Small Town in Mass Society
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This study will examine Small Town in Mass Society: Class, Power and Religion in a Rural Community, by Arthur J. Vidich and Joseph Bensman. The analysis will focus on various ways in which the small town is affected by the surrounding urban world, ways which are sometimes subtle and sometimes more obvious. Mass society is viewed as a kind of encroaching enemy which must be kept at bay. It is the view of Vidich and Bensman that the small town does not exist in total contrast to urban or mass society, but is in fact heavily influenced, in one way or another, by that mass urban reality. The major problem of the book is that it is dealing with a reality of thirty years ago. Mass society in the intervening years has drastically changed small town America in ways that this book only begin to hint at. One of the subtle influences of mass society on the small town has to do with the small town's self-image. The authors' examination of Springdale indicates that the small town uses its real or imagined differences with the life and people of mass urban society as a way to bolster its own values, even if there is a level of pretense involved. Springdale residents refer to themselves as "folks" or "country folk" or "good folks," in order to differentiate themselves from those in mass urban society: First and foremost, the term serves to distinguish Springdalers from urban dwellers, who are called "city people," an expression which by the tone in which it is used implies the less fort
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ey essentially mean conformity. Education is seen as a necessity in which fundamentals are instilled. But "the intellectuals" and "the bookish" are not seen as full members in the town (38). The intellectual "is respected for his education, but . . . 'shouldn't be allowed to get into positions of responsibility" (38). As a result, anyone seeking higher education and its rewards tends to leave the town. The chapter on "School Politics" seems to reflect the same kind of petty bickering which dominates urban education.
Religion is a major force in "the social life of Springdale simply because it constitutes so great a part of the publicly visible community activity" (227). Protestantism dominates, and ministers serve as the filter for influence from mass society. In general, whatever he personally believes, he expresses only "accepted uncontroversial dogma" (235). Social policy is not influenced by the church, unlike in mass urban society. In general, "Big universities and city churches are [seen as] seats of secularism and the city influence is held responsible for local immorality and corruption" (104).
Class structure seems to be changing as a result of mass society more than education or religion. Still, those who are wealt
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Approximate Word count = 1360
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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