{"product_id":"the-lonely-crowd-by-david-riesman","title":"The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"bookpage\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRiesman's 1950 book, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Lonely Crowd\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a sociological study of modern conformity, which postulates the existence of the \"inner-directed\" and \"other-directed\" personalities. Riesman argues that the character of post WWII American society impels individuals to \"other-directedness\", the preeminent example being modern suburbia, where individuals seek their neighbors approval and fear being outcast from their community. This lifestyle has a coercive effect, which compels people to abandon \"inner-direction\" of their lives, and induces them to take on the goals, ideology, likes, and dislikes of their community. Ironically, this creates a tightly grouped crowd of people that is yet incapable of truly fulfilling each other's desire for companionship. The book is considered a landmark study of American character. Riesman was a major public intellectual as well as a sociologist, representing an early example of what sociologists now call \"public sociology.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003esoftcover used book \/ condition good\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Secret Teachings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50520277516473,"sku":null,"price":8.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/4026\/2073\/files\/Untitled_design-205.png?v=1790361550","url":"https:\/\/secretteachings.co\/products\/the-lonely-crowd-by-david-riesman","provider":"Secret Teachings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}