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Amna Nawaz:

We're witnessing the newest evolution of the culture wars, a term first popularized nearly 30 years ago in a book by James Davison Hunter. He's also the executive director of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Culture at the University of Virginia. And he joins me now.

James Davison Hunter, welcome to the "NewsHour." Thank you for making the time.

So, it was 30 years ago you used this phrase culture wars. You were trying to capture sort of the national divides and debates over issues like abortion rights and LGBTQ rights and the role of religion in schools. How have the culture wars from 30 years ago changed? What's different today?

James Davison Hunter, University of Virginia: One of the most important differences is the ways in which the culture wars have now become class culture wars.

Progressives tend to predominate in the upper middle class, highly educated professionals and managers. And traditionalists, conservatives tend to cluster in the middle, lower-middle and working classes. The class differences are highlighting real differences in life chances and opportunities, the horizons of the future that mean so much to everyday life.

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Why cultural and political divides seem to be getting worse - PBS NewsHour