American Individualism, Capitalism, and Self-Reliance

AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM
Student’s Name
Course
Date
American Individualism
Introduction
Individualism is one of the most common themes that describe the national culture of the United States. Individualism is a concept that describes a society that prioritizes independence and self-reliance as opposed to collective goals that necessitate unity within the community. However, it can be argued that even individualistic societies can display collectivist tendencies when faced with common challenges where the ultimate solution is achieved through unity and joint efforts. Some observers believe that Americans became less individualistic and less self-reliant between 1917 and 1945. While the essay agrees with this observation, the position taken is that deficiencies and gaps caused by individualism and capitalism have forced many to develop tendencies towards social welfare, making society less individualistic.
Individualism and self-Reliance
The main attribute of individualism is that people pursue their own goals without much regard for collective interests. However, it can be argued that the American society displays significant characteristics of a community that is interested in achieving the common good. For example, the social life in Middletown illustrates that child-rearing is a communal undertaken by many institutions and groups (Lynd and Lynd 1929). Additionally, there are even individuals in schools who dedicate their lives to serving the needs of boys and girls. While teaching can be considered to be an economic activity where individuals are hired and compensated to teach, such activity reflects the interests of the entire society to shape their children to the collective values of the community. The family can be considered the smallest social unit, and the case f Middletown shows that families collectively take part in rearing children. Other efforts by the community include public playgrounds, most of which eliminate the capitalist interests for the sake of the social good. If this town reflects the American life in the years between 1917-45, then it can be argued that America is less individualistic as would otherwise be expected.
The period between 1917 and 1945 is mostly marked by the two world wars, in which America fully participated. The battles were fought by men who formed the armies, both in the United States and across European nations that were involved. However, the role of women in supporting the armies is a show of togetherness and solidarity where the individuals set aside their interests in the pursuit of collective interests. In this case, individualistic women would be expected to care more about things other than the men in the army. However, the women decided that the outcomes of the war affects equally and, even though they could not join the army, they understood that saving civilization requires their collective input (Blatch 1918). However, it is not just the women who supported the armies in the war efforts. On the contrary, the industries in the United States also made the necessary adjustments to help the government win the war. Examples may include manufacturing companies switching from their usual products to producing war equipment for the government.
The profitability of such a decision cannot be assured since the outcomes of war are not guaranteed. Even so, many companies and their workers exhibited their solidarity not only by producing war supplies but also by helping women enter into the industries as...