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Synopsis
Are the arts good for us? This book questions our taken-for-granted assumptions about the transformational powers of high culture by critiquing an instrumental American heritage of beliefs about the arts. Jensen argues that faith in high culture's unproven ability to transform people and society allows social critics to keep faith with the idea of a democratic society while deploring popular culture. Instead of expecting the arts to improve things (and blaming the media for ruining them) we need to recognize that it is up to us, not _the arts_ to make the world a better place.
Booknews
Jensen (communication, U. of Tulsa) refutes the idea that the arts are good for us<-->a kind of medicine for a less-than-healthy social body<-->and instead defends the arts as just plain good. The idea comes by way of John Dewey and Alexis de Tocqueville, and Jensen advocates it as a more effective way to get funding for the arts in school. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)