Fear : Social Research: an International Quarterly of the Social Sciences: Its Political Uses and Abuses

Since September 11, 2001, fear has been woven into the fabric of daily life in the United States. Our vulnerability and the fear it engendered has become the justification for so much that our government has done since in the name of protecting us: two wars and the ?slashing away'of our constitutional protections, all in the name of fighting terrorism. The media thrives on this fear, and even exacerbates it.This special issue of Social Research on Fear: Its Political Uses and Abuses of fear places our current heightened state of collective fear in cultural and historical perspective, examining the psychological roots of fear and its manipulation by those who hold or seek power. The papers in the issue were originally delivered, in earlier versions, at a conference of the same title at the New School in New York City.Mack, Arien is the author of 'Fear : Social Research: an International Quarterly of the Social Sciences: Its Political Uses and Abuses', published 2004 under ISBN 9781933481050 and ISBN 1933481056.