Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson

In the following viewpoint, Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson contend that a new American subculture may find healthy ways to merge conservative and progressive ideals. Described as “cultural creatives,” this new subculture refuses to take sides in the culture wars, hoping instead to develop a movement that integrates the best of the “traditional” (conservative) and “modern” (moderate to liberal) value systems. The authors maintain that the cultural creatives’ respect for idealism, spirituality, and diversity makes them the group most likely to bring about positive changes in U.S. society and culture. Sociologist Ray and psychologist Anderson are the authors of The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World, from which this viewpoint is excerpted.

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