![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/576\/2020\/06\/4782591130_8ac6d1bb14_o.jpg\")
<\/a>What is \u201cIndividualism\u201d?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nIt includes the belief in the sovereignty of the individual. For some, this implies that the needs or wants of the individual have priority over the collective group. For others, individualism<\/a> entails a claim to autonomy.<\/p>\nProfessor of Philosophy John Kavanaugh explains the \u201cmoral challenge\u201d of this \u201cradical narcissism.\u201d He says autonomous individualism<\/a> is<\/p>\n\u2026 the condition when human judgment cannot see beyond its own exercise of freedom and exercises that freedom in isolation from the other.<\/p>\n
Two hidden dangers in that wonderful gift of autonomy (a terribly complex notion that involves self-ownership, or rule over one\u2019s self) are that it can degenerate into a conviction that there is no rule higher than one\u2019s self<\/strong> and that there is no other source than oneself to consult<\/strong>. Its full-blown form is the myth of the self-made man.<\/p>\nAlthough sublimely libertarian and individualistic, this myth ignores the inescapable reality that no human is ever self-made, neither in the fabric of our being nor in our actions and judgments concerning the world. Unaware of our interdependence, ignorant of the countless ways that cultural dogmas influence our self-construction, we presume we are atomically alone in the choices we make. We imagine ourselves individual monads, our window on the world, a mirror.<\/p>\n
For autonomous individualism, there is no objective truth or value before which one\u2019s will, one\u2019s liberty, must yield in obedience. I want it; therefore I will it; therefore I choose it and must have it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The average American has a far rosier perspective of individualism<\/a>. American lore teaches children to \u201cgo it alone,\u201d rebel against \u201cthe system,\u201d and determine their own future without accepting handouts from others. Emphasis is laid on individual rights and responsibility.<\/p>\nOne\u2019s differences dictate a person\u2019s identity more than what they share in common with others. In short, Americans (especially white Americans) tend to see themselves apart from social groups.<\/p>\n
When Individualism Perpetuates Racism<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nWhat does this have to do with race and racism? For the answer, we turn to Robin DiAngelo<\/a>, author of White Fragility<\/em><\/a>. Although I found her book disturbing in key respects, her essay \u201cWhy Can\u2019t We All Just Be Individuals?<\/a>\u201d is profoundly insightful. Her article makes this argument:<\/p>\n[T]he Discourse of Individualism, rather than ameliorating racism, actually functions to obscure and maintain racism\u2019s manifestation in our lives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
She states how individualism informs American white culture.<\/p>\n
The Discourse of Individualism is a specific set of ideas, words, symbols, and metaphors \u2013\u2013 a storyline or narrative\u2013\u2013 that creates, communicates, reproduces, and reinforces the concept that each of us is unique individuals and that our group memberships, such as race, class, or gender, are not important or relevant to our opportunities.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/576\/2020\/06\/Robin-DiAngelo-PhD-photo-.jpg\")
<\/a>Robin DiAngelo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHow does this perspective shape social and power dynamics? Once a social group becomes dominant in a culture, it can espouse individualism as a way of protecting its privileged position. How so?<\/p>\n
Individualism allows the dominant group to claim everyone has equal opportunity and that success is possible through hard work<\/em>. This criterion is then used to validate the status of members in the dominant group. At the same time, the individualistic standard justifies bias against marginalized groups, as though their lower status were the fault of their own laziness, immorality, or inferiority.<\/p>\nDiAngelo points out that individualism has a myopic view of history<\/strong>. The dominant group overlooks the countless ways their success depended on the input of others. They also fail to see how past injustices have resulted in the marginalization of non-dominant groups.<\/p>\nShe highlights eight dynamics whereby<\/p>\n
white insistence on Individualism in regards to racism in particular <\/em>prevents cross-racial understanding, denies the salience of race and racism in our lives, and serves to reinforce and maintain racist relations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nI won\u2019t dive into each dynamic; I\u2019ll merely mention them in order to stir your thinking. For more of an explanation, you\u2019ll need to read her article<\/a>. Individualism\u2026<\/p>\ndenies the significance of race and the advantages of being white.<\/p>\n
hides the accumulation of wealth over generations.<\/p>\n
denies social and historical context.<\/p>\n
prevents a macro analysis of the institutional and structural dimensions of social life.<\/p>\n
denies collective socialization and the power of dominant culture (media, education, religion, etc.) to shape our perspectives and ideology.<\/p>\n
functions as neo-colorblindness and reproduces the myth of meritocracy.<\/p>\n
, as well as universalism, is only culturally available to the dominant group.<\/p>\n
makes collective action difficult.<\/p>\n
Collective Identity and Race<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nIn many of the ongoing discussions about race, people talk past each other because they conceive of identity in different ways. For those in America\u2019s white culture, individualism grounds how they assess the problem of racism.<\/p>\n
Professor of Philosophy John Kavanaugh explains the \u201cmoral challenge\u201d of this \u201cradical narcissism.\u201d He says autonomous individualism<\/a> is<\/p>\n \u2026 the condition when human judgment cannot see beyond its own exercise of freedom and exercises that freedom in isolation from the other.<\/p>\n Two hidden dangers in that wonderful gift of autonomy (a terribly complex notion that involves self-ownership, or rule over one\u2019s self) are that it can degenerate into a conviction that there is no rule higher than one\u2019s self<\/strong> and that there is no other source than oneself to consult<\/strong>. Its full-blown form is the myth of the self-made man.<\/p>\n Although sublimely libertarian and individualistic, this myth ignores the inescapable reality that no human is ever self-made, neither in the fabric of our being nor in our actions and judgments concerning the world. Unaware of our interdependence, ignorant of the countless ways that cultural dogmas influence our self-construction, we presume we are atomically alone in the choices we make. We imagine ourselves individual monads, our window on the world, a mirror.<\/p>\n For autonomous individualism, there is no objective truth or value before which one\u2019s will, one\u2019s liberty, must yield in obedience. I want it; therefore I will it; therefore I choose it and must have it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The average American has a far rosier perspective of individualism<\/a>. American lore teaches children to \u201cgo it alone,\u201d rebel against \u201cthe system,\u201d and determine their own future without accepting handouts from others. Emphasis is laid on individual rights and responsibility.<\/p>\n One\u2019s differences dictate a person\u2019s identity more than what they share in common with others. In short, Americans (especially white Americans) tend to see themselves apart from social groups.<\/p>\n What does this have to do with race and racism? For the answer, we turn to Robin DiAngelo<\/a>, author of White Fragility<\/em><\/a>. Although I found her book disturbing in key respects, her essay \u201cWhy Can\u2019t We All Just Be Individuals?<\/a>\u201d is profoundly insightful. Her article makes this argument:<\/p>\n [T]he Discourse of Individualism, rather than ameliorating racism, actually functions to obscure and maintain racism\u2019s manifestation in our lives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n She states how individualism informs American white culture.<\/p>\n The Discourse of Individualism is a specific set of ideas, words, symbols, and metaphors \u2013\u2013 a storyline or narrative\u2013\u2013 that creates, communicates, reproduces, and reinforces the concept that each of us is unique individuals and that our group memberships, such as race, class, or gender, are not important or relevant to our opportunities.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n How does this perspective shape social and power dynamics? Once a social group becomes dominant in a culture, it can espouse individualism as a way of protecting its privileged position. How so?<\/p>\n Individualism allows the dominant group to claim everyone has equal opportunity and that success is possible through hard work<\/em>. This criterion is then used to validate the status of members in the dominant group. At the same time, the individualistic standard justifies bias against marginalized groups, as though their lower status were the fault of their own laziness, immorality, or inferiority.<\/p>\n DiAngelo points out that individualism has a myopic view of history<\/strong>. The dominant group overlooks the countless ways their success depended on the input of others. They also fail to see how past injustices have resulted in the marginalization of non-dominant groups.<\/p>\n She highlights eight dynamics whereby<\/p>\n white insistence on Individualism in regards to racism in particular <\/em>prevents cross-racial understanding, denies the salience of race and racism in our lives, and serves to reinforce and maintain racist relations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I won\u2019t dive into each dynamic; I\u2019ll merely mention them in order to stir your thinking. For more of an explanation, you\u2019ll need to read her article<\/a>. Individualism\u2026<\/p>\n denies the significance of race and the advantages of being white.<\/p>\n hides the accumulation of wealth over generations.<\/p>\n denies social and historical context.<\/p>\n prevents a macro analysis of the institutional and structural dimensions of social life.<\/p>\n denies collective socialization and the power of dominant culture (media, education, religion, etc.) to shape our perspectives and ideology.<\/p>\n functions as neo-colorblindness and reproduces the myth of meritocracy.<\/p>\n , as well as universalism, is only culturally available to the dominant group.<\/p>\n makes collective action difficult.<\/p>\n In many of the ongoing discussions about race, people talk past each other because they conceive of identity in different ways. For those in America\u2019s white culture, individualism grounds how they assess the problem of racism.<\/p>\nWhen Individualism Perpetuates Racism<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Collective Identity and Race<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n