Social Theory Reading Note (4)

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1) Author: Bellah, Robert N., Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton 2) Title of selection: Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life : With a New Preface Chapter 4: Love and Marriage; Chapter 6: Individualism 3) Pages: Chapter 4: 85-112; Chapter 6: 142-163 4) Summarize the gist of the piece in your own words (one or more sentences): Individualism, at its finest, is not a harmful way of living, but American Individualism has morphed its traditional definition into one that allows individuals to exclude themselves from the masses. 5) Define the major concepts (1 to 5 of them) and note the author's example (with page references): Mythic Individualism - A deep and continuing theme in American literature where the hero must leave society, alone or with one or a few others, in order to realize the moral good in the wilderness, at sea, to on the margins of settled society (Bellah et al. 144). Despotism - A single entity ruling with absolute power (Bellah et al. 112). 6) Outline answer(s) to the reading question(s): Chapter 4 What is the function of the family according to Tocqueville? Tocqueville saw family “as one of the three spheres that would help to moderate out individualism” (Bellah et al. 85). He acknowledges it as a central aspect of habits of the heart because it is the central unit where mores are first inculcated. The structure of the family that Tocqueville imagined, and later became understood as an earlier case of family life that lasted in America from settlement to the late eighteenth century, was an “economically cooperative whole, where husband, wife, and children worked side by side on the farm or in the shop for the common good of the family” (Bellah et al. 86). The new family that comes into being in the nineteenth century was much more voluntaristic, where “the power the of the father over the children was greatly curtailed, and children, by and large, made their own choices of occupation and marriage partner” (Bellah et al. 86). Tocqueville admired the “independent, self-reliant American girl” who

was able to hold her own in public much more significant than when compared to their European counterparts (Bellah et al. 88). However, it also creates issues when thought of in the realm of marriages, with “marriage trauma” not being infrequent. What is the dilemma that love creates for individualist Americans? With the rise of a more “separate but equal” function of the American household unit, the cost of moral superiority placed upon women in modern commercial society was “their own freedom and participation in the public sphere”, which was already evident in the early nineteenth century (Bellah et al. 88). By choosing to enter the lifetime commitment of marriage, it would force women to be confined to a limited, if noble, sphere. Due to this fear, many women were victims of “marriage trauma”, and if severe enough, could lead to women remaining unmarried for life. Early feminists “insisted that public life take on more familial qualities at the same time that they demanded greater public participation and equal rights for women” because the love that unites the family unit appears as the characteristic figure that makes the family the locus of “a mortality higher than that of the world” (Bellah et al. 88). It is unselfish and capable of extended meaning. Eventually, romantic love became culturally recognized as the basis for the choice of a marriage partner. A hard ask in an individualistic society. It has caused the family sphere to move away from the unapologetic love for your family, and love has become a part of the individual sphere and a context for expressive individualism (Bellah et al. 89). What are the existing solutions for this dilemma in American society? Tocqueville’s notion that marriage and the family were “defenses against individualism”, is sharper today than ever (Bellah et al. 90). While men and women both want to preserve “family values”, there is also a push for equality of the sexes, and it is not the this or that decision of bygone eras. Getting married, having children, and staying married are now matters of choice, rather than things taken for granted, and it creates a “new atmosphere for marriage and a new meaning for family life” (Bellah et al. 110). All forms of love are also being respected and are moving further away from being labeled as deviant, which is an achievement of which Americans can justly be proud. Yet, women are still generally dissatisfied with their marriages, when compared to men. Women have entered the workforce, for it is now practically required to maintain a household in terms of income, it has been accepted that men are not a “meal ticket”, and (on top of it) women do not think their marriages will last. In their occupation, and many times in the household environment, they are largely exposed to “low-status work and the differential between men’s pay and women’s pay is large, though women are

increasingly breaking into formerly male occupations” (Bellah et al. 111). One resolution to this issue would be to see that the “obligations traditionally associated with (the) ‘women’s sphere’ are human obligations that men and women share equally” (Bellah et al. 111). Women traditionally saw marriage in terms of the relationship and not the individual, and in a society where we become conscious of the assertive self, it is important that we can be indecent persons without denying that we need one another (Bella et al. 111). The family is the core of the private sphere and should act to distance individuals from the public world as far as possible. Tocqueville’s fear that individualism will lead individuals to isolate themselves from the masses and withdraw into the circle of family of friends, does seem to be coming true, and while taking care of oneself is an admirable motive, when it combines “with suspicion of, and withdrawal from, the public world, it is one of the conditions of the despotism Tocqueville feared” (Bellah et al. 112). Chapter 6 What are some other examples of mythic individualism? The Cowboy - possesses a special talent, he can shoot straighter and faster than other men, and he has a special sense of justice. His destiny is to defend society without ever joining it. He rides off into the sunset alone. “His significance lies in his unique, individual virtue and special skill and it is because of those qualities that society needs and welcomes him” (Bellah et al. 145). “It is as if the myth says you can be a truly good person, worthy of admiration and love, only if you resist filly joining the group” (Bellah et al. 145). ● Examples: Shane and the Lone Ranger. The Hard-boiled Detective - the detective is a loner, he is often unsuccessful in conventional terms, working out of a shabby office where the phone never rings. “Wily, tough, smart, he is nonetheless unappreciated” (Bellah et al. 145). When a bit of business finally comes their way, they are tenacious. To seek justice in a corrupt society, the American detective must be tough, and above all, he must be a loner. “The hard-boiled detective, who may long for love and success, for a place in society, to pursue a lonely crusade for justice” (Bellah et al. 146). ● Examples: Philip Marlowe, Lew Archer, and Travis McGee Abraham Lincoln - While not a mythical hero of fiction, Abraham Lincoln is a mythic, but historic and real hero. He was a self-made man, never comfortable with the eastern upper classes, His dual moral commitment to the preservation of the Union and the

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belief that “all men are created equal” roused the hostility of abolitionists and Souther sympathizers alike (Bellah et al. 146). During the war, he was more and more isolated, misunderstood by Congress and his cabinet, and unhappy at home. Nevertheless, he completed his self-appointed task of bringing the nation through its most divesting war, “preaching reconciliation as he did so, only to be brought down by an assassin’s bullet” (Bellah et al. 146). What saved Lincoln from nihilism was the larger whole for which he felt it was important to live and worthwhile to die. It was through his identification with a community and a tradition that Lincoln became the deeply and typically American individual that he was. What is the ambiguity of individualism that the authors talk about in this chapter? The ambiguity of individualism derives from both cultural and social contradictions. “We insist, perhaps more than ever before, on finding our true selves independent of any cultural or social influence, being responsible to that self alone, and making its fulfillment the very meaning of our lives. Yet we spend much of our time navigating through immense bureaucratic structures - multiversities, corporations, government agencies - manipulating and being manipulated by others” (Bellah et al. 150). What is the authors’ solution to the problems of individualism discussed thus far in the book? “The tensions of our lives would be greater if we did not, in fact, engage in practices that constantly limit the effects of an isolating individualism, even though we cannot articulate those practices nearly as well as we can the quest for autonomy” (Bellah et al. 151). I think this is most exemplified in the story of Angelo, whose experience of ethnic prejudice helped him see that there was more to life than leaving behind the past, becoming successful on his own, and expressing himself freely. As he became more involved with a community he tried to forget, he also became more involved with his town. He saw it as his duty to represent not only Italian Americans but also the welfare of the town as a whole. “Abandoning one kind of individualism, he was led toward a civic individualism that entailed care for the affairs of his community in both the narrower and wider senses. While leaving behind ‘Americanization’, he became American” (Bellah et al. 158). Even though Americans may have a lack of trust in the public sphere, Americans are more engaged in voluntary associations and cocoa organizations than the citizens of most other nations. In spite of all the difficulties, many Americans feel they must “get involved”. “In public like as in private, we can discern the habits of the heart that sustain

individualism and commitment, as well as what makes them problematic” (Bellah et al. 163). How do experiences and observations from your personal life speak to these issues? At a Jesuit institution, we are encouraged to be “men and women for others” and volunteer to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We even have a course labeled ‘Persons and Social Responsibility’ (PULSE), where service is a curriculum requirement. There is a long process where you choose a service partner and your service partner must choose you in return. It can be very competitive, but once you become situated, you grow a part of the community you are serving. I was stationed at a food source hotline, and while I never personally struggled with food insecurity, I was able to sympathize and connect with those looking for food assistance. I became more aware of the issue, started donating to organizations, and paid attention to laws and reforms passed on the issue. Many of the Pulse students shared this sentiment, and it was a major feeling that the curriculum sought to inspire.

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