1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910958150603321

Titolo

American chameleon : individualism in trans-national context / / edited by Richard O. Curry and Lawrence B. Goodheart

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Kent, OH, : Kent State University Press, c1991

ISBN

1-61277-055-X

0-585-22764-0

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (289 pages)

Altri autori (Persone)

CurryRichard Orr

GoodheartLawrence B. <1944->

Disciplina

302.54

Soggetti

Individualism

Social values

United States Social conditions

United States Politics and government 19th century

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 255-262) and index.

Nota di contenuto

""Cover ""; ""Copyright ""; ""Contents ""; ""Acknowledgments ""; ""Individualism in Trans-National Context ""; ""The Emergence of an Individualistic Ethos in American Society ""; ""Religion and Individualism in Early America ""; ""Individualism in the Early Republic ""; ""The Slow Triumph of Liberal Individualism: Law and Politics in New York, 1780-1860  ""; ""The Right to Self-Government: Anti-Institutionalism and Individualism in Abolitionist Thought ""; ""From Assertiveness to Individualism: The Difficult Path from Slavery to Freedom ""

""The Ambiguity of Individualism: The National Liberal League's Challenge to the Comstock Law """"Can a Woman Be an Individual? The Discourse of Self-Reliance ""; ""Individualism and National Identity ""; ""A Confusion of Voices: The Crisis of Individualism in Twentieth-Century America ""; ""Notes ""; ""Suggested Reading ""; ""Contributors ""; ""Index ""

Sommario/riassunto

The concept of individualism that emerged in American society during the late 18th century has long defined America's social, political, and economic institutions. American Chameleon is the first historical work which addresses this concept and its multiple meanings, usages, and



contradictions. In this collection of 11 essays, individualism is placed in a comparative, trans-national context that differentiates the American national experience from its European cultural heritage. The authors analyze meanings and usages of individualism in Europe--particularly France, Germany, and Great Britain--in order to clarify those found in American society. Also examined are the limitations of the concept in relation to minority groups and women. A 19th-century perspective of individualism is the central focus of American Chameleon, but the final chapter adds a contemporary dimension. Editors and authors Richard Curry and Lawrence Goodheart herein offer scholars, students and interested citizens new interpretations and a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of American society itself.