| Abstract: |
We analyze temporal trends in cultural distance between groups in the US
defined by income, education, gender, race, and political ideology. We measure
cultural distance between two groups as the ability to infer an individual's
group based on his or her (i) media consumption, (ii) consumer behavior, (iii)
time use, or (iv) social attitudes. Gender difference in time use decreased
between 1965 and 1995 and has remained constant since. Differences in social
attitudes by political ideology and income have increased over the last four
decades. Whites and non-whites have converged somewhat on attitudes but have
diverged in consumer behavior. For all other demographic divisions and
cultural dimensions, cultural distance has been broadly constant over time. |