American conservatives advocate traditional values of morality, social order and worry about unmanageable changes in society. Liberals value human reason, progress and fear the oppressive effects of religious dogma. If you’re a liberal, as are the majority of those living Los Angeles, you probably voted for Obama and celebrated his presidency as a long awaited victory over the Bush years. But what if our political stance isn’t sparked consciously or rationally, but rather rationalized?
Using the metaphor of the American Dream to thematically tie in American concerns and political ideologies, Kelly Bulkeley, author of American Dreamers: What Dreams Tell us about the Political Psychology of Conservatives, Liberals, and Everyone Else (published by Beacon Press, 2008) proposes something quite radical: take a closer look at the dreams of Americans and you’ll discover what the American Dream really is.
According to Bulkeley’s extensive research, the dream tendencies of Americans show that their nocturnal activities provide insights about why Republicans and Democrats always disagree and the psychological origins of their political ardor. His research suggests that conservative Americans tend to sleep better, but dream with a lesser creative range than liberals. On the other hand, liberals are more likely to sleep poorly, but dream more creatively. But these studies only scratch the surface of the ideas behind this thought-provoking book. Generally speaking, both political parties seem to oppose one another directly. But, why do these political ideologies seem so neatly divided?
Bulkeley boldly answers this question using over a decade of research material and a group of dreamers, from different political viewpoints, that kept an individual dream journal for one year. He explores how dreams help illustrate our most private concerns, influence our political beliefs and the ways we can use our dreams to create innovative solutions that integrate both conservative and liberal ideals. As the book progresses Bulkeley shows, through the direct study of dream content, that political ideologies cross boundaries. Perhaps your dream content exhibits liberal ideals, but somewhere in the process of creative dreaming, you may witness a glimmer of conservatism and vice versa.
The premise behind the book is simple: exploring dreams grants us new and valuable knowledge about our waking beliefs and realities. Whether you’re a liberal or conservative living in Los Angeles and derive great interest in the subconscious components of political thought, this book offers a unique, yet challenging perspective on the foundations of American political and social ideologies.
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