In her provocative new book, Gelfand shows that much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a simple difference—“tight” (rigid social norms) versus “loose” (weak social norms). Sensing threats, tight cultures (whether large nations or small, close-knit groups) insist on social order. Feeling safe, loose cultures promote individual expression—sometimes to excess. Gelfand not only lays her tight-loose template over not just every nation in the world, but she also examines the leanings of the fifty American states (providing a remarkable new electoral map) and illuminates precisely how and why our country’s social classes differ.

Michele Gelfand is a distinguished University Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her pioneering research into cultural norms has been cited thousands of times in the press, including in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and Science, and on NPR. The recipient of numerous awards, she is a past president of the International Association for Conflict Management.