Insights from Yesteryear's Sociology Explored in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons

TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The divisiveness in today's America was predicted by progressive commentators 50 years ago, writes Craig Cantoni in the fall issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Cantoni reviews the writings of New York senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and sociologist Nathan Glazer. In 1963, thee two co-published a book titled Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City. In 1965, while serving as Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Lyndon B. Johnson, Moynihan authored his controversial report on black poverty, "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action." In 1988, Glazer wrote The Limits of Social Policy.

"The two followed the facts, even if the facts went against their ideology," writes Cantoni. "That's a rarity in today's divided America."

Both would likely be "canceled" today, Cantoni states. They highlight the importance of stable families and traditional structures found in the ethnic group, the neighborhood, and the church, in enabling people to overcome poverty and discrimination. They warned of the harmful trend of the distillation of the scores of ethnic groups in the nation into a handful of contrived racial categories.

"This corruption of history and sociology has led 51 years later to today's racial identity politics," Cantoni writes.

Glazer explained that our social policies were weakening traditional structures further "and making matters in some important respects worse. We are making no steady headway against a sea of misery. Our efforts to deal with distress are themselves increasing distress."

Research shows, Cantoni concludes, that "where social policies and/or cultural norms have resulted in broken families and communities, it is exceedingly difficult to remedy educational disparities, income inequality, and self-defeating behavior. Too many of today's social 'scientists'?really ideologues?refuse to accept this, and instead, blame white privilege and institutional racism."

The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.

SOURCE Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)