Social conservatism
Social conservatism is a belief in traditional morality and social mores and the desire to preserve these in present day society. It is anti-ideological in the sense that social change based on new "ideas" is generally regarded as suspect, while social values based on tradition are generally regarded as tried, tested and true. It is a view commonly associated with conservative religious groups, militarism and nationalism.Opponents of social conservatism argue that tradition forms no greater source of wisdom basis for social change than ideology. Many views and values, for instance, which were at one time viewed as "traditional" are now viewed as outdated or even barbaric, such as slavery and excessive use of corporal punishment. Proponents of social conservatism counter that many "modern" values are also vapid and corrupt, often pointing to the perceived deterioration of the family over the past century as a result of increased social acceptance of divorce and promiscuity.
The meaning of social conservatism may vary between locations, depending on the social, religious and nationalistic traditions of a particular locale. It may be, for instance, socially conservative to promote "traditional" marriage in a Protestant or Catholic community, but socially conservative to promote polygamy in a devoutly Mormon or Muslim community.
Although there is no set of beliefs and positions inherant in social conservatism, there are many views which are commonly associated with it, including:
- Opposed to abortion
- Opposed to euthanasia
- Supportive of capital punishment
- Opposed to same-sex marriage
- Opposed to affirmative action
See also