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New Left As Right: Convergent Themes of Political Discontent
Author(s) -
Schweitzer David R.,
Elden James M.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1971.tb00640.x
Subject(s) - dignity , politics , existentialism , left and right , government (linguistics) , political science , social justice , economic justice , new left , convergence (economics) , theme (computing) , sociology , law , public administration , political economy , economic growth , linguistics , philosophy , structural engineering , computer science , economics , engineering , operating system
Boundaries between the New Left and the traditionalist and libertarian factions of the conventional Right are today often obscured by newly emerging issues. This study attempts to clarify some of the new meanings applied to Left and Right, based on comparative survey data from thirdparty activists of the Los Angeles Peace and Freedom County Council and major party activists of the Los Angeles Democrat and Republican County Central Committees, and on participant observation and content analysis of statements presented by representative spokesmen of the New Left and conventional Right. Three basic points of growing convergence between the two political camps are: (a) a joint attack on the increasingly centralized and bureaucratized structure of authority in government and society; (b) a growing existential theme of personal worth, human dignity, and social justice; and (c) the offering of localized and personalized solutions.