The horizontal society

Description:

Modern technology has radically and irretrievably altered our sense of identity and hence our social, political, and legal life, argues Lawrence M. Friedman in this new book. In traditional societies, he explains, relationships and identities were strongly vertical: there was a clear line of authority from top to bottom, and identity was fixed by one's birth or social position. But in modern society, identity and authority have become much more horizontal: people feel freer to choose who they are and to form relationships on a plane of equality. Friedman examines how modern life centers on human identity seen in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion, and how this new way of defining oneself affects politics, social structure, and the law.

subjects: Social values,  Group identity,  Ethnicity,  Social history,  Groepen (sociologie),  SOCIAL SCIENCE,  Popular Culture,  Identificatie (psychologie),  Cultural,  Sociale waarden,  POLITICAL SCIENCE,  Anthropology,  Public Policy,  Cultural Policy,  Sociological jurisprudence,  Social history, modern, 1500-,  Equality,  Social classes,  Popular culture, united states,  New York Times reviewed

Times: 20th century