Wuthnow Chapter Review: Obligation and Perceptions of Equality
This essay asks you to analyze one of two chapters of Wuthnow's The Left Behind in greater detail and connect it thematically to some of the other course readings.
This assignment should:
Be three double-spaced pages (at least 800 words)
Focus on either chapter one or chapter two of the Left Behind
Engage with one other major reading (Pericles' speeches or Wollstonecraft's book)
Your essay should address the following questions:
What are the major arguments of the chapter? How do the arguments of the chapter connect to Wuthnow's overall thesis/goals in the book?
What specific evidence does Wuthnow use in the chapter? Is the evidence effective in supporting the chapter's arguments?
How do the major themes of the chapter connect to another reading? Some themes you might consider focusing on include:
The obligation of residents to their community
The way insider/outsider relationships are created or reinforced
Perceptions of equality or inequality (on issues of gender, race/ethnicity, or class)
What is your own reaction to the chapter?
Use specific evidence – especially direct quotations – to support your points
There is no need for formal citations; for direct quotations from Wuthnow's book, just include a page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence
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Wuthnow Chapter Review
In the chapter titled 'Communities,' Wuthnow shares some of the results from his field interviews with residents of three different rural towns to support his argument. This paper presents a review of the chapter.
One of the central arguments of Wuthnow's chapter on communities is that rural America comprises small communities. He demonstrates his arguments using examples of residents in three rural towns. He reveals that, indeed, most residents in rural America consider themselves a part of the community in which they reside. He further posits that most rural residents consider these small communities home (Wuthnow, p.13). This argument connects with his overall thesis in the book because it shows how valuable community is in rural America, and anything that threatens it is unwelcome. Another argument is that rural residents in these communities have a sense of moral obligation to one another. Wuthnow argues that in these rural towns, "speaking to a neighbor… and attending some of the town's community functions" is required as part of being a community member (p.14). This argument connects to his overall thesis in the book in that it shows that for rural America, maintaining the social order and preserving the social fabric is more important than any self-interests that individual residents might have. Thus, any actions that threaten the social order build anger and resentment, which explains why rural Americans are angry.
Wuthnow uses the results from his field research to support his arguments in the chapter. Specifically, he uses interviews in his field research to uncover evidence. He interviewed residents from three rural towns to understand their culture, interactions, sense of obligation to themselves and their community, and feelings of oneness/sameness. For instance, he interviewed Karen Meeks of Fairfield, a rural town, and gathered from her that the rural community residents consider their community their home. Wuthnow notes that for Karen Meeks, Fairfield is "inextricably woven into her sense of who she is and why she has worth (p.20)." These interviews provide credible evidence in support of Wuthnow's arguments. They effectively communicate to the reader not only about the culture of rural residents but also their feelings, values, and the meaning they derive from their community. For instance, Wuthnow's interview with Mr. Somers of Newborough explains that it feels like home because "you can walk up Main Street and have eye contact with virtu...