Post 9/11 America is a new place sociologically, psychologically, politically and economically. Experts from the University at Buffalo explain how and why, below:
SEPT. 11 HAS CHANGED AMERICA'S SENSE OF SELF
The September 11 terrorists attacks have dramatically changed attitudes Americans have about themselves, their country and war, says Bruce Jackson, Distinguished Professor of American Culture at the University at Buffalo.
Nearly one year after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, there still is a palpable fear among Americans that is "small and fleeting at times, large and overwhelming at other times," Jackson says.
Prior to the terrorist attacks, Jackson says most Americans saw war as "a board game reported by CNN with streaming reports of the stock market at the bottom of the screen." "9/11 was unambiguously an attack on America and Americans in every conceivable aspect," he says.
"The almost absurd devices the killers used--box cutters, primarily--to turn our own domestic aircraft into terrifying weapons changed the way we think about warfare, where it happens, who does it and what it looks like."
If there is one positive aspect to the terrorism, Jackson says, it's that many Americans have opened their eyes and minds to the world beyond their borders. "Many Americans now are far more likely to see themselves and their country as part of the world, rather than a special place where one is free to ignore everyone else's needs and aspirations and conditions," he says. "
POST-SEPT 11 CONSUMERS ARE MORE INTROSPECTIVE, LESS INDVIDUALISTIC
The appetites and spending habits of American consumers have changed substantially during the one-period after September 11, according to an expert on retail strategy and consumer perception at the University at Buffalo.
"Once deeply individualistic and somewhat hedonistic, the American family has become more introspective," explains Arun Jain, chair of the UB marketing department and professor of marketing research. "American consumers are seeking comfort, not from possessing goods, but from the company of loved, familiar people, objects and icons."
Because of these feelings post-9/11 consumers are less likely to be attracted or swayed by new fads or glitzy marketing campaigns. They want to feel connected to people, things and ideas they can count on. "American consumers are, possibly for the first time, unsure of what tomorrow may bring," Jain says. "They are more inclined to follow their heart rather than materialistic desires."
Since 9/11, Jain says many consumers are making trade-offs in their spending decisions--choosing, for example, to travel to see extended family rather than booking an exotic vacation or choosing to eat at home rather than a restaurant. With minimal expenditure, Jain says many families are again embracing the joys of home life--hoping to connect with the happier, less troubling times.
CASTING EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11 AS ACTS OF "WAR" HAS CATASTROPHIC IMPLICATIONS
The popular response to the events of September has been wholly appropriate, moving and important, says historian Michael Frisch, but now the 'war' metaphor is being used at the policy level to justify actions whose consequences place the US and its people in greater and greater danger.
"Casting those events as acts of "war" has had increasingly catastrophic and ominous implications, according to Frisch, professor of American history at the University at Buffalo.
"It has been used, for instance, to justify the United States acting like a behemoth that can do whatever it wants and throw its power anywhere against any real or potential enemy.
There is no doubt that these acts were atrocious crimes against humanity and that they call for an appropriate and aggressive response, says Frisch, who supports the campaign in Afghanistan. He explains that once we say we're at 'war,' we assume the right to employ whatever weapons and powers we have at hand. Once we imagine someone or something to be "Evil," we assume the right to use those weapons and powers to act preemptively against them.
"Instead of 'war' being used as a way conceive of and justify our response to terrorism, terrorism has become a way to conceive of and justify waging war," Frisch says. "It's the oldest, most tired game in history and precisely the opposite of an appropriate response."
SEPT. 11 NEWS CLIPS COULD TRIGGER POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS
Commemoration of the 9/11 tragedies may trigger episodes of post-traumatic stress in people who suffer from the disorder, says Nancy Smyth, associate professor in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. An expert on psychological trauma, Smyth says rebroadcast of news clips showing the tragic events could cause survivors to "relive" the events.
"They won't just be remembering what happened," she says. "They'll actually feel like it's happening again. Anniversaries are particularly difficult for trauma victims. It's helpful to plan to spend these anniversaries with people you care about, especially to share some type of personally meaningful commemorative activity."
News clips of the tragedies also could trigger anxiety in people who suffer from post-trauma stress due to events unrelated to the Sept. 11 attacks. "Even though these people haven't actually been through the traumatic events personally, if feels like they have," Smyth explains.
WAR ON TERRORISM ALTERING BALANCE BETWEEN LIBERTY AND SECURITY
The federal government's reluctance to discuss the constitutionality or effectiveness of its post-9/11 security measures is "shifting the delicate balance between liberty and security," says Lee Albert, a professor of constitutional law at the University at Buffalo.
"There doesn't appear to be a rhyme or reason to how long people are incarcerated or whether they're tried in criminal or military courts. Nor is there discussion about the effectiveness of these measures and what they can teach us." Albert says. "The danger is that the government's 'new techniques' become the norm, forever altering the U.S. justice system."
BUSH'S CHARISMA SPIKED AFTER 9/11 BUT NOW IS WAVERING
President Bush made the right moves to boost his image as a leader after 9/11, but his leadership persona is wavering in wake of the many corporate scandals, says James Meindl, a University at Buffalo professor of organization and human resources.
"A person's ability to appear decisive, bold and in control in a crisis is a major component of what makes him or her appear to be charismatic, and a good leader," says Meindl, who researches attributes of charisma and leadership.
According to Meindl, there's a "honeymoon period" for leaders during a crisis, but leaders who fail to adapt or respond to changing circumstances/situations after the crisis usually become less charismatic.
"The corporate scandals are certainly less an emergency situation than was 9/11, but the way Bush adapts his leadership style to react to the scandals is an important part of being able to lead effectively," Meindl says.
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY TOO FOCUSED ON SHORT-TERM
U.S. foreign policy after Sept. 11 has "pushed under the surface" what will likely be the most critical issue affecting the long-term future of the country: diplomatic relations with China, according to Paul Senese, a University at Buffalo assistant professor of political science.
"In the long run, America's relationship with China is much more important than anything going on in the Middle East," says Senese, an expert on international security and American foreign policy. "We've crippled the al-Qaeda and improved homeland defense to the point where one could make the argument that the U.S. is more secure than it was before."
"China is the most likely challenger to the U.S. in all ways--economically, politically, militaristically," he adds. "There's a good chance that our next international crisis will involve China."
Senese cautions that the U.S. should reconsider taking aggressive action in Iraq. "If the U.S. effectively eliminated Saddam Hussein there would be similar problems that would arise in his place," he says. "And it would raise the question of whether the U.S. would attack other leaders or countries when it doesn't like what's going on in the world. That would be a dangerous precedent to set."
STUDENTS NOT AFRAID TO TRAVEL ABROAD
After Sept. 11 many universities thought interest in study-abroad programs would wane because students, and their parents, would be fearful of international travel. Not so, says Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international programs at the University at Buffalo.
Dunnett reports a 31 percent increase in enrollment in the university's study abroad program, and says other universities report similar student interest. "We now provide safety orientation programs for students traveling abroad and have developed a system for maintaining regular or emergency contact with students. This is especially reassuring to parents," Dunnett says.
COUNTER-TERRORISM RESEARCH A PRIORITY AT UNIVERSITIES
From design of terrorist-resistant buildings to development of devices to detect airborne bioagents, post-9/11 counterterrrorism research is a new priority in many university labs. "Our scientists can help keep us safe," says Jaylan S. Turkkan, University at Buffalo vice president for research.
Turkkan notes that UB is among many universities aggressively pursuing millions of dollars in research funding available through the Department of Homeland Security. UB researchers are involved in projects to determine the author of the anthrax letters, improve airport baggage security, assess the effects of bioagents on human cells, and other projects.
.
U.S. INTELLIGENCE FAILING TO RECRUIT ARABIC SPEAKERS
The intelligence community has been "all talk and no action," in recruiting Arabic language specialists for its war against terrorism, according to a University at Buffalo professor who is a former editor of the journal, Armed Forces and Society. "Most of the resources have been tied up in recruiting language specialists who can teach Pashtun, the most common language of the Afghanistan military sector," explains Claude E. Welch, professor of political science, who studies political change and civil-military relations.
According to Welch, U.S. intelligence has improved its system of collation and evaluation of data across agencies, but still relies too heavily on electronic interception of intelligence. "Terrorists have learned to lay low and use only face-to-face communication," he says. "I hope the U.S. is learning from British and Israelis who have more experience gathering information on terrorist activity."
RSS