Culture Wars

Culture Wars by Tim Dunlop looks at why political debate in Australia so often turns into a fight over identity, values and belonging, and what that has meant for democratic life. Rather than treating culture wars as a sideshow, Dunlop argues they have become central to how contemporary politics operates, shaping elections, public institutions and the way we see one another. Tracing a longer history from Federation through the Howard era and into the present, he examines how political and media systems can intensify these conflicts, and how they are sometimes deliberately used to divide and mobilise voters. The book also considers the influence of market economics, media concentration, social media and global political movements, and closes with a clear-eyed but hopeful sense of how these dynamics might be defused. Useful additional information Author: Tim Dunlop