Faded Mosaic

the long version

"Faded Mosaic offers a perspective on American society in which Mr. Clausen shows how cultures have lost power over both our public and private behavior. This largely unrecognized transformation has enormous importance for every area of American life, from marriage to politics. One of its most prevalent social expressions is an aimless, conformist individualism - because there is no longer any source of authority or value outside the self.". "While liberals and radicals welcome the rise of ethnic and minority cultures, and conservatives bemoan public policies they think encourage too much diversity. Mr. Clausen believes they are both factually mistaken. Both views are futile expressions of longing for a world that is gone forever. In Faded Mosaic he brings his analysis down to earth with telling illustrations drawn from contemporary life. He demonstrates how the moral demands and collective identities of America's native and immigrant cultures have vanished."--BOOK JACKET.