Becoming popular in the USA in the 1990s, the term refers to divisions between social groups on issues of culture and identity. ‘Culture wars’ are in part caused by, or at least emphasised by, the tendency for people using social media to ‘cluster’ with others in the same cultural group. As governments struggle with the impact of a global financial crisis, the pandemic and (in the case of the UK and Europe) Brexit, people’s attention has shifted away from complex economic issues towards those of culture and identity. Some argue that the culture wars represent the politicisation of culture.
Increasingly, issues highlighted in the culture wars tend to polarise opinions. While not as clearly identified with political parties as in the USA, divisions — sometimes bitterly and vehemently expressed and defended — have occurred in the UK over particular issues. Examples include:
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