The horizontal society
By: Lawrence M. Friedman.
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 1999
Place of publication: New Haven, Conn
Language: eng
Number of pages: 310
Subjects: Group identity; Ethnicity; Social values; Social history -- 20th century
Description: Modern technology has radically and irretrievably altered our sense of identity and hence our social, political, and legal life, argues Lawrence M. Friedman in this new book. In traditional societies, he explains, relationships and identities were strongly vertical: there was a clear line of authority from top to bottom, and identity was fixed by one's birth or social position.

But in modern society, identity and authority have become much more horizontal: people feel freer to choose who they are and to form relationships on a plane of equality. Friedman examines how modern life centers on human identity seen in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion, and how this new way of defining oneself affects politics, social structure, and the law.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-298) and index.