhappiness gets written off as 'marriage fatigue.' She fakes a smile at dinner parties not because she's happy—but because admitting otherwise might break the social contract. When everyone's pretending, honesty becomes the loneliest option. If she grew up in a household where conflict was unsafe, she may default to harmony at all costs. Speaking up feels like opening Pandora's box. So she swallows the frustration, avoids the hard conversations, and perfects the performance. Faking happiness becomes a trauma response, not a conscious choice. It's what feels safest—even when it's slowly suffocating. The idea of ending a marriage and starting from scratch—emotionally, logistically, financially—is overwhelming. Especially if she's older, has kids, or has been out of the dating world for years, the unknown feels worse than the familiar pain. So she stays. And she performs happiness like it's a part of her routine, even if it stopped feeling true long ago. Sometimes, the pain is more complicated than just disliking your partner. She might still love him deeply—but feel unfulfilled, disconnected, or fundamentally mismatched in the life they've built together. That contradiction is hard to hold. So she pretends it's simpler than it is, because naming the truth would mean facing some painful, grown-up decisions. After years of pretending, she may have forgotten what genuine joy, intimacy, or emotional connection feels like. The performance has become second nature. She checks all the boxes, does all the things, and smiles for the photos—but inside, there's a void she can't quite name. And yet, the mask stays on. Because when you've spent years faking it, the idea of undoing that illusion can feel more terrifying than staying in the story you know.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Lonely? Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's got you covered with AI friends
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled plans to combat what Bill Gates recently described as the 'loneliness epidemic' by developing AI-powered companions . This bold move from one of Silicon Valley's most influential figures aims to offer individuals a virtual friend to alleviate feelings of isolation. However, while the idea of AI friends holds promise, technical limitations, societal stigma, and ethical concerns could stand in the way of its success. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India strikes hard! New Delhi bans all imports from Pakistan How Pakistan is preparing for the worst as India weighs response If India attacks Pakistan, China & B'desh should seize 7 NE states, says Yunus' aide Zuckerberg's vision: Virtual companions to fill social gaps In an interview with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Zuckerberg discussed Meta's expanding efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into people's social lives. According to Zuckerberg, the average American has fewer than three close friends, yet many seek deeper connections, with studies suggesting the ideal number of meaningful relationships is closer to 15. Zuckerberg's response to this disconnect? AI companions. He outlined Meta's broader vision for generative AI technologies, including chatbots designed to act as emotional support, conversation partners, or even stand-ins for therapists and romantic partners. "As generative AI gains broader adoption, people are already leaning on it for more than just tasks," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 3 minutes, if you own a mouse Undo Zuckerberg acknowledged that the technology remains in its early stages, and AI companions are still far from replacing real human connection. But he remains confident that as AI improves, these virtual companions will become more sophisticated and increasingly capable of engaging users on a personal level. However, the idea of relying on AI for emotional support isn't without its challenges. "We need to find the vocabulary as a society to articulate why this is valuable and why people choosing this are rational," Zuckerberg explained. He pointed out that while human connection is irreplaceable, many people struggle to make the connections they desire, and AI could fill that void. Live Events The loneliness epidemic: A growing crisis The demand for AI companionship is rooted in an increasing sense of social isolation . In 2023, a study by the American Sociological Association revealed that 30% of U.S. adults reported having three or fewer close friends. The COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote work have only worsened this trend, particularly for younger generations. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness a public health crisis in 2023, linking it to various mental and physical health risks. With people feeling increasingly isolated, especially in a digital age that often leaves meaningful interactions by the wayside, AI-powered companions could offer an accessible, scalable solution to loneliness. This shift aligns with the rise of apps like Replika, an AI chatbot that users have turned to for companionship. These apps have garnered millions of users, some of whom have reported forming genuine emotional bonds with their AI friends. However, AI companionship remains a controversial subject, with experts warning about the potential consequences of substituting real-world human interactions with virtual ones. Can AI fill the void? Despite the potential benefits, several challenges must be addressed. On a technical level, current AI chatbots like Meta's Llama and Microsoft's Copilot are still limited in their emotional understanding and ability to provide long-term companionship. These tools are designed for task-based interactions rather than emotional engagement, making them far from a substitute for human connection. Ethically, the concept of AI companions raises concerns. Critics argue that relying on virtual friends could erode human empathy and lead to further social isolation. There's also the risk that AI could be used to manipulate users, encouraging them to spend more time in virtual environments or make purchases based on emotional responses. Zuckerberg himself has acknowledged the controversy. While Meta's AI tools offer exciting potential, they have also sparked concern. Just days before his interview with Patel, reports surfaced that Meta staff had raised alarms about the risks of underage users being exposed to explicit content from its AI chatbots. Moreover, some AI bots have been found making false claims about being licensed therapists, leading to potential dangers for vulnerable users. As AI technology evolves, it's possible that virtual companions could become a part of many people's lives. However, whether AI friends will be embraced by society is still uncertain. Critics argue that replacing human relationships with AI could have unintended consequences. Some worry about the potential harm to emotional development, particularly for younger people who may form unhealthy attachments to their virtual friends. Meta's venture into AI companions is just one of the many ways companies are exploring the intersection of technology and mental health. While Zuckerberg's vision may hold promise, the technology's long-term impact on human relationships remains to be seen. Mark Zuckerberg's vision of AI companions to tackle loneliness highlights the growing concern over social isolation in the modern world. While the promise of AI friends is intriguing, challenges related to technology, ethics, and societal acceptance must be overcome. The future of virtual companionship is uncertain, but as AI continues to evolve, it could play a significant role in reshaping how we connect with each other.
Boston Globe
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Herbert J. Gans, who upended myths on urban and suburban life, dies at 97
His writing was a tour of Americana from the postwar years into the new millennium, exploring race relations, economic problems, highbrow and popular cultures, nostalgia for the rural past, and a plethora of provocative questions: Why do the poor get poorer and the rich richer? Can Jews and Italians get along in Canarsie? Is landmarks preservation elitist? And what's to be done about the New York Yankees? Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He was also a liberal activist, opposing the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration's efforts to muzzle the press, testifying for comedian Lenny Bruce in his 1964 obscenity trial, campaigning for the release of imprisoned sociologists in communist Hungary, and serving as a consultant to antipoverty programs and city planners. Advertisement When racial riots racked urban America, he drafted part of the Kerner Commission's 1967 report on the causes and testified that the uprisings were due, above all, to segregation and unemployment, and that only a national jobs program, desegregation, and income-redistribution efforts could solve the crisis. Advertisement As president of the American Sociological Association in 1988-89, he urged colleagues to get closer to their subjects and to write more intelligibly. Sociological studies had long been academically insular, dense with statistics and scientific jargon. But Dr. Gans set an example by inserting himself into the communities and institutions he studied, becoming what he called a 'participant-observer,' and writing lucid prose for ordinary readers. During a bad stretch for the Yankees in 1984, for example, a colleague might have intoned: 'Available evidence would tend to indicate that it is not unreasonable to suppose that a professional athletic entity domiciled in the Bronx, with an ownership in large part under the aegis of a powerful individual, might be elevated to its previous status by transference to the very municipality in which its activity takes place.' Dr. Gans, in The New York Times, wrote: 'New York City ought to take over the New York Yankees.' His findings were often surprising. For his first book, 'The Urban Villagers: Groups and Class in the Life of Italian-Americans' (1962), he immersed himself in the life of Boston's working-class West End. The area was later bulldozed for 'slum clearance,' and he lamented the destruction of a vibrant community. A half-century later, the book still stood as a classic statement against indiscriminate urban renewal. Similarly, Dr. Gans challenged conventional wisdom about postwar suburbia in 'The Levittowners' (1967). For more than two years, he lived in Levittown, N.J., later renamed Willingboro, and concluded that the residents had strong social, economic and political commitments, and that notions of suburbanites as conformist, anxious, bored, cultureless, insecure social climbers were wrong. Dr. Gans, a regular contributor to the Times who also wrote for The Washington Post, Commentary, Dissent, The Nation, The New Republic, and many professional journals, explored in 'Deciding What's News' (1979) how television networks and newsmagazines determined what to cover. Over a span of 15 years, he spent many months with journalists at 'CBS Evening News,' 'NBC Nightly News,' Newsweek, and Time. Advertisement He found that America's news was more about politics than government and personalities than issues; that deadlines left little time for context or accuracy; and that beat reporters often censored themselves to protect sources. He recommended larger staffs, wider perspectives and, to cover the extra costs, federal subsidies such as those given by the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. In 'The War Against the Poor' (1995), Dr. Gans scathingly attacked attitudes of the affluent and middle classes and words used to stereotype and stigmatize the poor by questioning their morality and values. One culprit, he said, was 'underclass,' with its connotation of permanence, and its presumption that all the men are lazy, all the women immoral, and all the poor too undisciplined to escape welfare dependencies. Returning to the media in 'Democracy and the News' (2003), he argued that traditional journalism and an informed citizenry had been weakened by proliferating internet and cable news outlets, the growth of big corporations and special interest groups, and media monoliths obsessed with profits. He prescribed greater newsroom diversity and stiffer walls between editorial and business sides of news organizations. In his 2008 book, 'Imagining America in 2033: How the Country Put Itself Together After Bush,' Dr. Gans depicted a utopian future that had overcome many economic, military, and social problems with progressive ideals and a more humane approach to democracy. Advertisement Herbert Julius Gans was born May 7, 1927, in Cologne, Germany, to Carl and Elise (Plaut) Gans. As World War II enveloped Europe, he and his parents fled to England in 1939 and to America a year later. He joined a generation devoted to radio series such as 'Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy' and to entertainer Jack Benny, as well as Saturday afternoons at the movies: a double feature, two serials, and six cartoons for a dime. 'My interest in American popular culture grew out of coming from Nazi Germany, where there was no such culture,' he told the Times in 1985. 'We came in 1940, moved to Chicago, started out poor. I remember reading a year's comic strips in newspapers the landlady had in her basement.' He became an American citizen in 1945 and served 14 months in the Army. At the University of Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1947 and a master's in 1950, he studied under sociologists Earl Johnson and Everett Hughes, who stressed the importance of urban field work, and began a lifelong friendship with David Riesman, a Harvard University sociologist whose 1950 book, 'The Lonely Crowd,' was a classic study of postwar conformity. After several years as a planner for public and private agencies, in which he planned two towns in the Mesabi Iron Range of Northeast Minnesota, he taught urban studies at the University of Pennsylvania from 1953-64 and earned his doctorate there in 1957, studying primarily with Martin Meyerson, a prominent scholar of urban design. His first marriage, to artist Iris Lezak, ended in divorce. In 1967, he married Louise Gruner, a lawyer, who survives him. In addition to her and their son, David, he leaves a grandson. Advertisement Dr. Gans taught sociology at Columbia Teachers College from 1964-69 and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1969-71, then joined the Columbia University faculty. He became professor emeritus when he retired in 2007. His letters to the editor were often published by the Times. In 1986, he took issue with an editorial, 'Dear DC Comics,' suggesting that Clark Kent's future in journalism might be as an editorial writer. No, no, no, Dr. Gans wrote, Superman would soon be caught in conflicts of interest -- battling villains supported by the newspaper. 'Better make him a movie reviewer,' he suggested. 'Or how about the obits?' This article originally appeared in
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Herbert Gans, leading sociologist and media analyst, dies at 97
Herbert Gans, a groundbreaking sociologist and media analyst who advocated for greater diversity and public participation in everything from the suburbs and the arts to the voices that shape the news, died Monday at age 97. His death was confirmed by his son, David Gans, who said he died at his Manhattan home after a lengthy illness. Author of such influential works as 'The Urban Villagers' and 'The Levittowners,' Herbert Gans was a refugee from Nazi Germany who liked to say he viewed his adopted country through the eyes of an outsider. He called himself a 'participant-observer,' combining research and direct experience and lending crucial perspective on municipal planning, attitudes toward race and poverty, mass communication and cultural tastes. A professor emeritus at Columbia University and former president of the American Sociological Association, he believed in making scholarly work accessible, and was a popular commentator and prolific essay writer. He served on the committee that prepared the Kerner Report, the 1968 government study that warned the country was 'moving toward two societies, one Black, one white — separate and unequal.' In 1964, he testified on behalf of Lenny Bruce when the comedian was on trial for obscenity. Prolific writer and 'participant observer' Gans wrote often about the local impact of government policy. In 'The Urban Villagers,' released in 1962, he chronicled (and lived in) a blue-collar Italian-American section of Boston's West End that would soon be torn down in favor of more expensive housing. The sociologist Nathan Glazer would praise the book's critique of 'urban renewal' and detailed portrait of those displaced for describing 'truthfully and without damaging preconceptions a part of American reality.' 'The Levittowners,' published in 1967, countered the prevalent feeling of the time that suburbs bred conformity and despair. Gans lived for two years in a New Jersey suburb designed by William Levitt, whose 'Levittowns' helped define the modern bedroom community. Gans didn't dispute that boredom and homogeneity existed in the suburbs, but concluded that most of the residents were satisfied; the suburbs were less likely to change the people who moved there than to provide what they had been looking for. 'I should like to emphasize once more that whatever its imperfections, Levittown is a good place to live,' Gans wrote. '(T)he most urgent priority is to make the benefits of suburban living available to the poor and nonwhite families, now condemned to slum ghettos, who want to give their children and themselves a better life beyond the city limits.' Gans' 'Deciding What's News,' which came out in 1979, was a snapshot of the peak of print journalism and network power. Focusing on the evening broadcasts of NBC and CBS and the news magazines Time and Newsweek, he spent extensive time with reporters in the 1960s and '70s and noted what they covered, what they didn't cover and the thinking behind their choices, whether the pressures of executives, concerns about objectivity or changes in public concerns. He found the news-gathering process to be honest and well intended. But Gans worried that organizations were more invested in stability and the status quo than in fully informing the public, with journalists drawing upon familiar sources in government and business and spending much of their private time with those of their social class. As a solution, Gans proposed 'Multiperspectivism,' allowing everyone from radical leftists to religious fundamentalists to express their views. 'For those who feel, as I do, that the interests of diverse groups have priority over the needs of nation and society, multiperspectival news and some decentralization of the national media are preferable,' he wrote. 'It would be a good deal more effective if it coincided with widespread public demand for greater popular representation in the economy and the polity.' Gans' other books included 'Middle American Individualism,' 'The War Against the Poor' and 'People, Plans and Policies.' In 'Imagining America in 2033,' published in 2009, he outlined his hopes for a 'fairer economy, a more democratic polity, and institutions that cater to a greater extent to the people they are supposed to serve.' A strong belief in the importance of diversity Born in Cologne, Germany to middle-class Jewish parents, Gans and has family fled the Nazis in 1939, moving first to England and settling in Chicago in 1940. Gans became a naturalized citizen in 1945 and served in the Army in 1945-46. He had already liked reading sociology in high school and studied it as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, where he became close to such faculty members as the social scientist Martin Meyerson and David Reisman, the future author of 'The Lonely Crowd,' the classic portrait of social anxiety in 1950s America. Gans received a master's in sociology from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D., in 1957, from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Teachers College before joining Columbia in 1971 and remaining until 2007. He also worked in local government, as an assistant planner for the Chicago Housing Authority, and at the federal level with the predecessor to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was married twice, most recently to Louise Gruner. Gans was a highly educated, liberal Democrat whose belief in diversity meant he resisted imposing his tastes, whether upon his neighbors in Levittown or upon his readers. In the 1974 book 'Popular Culture and High Culture,' he disputed the idea that so-called elite tastes were superior to those of the masses and criticized scholars who followed 'their own standard of the good life.' He wrote, 'all people have a right to the culture they prefer, regardless of whether it is high or popular. The book is thus an argument for cultural democracy and an argument against the idea that only the cultural expert knows what is good for people and for society.'
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Herbert Gans, leading sociologist and media analyst, dies at 97
NEW YORK: Herbert Gans, a groundbreaking sociologist and media analyst who advocated for greater diversity and public participation in everything from the suburbs and the arts to the voices that shape the news, died Monday at age 97. His death was confirmed by his son, David Gans, who said he died at his Manhattan home after a lengthy illness. Author of such influential works as 'The Urban Villagers' and 'The Levittowners,' Herbert Gans was a refugee from Nazi Germany who liked to say he viewed his adopted country through the eyes of an outsider. He called himself a 'participant-observer,' combining research and direct experience and lending crucial perspective on municipal planning, attitudes toward race and poverty, mass communication and cultural tastes. A professor emeritus at Columbia University and former president of the American Sociological Association, he believed in making scholarly work accessible, and was a popular commentator and prolific essay writer. He served on the committee that prepared the Kerner Report, the 1968 government study that warned the country was 'moving toward two societies, one Black, one white — separate and unequal.' In 1964, he testified on behalf of Lenny Bruce when the comedian was on trial for obscenity. Prolific writer and 'participant observer' Gans wrote often about the local impact of government policy. In 'The Urban Villagers,' released in 1962, he chronicled (and lived in) a blue-collar Italian-American section of Boston's West End that would soon be torn down in favor of more expensive housing. The sociologist Nathan Glazer would praise the book's critique of 'urban renewal' and detailed portrait of those displaced for describing 'truthfully and without damaging preconceptions a part of American reality.' 'The Levittowners,' published in 1967, countered the prevalent feeling of the time that suburbs bred conformity and despair. Gans lived for two years in a New Jersey suburb designed by William Levitt, whose 'Levittowns' helped define the modern bedroom community. Gans didn't dispute that boredom and homogeneity existed in the suburbs, but concluded that most of the residents were satisfied; the suburbs were less likely to change the people who moved there than to provide what they had been looking for. 'I should like to emphasize once more that whatever its imperfections, Levittown is a good place to live,' Gans wrote. '(T)he most urgent priority is to make the benefits of suburban living available to the poor and nonwhite families, now condemned to slum ghettos, who want to give their children and themselves a better life beyond the city limits.' Gans' 'Deciding What's News,' which came out in 1979, was a snapshot of the peak of print journalism and network power. Focusing on the evening broadcasts of NBC and CBS and the news magazines Time and Newsweek, he spent extensive time with reporters in the 1960s and '70s and noted what they covered, what they didn't cover and the thinking behind their choices, whether the pressures of executives, concerns about objectivity or changes in public concerns. He found the newsgathering process to be honest and well intended. But Gans worried that organizations were more invested in stability and the status quo than in fully informing the public, with journalists drawing upon familiar sources in government and business and spending much of their private time with those of their social class. As a solution, Gans proposed 'Multiperspectivism,' allowing everyone from radical leftists to religious fundamentalists to express their views. 'For those who feel, as I do, that the interests of diverse groups have priority over the needs of nation and society, multiperspectival news and some decentralization of the national media are preferable,' he wrote. 'It would be a good deal more effective if it coincided with widespread public demand for greater popular representation in the economy and the polity.' Gans' other books included 'Middle American Individualism,' 'The War Against the Poor' and 'People, Plans and Policies.' In 'Imagining America in 2033,' published in 2009, he outlined his hopes for a 'fairer economy, a more democratic polity, and institutions that cater to a greater extent to the people they are supposed to serve.' A strong belief in the importance of diversity. Born in Cologne, Germany to middle-class Jewish parents, Gans and has family fled the Nazis in 1939, moving first to England and settling in Chicago in 1940. Gans became a naturalized citizen in 1945 and served in the Army in 1945-46. He had already liked reading sociology in high school and studied it as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, where he became close to such faculty members as the social scientist Martin Meyerson and David Reisman, the future author of 'The Lonely Crowd,' the classic portrait of social anxiety in 1950s America. Gans received a master's in sociology from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D., in 1957, from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Teachers College before joining Columbia in 1971 and remaining until 2007. He also worked in local government, as an assistant planner for the Chicago Housing Authority, and at the federal level with the predecessor to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was married twice, most recently to Louise Gruner. Gans was a highly educated, liberal Democrat whose belief in diversity meant he resisted imposing his tastes, whether upon his neighbors in Levittown or upon his readers. In the 1974 book 'Popular Culture and High Culture,' he disputed the idea that so-called elite tastes were superior to those of the masses and criticized scholars who followed 'their own standard of the good life.' He wrote, 'all people have a right to the culture they prefer, regardless of whether it is high or popular. The book is thus an argument for cultural democracy and an argument against the idea that only the cultural expert knows what is good for people and for society.'
