Individualism in Habits of The Heart Essay -- essays research papers

Habits of The Heart spend a penny a vision of the middle class American life with totally its good, bad, strengths and weaknesses. Its examines the conflict that exists between individuality and community in this country, as well(p) as how these conflicts effect our great power to form relationships with others, whether it is in a populace argonna or our own intimate relationships with family and friends. The very word individualization means to look out for number one, it implies a me society that has bewildered its way from the way it role to be. The title Habits Of The Heart creates images of love, faith, rely and commitment to others, a sense of belonging to something larger than yourself. Does individualism very exist, or is it that people tend to forget where they came from and how much they really be influenced by family, community and others around them.In Habits Of The Heart Bellah et al carry through that they attempt to follow Tocqueville and call it individu alism. This they say is the first expression in which Americans tend to think about their lives, values independence and self-reliance above all else (Viii). Americans separate work, family and community, when in fact, these worlds must be combined. We are hiding in such lifestyle enclaves, our isolated existence limits our king to relate ourselves to a broader community. The virtue of community interaction lies in its ability to provide meaning to the frustrating mechanisms of politics and combat the inevitable retirement of the separate self (Bellah et. al., 190). It seems our definition of success is related to our own individuality. Our slew of success is rooted in the outcome of competition among individuals. Americans seem immobile to claim that we have each succeeded through their o... ...t create ourselves. That we owe what we are to the communities that helped form us(Bellah et. al., P. 295). We have a long history in this country of others who gave and sacrificed so much so we could have our present. We must sympathise that life is to be shared, it is not a race whose only terminal is to he foremost (Bellah et. al., P. 296). It is to be lived. We must be committed to those we love, and to our communities. mayhap the longing for nostalgia in this country can help to return to a time when family, friends, community, church and more were important and we all knew we were part of something great than ourselves. We must however not live in the past, we must use the past to build and focus on the future.Work CitiedBellah, et.al.(1996). Habits of the heart individualisation and commitment in American life. Berkeley University of California Press.