What other classes have you had in which individualism was discussed? How was it talked about? Is it seen largely as a good thing or a bad thing? If you haven’t encountered it in other classes, react to what you read in the chapter.
In my intro to sociology course, individualism was discussed with positive sentiments. Individualism was discussed in the sense that each part, or individual, contributes to the one whole society; individualism positively contributes to society.
Lauren Jefferson - The most recent class that I can think of where individualism was discussed is my U.S. history class from my senior year of high school. Usually, Americans tend to think of individualism as a good thing because the rights of individuals is a very important topic in our politics. However, when we discussed it in class, we talked about it’s negative effects during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s hard for us to beat this pandemic because America is not a collectivist society where we focus on what’s better for our society as a whole. People feel that by being “forced” to wear a mask or get a vaccine, their individual rights are being taken away, and that’s seen as more important than the safety of all Americans as a whole. In that class we addressed that there are both positive and negative aspects to individualism in American culture.
None of my other classes have discussed individualism. However, identity has been discussed a good amount in my past classes and identity and individualism go hand in hand. Individualism is striving for an independent and often unique identity. In the classes where we talked about identity, we never talked about it negatively and so my ideas and feelings towards individualism is far from negative as well. I didn't even think about individualism being negative until I read the Bulman article. That article basically said individualism is bad and that's it, it did list some positive things about it but over all talked about it very negatively and almost shamed America for having a collective want and need for individualism. Yes, I can see where individualism can cause problems, like when there is a national goal or even mandate like that of wearing masks and trying to convince people to get vaccinated to reduce the spread of a global pandemic. When the nation is not on the same wavelength and still striving for individualism, it is very hard to share a common goal that everyone is working towards. I still think individualism is a positive thing, it pushes one to think for themselves, form their own thoughts and opinions, and look out for themselves. That might be the American Individualism idea talking in me but I don't see it as a bad thing.
In twelfth grade English, we discussed individualism in the book the Color Purple by Alice Walker. Over the course of the story, the female characters, particularly the main protagonist, attempt to learn about who they are individually and separate themselves from the men who wish to control their lives. In this discussion, individualism was a good thing. It allowed the characters to strive for independence and transform themselves into people who are comfortable in their own skin. They were able to be strong and keep on fighting against the forces that wanted to restrain them. Despite the positive connection I have to the concept, I can see the negative aspects to individualism. Being unable to work with others due to being fully involved in one's own goals leads to many issues in solving world problems. Individualism could introduce a sense of selfishness that is under the disguise of freedom and a unique identity. Nevertheless, I do believe that being a distinct individual is a good thing, there is just a line that needs to be cautiously balanced on.
I have talked about Individualism in an American Studies with a focus on gender class in the context of industrialization. It was a good refresher to read about how it was aligned with the emergence of cities and and the separation of work from home and family. I was unaware of its roots in Protestantism and the religions role in capitalism as well. From the perspective of gender and sexuality around industrialization, individualism was seen as a negative development that allowed young people to be more free and stray away from the conservative ideals of their families. Individualism separated people from their families heteronormative and reproduction focused traditions and led to people discovering their own passions.
Jones Boyer - The main class I can think of in which individualism was discussed is US History. Individualism was generally portrayed as a positive characteristic. My US history classes claimed individualism as an aspect of the American identity that makes it unique. Individualism was often associated with other values such as liberty and freedom.
Individualism has been discussed in US History as well as World History. In US History, we learned that individualism represents the "American Dream." It is generally talked about in a positive manner and it is emphasized that living an individualistic lifestyle is what the founding fathers hoped for the future of American citizens. In World History, we learned about different philosophers and their ideologies. One of the ideologies that we learned about was individualism. Unlike US History, individualism in World History is not represented as a positive or negative thing. We mainly just learn what it is and how it compares to other ideologies.
In my Univ 299 class I had the opportunity to talk about individualism in relation to the central focus of the class. (Big Idea) Each Univ class had a different Big Idea, but my class focused on collecting. Of course when talking about collecting, individualism, naturally becomes a topic. In this context we viewed individualism as being a very important component of collecting and is a very influential force in what people collect. Thus our views on individualism as a class where mainly positive, as it was a catalyst for people who collect. The only time we viewed it in a negative light was when the collection was taken to the point where it was detrimental to the collectors health. Overall, we had a mainly positive outlook on individualism as a whole so long as it was not destructive.
In my Intro to Psych class, we discussed individuality. It was portrayed as a positive thing, as being different from the crowd is generally said to be a good trait to have. It was stated that while some people might follow trends , everyone has an individual personality and original thoughts. I would actually disagree with this. I think that the vast majority of people on the planet believe that they are individuals, however almost all of these have never had an original thought once in their lives.
Honestly, I haven't heard many discussions about individuality in school, except for touching on it in History class, where it was a big part of what America represents. America is known as a "free country" and people are allowed to express who they are in any way they'd like, as long as it doesn't directly harm anyone. It can be seen as a good thing because it allows people to be who they are and not have to hide. However, it causes conflict, because not everyone "agrees" with the way other people express themselves.
What other classes have you had in which individualism was discussed? I am currently in a class for my major which is interdisciplinary studies. That means that myself and the students in the class were able to formulate or our own degrees. In the class since we all have different interests so we are able to focus on how our interests shaped the degree. Recently we are talking about how to represent our degree in elevator pitches so we are practicing how to effectively share our ideas and experiences. I think that this a great thing. It allows for sharing ideas about ourselves and each other, helps us think about things in different ways.
I am in a Sociology class this semester and we have briefly been discussing individualism and how early sociologists viewed it. My professor has mainly discussed its effects on society as a whole and how every individual affects one another. For the most part we have been discussing its positive effects on society as competition empowers people to work as hard as they can in a capitalist society.
I think I remember discussing individualism once or twice in high school in English classes when it came up as a theme in books like Catcher in the Rye. When juxtaposed with conformity as it was in those books, it seems much more positive. In college classes discussing individualism, we talked about it in a more critical way through the lens of its place in a capitalist society. In this case, individualism supports the myth of the American Dream that suggests that upward mobility is possible for any individual with effort. I think that it is a useful narrative to deter workers from unionizing and maintain the status quo. In the last year and half, we’ve seen how negatively individualism can affect communities with the public conversation around mask mandates and vaccines often favoring individual choice over collective wellbeing. -Jordyn
I am currently in a class about teaching children and infants with disabilities. In this class, the topic of individualism comes up quite often in regards to children's development. For example, when trying to figure out if a child is "typically" developing, there are certain guidelines that can imply they are or they aren't, but there is also an extreme emphasis on the individuality of each child and their course of development. There are certain ages when milestones such as talking, crawling, walking, etc. should occur, but a quicker or slower development does not automatically imply the child is gifted or disabled. This is because each person is unique in the way they learn, develop, and process. There is also a lot of talk of individualism in this class when regarding individualized education plans, which is a huge focus in this class. The basic idea is that each child process and responds differently so each child should have a unique approach to learning. In this class, individuality is celebrated and embraced, as it should be in regards to education in my opinion.
We briefly discussed individualism in my AP World class when we talked about the more modern era. When we talked about it I would definitely say it was a positive topic and it was interesting because we talked about individualism occurring all around the world, not just here in the U.S. We talked about individualism mostly in terms of pop culture and/or trends and often times it gravitated towards women.
In my Sociology class, back in ninth grade, we briefly defined it as something like the only form left of solidarity in modern society. Don’t quote me on that though, it’s been a long time. In my psychology class, we never specially went over that, but it was refenced as the opposite of collectivism and how it could be lost in groups and stuff like that. We also went over it in Art history in reference to how certain pieces would promote it and others wouldn’t depending on the concept. I think although it varies, it’s generally portrayed as a good think. I think it’s considered good if it defines you but keeps you a part of the society.
During high school, individualism wasn't prioritized, at least in the classes I was in or knew of. I always had a grasp of the importance of being your own self so I might not have fully noticed if the idea of individualism was being pushed. The first time individuality was discussed in a classroom setting was actually my focused inquiry class here. It wasn't directly discussed in a sense of "you should be your own person" ordeal but we touched up on the topic of the student-teacher dynamic. We discussed how conversations in the classroom should be a two-way street, instead of the idea that the teacher is bestowing their knowledge upon us. I felt as if that opened the class to be more outspoken on their ideas, which in-turn, leads to a more unique and diverse group of students. He made it a safe space to speak our mind which, I believe, turns out a more individualized setting. I definitely believe it is perceived as a good thing. Most everyone can feel comfortable while also expressing themselves.
We are currently talking about individualism in my focused inquiry class. It has been discussed in a more positive light. Our teacher talked about individualism in comparison to personal thinking. Our personal preferences and experiences lead us all to think differently and add to one another's knowledge. Our teacher also tends to practice letting us discuss our opinions and views allowing us to express out individualism which I really enjoy.
(Alyssa Black) In my business classes we discuss the relationship between individualism and capitalism, individualism being a good thing for a capitalist market since it's taught as a source of creativity that fuels innovation and helps us move forward. I think it is funny because I do not necessarily agree, a lot of anti capitalist have such beliefs because capitalism is seen as this machine that works to create copies so to speak, so to say that this same machine is also stimulus for individuality seems like quite the oxymoron, but I guess it just depends on where you stand within the capitalist structure. I think individualism is a good thing but of course like with all things there needs to be balance, in this case with collectivism, because if we all are so hung up on ourselves we lose a sense of community that is so essential to human existence and the well being of a society.
We have spoken about Individualism in my focused inquiry class. It means to be your own person. Your characteristics, personality, memories, and habits all make up who you are as an individual. Everyone is unique in their own way and there are no two individuals exactly alike. Individualism is mostly known as a positive thing. -Natalie Agee
I have not talked about individualism in any of my other courses, but when I was reading Bulman Chapter 2 I noticed something interesting. Individualism is most important to the middle class, the most homogenous social group. For the middle class to pursue their personal idea of success, they usually need to conform to a very strict structure and try to climb the corporate ladder.
Andrew - In my US history class we talked about presidents and economists who favored "rugged individualism." If I remember correctly, It was presented to our class as sort of a reaction to the economic conditions of the US at the time, which can be seen as either good or bad. Individualism was about pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and not asking for any hand outs. The US government has tried to instill the idea into peoples heads that if you are at a disadvantage or in a bad situation, then you need to handle it by yourself.
I cannot recall discussing individualism in any of my classes besides band. With playing music, not just individually, musicians must listen to themselves in order to make sure they are in tune; Without the individual listening skill, especially with band instruments, the band will just sound bad. This is why most pre-college bands sounds bad to the outsider; The individuals comprising the band are not individually listening to everyone around them, so then this causes a sort of "miscommunication" with who is actually in tune. If you have ever been to a music recital, you might notice one person walk out on stage and hold out a tuning note. This is so everyone else can refer to one individual, and so the miscommunication of "who is right or wrong" will not have to be an issue. This concept of importance with individualism can also be used when discussing societal standards. A North Korean dictatorship-like society may seem perfect from an outsider's perspective, however once you look up close at the individuals, you can see quite the opposite: This "perfect society", in reality, won't even pass for good.
Hi, This is Katelin. In today’s society/generation individualism is shown everywhere. I have had many instances in class or even walking down the street that resembles individualism. However, talking about it seems to be a little less likely to hear about. Maybe in middle school the female teachers would tell us girls about how to be independent but once you reach high school, you figure it out for yourself if you want to. It seems to be not such a forced issue when you get older because I feel as if by that point you either do it independently and care or you rely on others. People can change but teachers aren’t wasting the time to discuss it with us separately. In middle school, they would say that we need to stop flirting with the boys and do our own work. I also feel as if it was never a “real” conversation about being your own person and relying on others. Most teachers tried to embarrass you about “flirting” so you would do the work, but I don’t think that was ever very effective. I truly believe sitting down to have an actual conversation over individualism and telling us to do what we love and stay passionate could have helped. I believe that individualism being a good or bad thing is solely internalized with yourself. Society, especially now, is seeing individualism as a good thing. Girls stand united to help others become strong against certain situations. Another quick point to make is I always see girls worrying about individualism but rarely hear anything about boys. I think making this topic less sexist could help everyone to realize the importance as well. Overall, I agree with being independent, I think it’s a good thing and discussing the topic more at a later age could really impact people.
Gabriela Rodiguez- Individualism has been taught to me throughout high school and my college experience. Year after year I have been told how important individualism is, from politics to different types of personal relationships. Being able to individualism ourselves from our parents' belief when it comes to politics has been seen a lot throughout recent years. Being able to individualize yourself means that you have your own beliefs and morals aside from what our parents or community believes or what they might think about our own separate beliefs.
- I have been plenty of philosophy classes where we discussed more of social theory in terms of individualism. Questioning whether people have freedom over themselves and their choices. Or maybe everyone’s actions are pre-determined. We’re merely presented an illusion of free-will. Currently I’m learning about individualism through the lens on institutions like states or bureaucracies. The concepts could also relate to other institutions as well. Basically, talking about how individual actors behave and make decisions while operating in hegemonic institutions. In politics, Individualism is looked at more objectively, I think because it’s not on a personal level. They are usually talking about big institutions operating on a global scale. Philosophy is the opposite with each theory pertaining to individualism you can kind of tell whether the theorist thinks it’s a good or bad thing if you read it critically. (Keyana Roberts)
In my intro to sociology course, individualism was discussed with positive sentiments. Individualism was discussed in the sense that each part, or individual, contributes to the one whole society; individualism positively contributes to society.
ReplyDeleteLauren Jefferson - The most recent class that I can think of where individualism was discussed is my U.S. history class from my senior year of high school. Usually, Americans tend to think of individualism as a good thing because the rights of individuals is a very important topic in our politics. However, when we discussed it in class, we talked about it’s negative effects during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s hard for us to beat this pandemic because America is not a collectivist society where we focus on what’s better for our society as a whole. People feel that by being “forced” to wear a mask or get a vaccine, their individual rights are being taken away, and that’s seen as more important than the safety of all Americans as a whole. In that class we addressed that there are both positive and negative aspects to individualism in American culture.
ReplyDeleteNone of my other classes have discussed individualism. However, identity has been discussed a good amount in my past classes and identity and individualism go hand in hand. Individualism is striving for an independent and often unique identity. In the classes where we talked about identity, we never talked about it negatively and so my ideas and feelings towards individualism is far from negative as well. I didn't even think about individualism being negative until I read the Bulman article. That article basically said individualism is bad and that's it, it did list some positive things about it but over all talked about it very negatively and almost shamed America for having a collective want and need for individualism. Yes, I can see where individualism can cause problems, like when there is a national goal or even mandate like that of wearing masks and trying to convince people to get vaccinated to reduce the spread of a global pandemic. When the nation is not on the same wavelength and still striving for individualism, it is very hard to share a common goal that everyone is working towards. I still think individualism is a positive thing, it pushes one to think for themselves, form their own thoughts and opinions, and look out for themselves. That might be the American Individualism idea talking in me but I don't see it as a bad thing.
ReplyDelete^Lydia H
DeleteIn twelfth grade English, we discussed individualism in the book the Color Purple by Alice Walker. Over the course of the story, the female characters, particularly the main protagonist, attempt to learn about who they are individually and separate themselves from the men who wish to control their lives. In this discussion, individualism was a good thing. It allowed the characters to strive for independence and transform themselves into people who are comfortable in their own skin. They were able to be strong and keep on fighting against the forces that wanted to restrain them. Despite the positive connection I have to the concept, I can see the negative aspects to individualism. Being unable to work with others due to being fully involved in one's own goals leads to many issues in solving world problems. Individualism could introduce a sense of selfishness that is under the disguise of freedom and a unique identity. Nevertheless, I do believe that being a distinct individual is a good thing, there is just a line that needs to be cautiously balanced on.
ReplyDeleteI have talked about Individualism in an American Studies with a focus on gender class in the context of industrialization. It was a good refresher to read about how it was aligned with the emergence of cities and and the separation of work from home and family. I was unaware of its roots in Protestantism and the religions role in capitalism as well. From the perspective of gender and sexuality around industrialization, individualism was seen as a negative development that allowed young people to be more free and stray away from the conservative ideals of their families. Individualism separated people from their families heteronormative and reproduction focused traditions and led to people discovering their own passions.
ReplyDeletePeter Samaha
DeleteJones Boyer - The main class I can think of in which individualism was discussed is US History. Individualism was generally portrayed as a positive characteristic. My US history classes claimed individualism as an aspect of the American identity that makes it unique. Individualism was often associated with other values such as liberty and freedom.
ReplyDeleteIndividualism has been discussed in US History as well as World History. In US History, we learned that individualism represents the "American Dream." It is generally talked about in a positive manner and it is emphasized that living an individualistic lifestyle is what the founding fathers hoped for the future of American citizens. In World History, we learned about different philosophers and their ideologies. One of the ideologies that we learned about was individualism. Unlike US History, individualism in World History is not represented as a positive or negative thing. We mainly just learn what it is and how it compares to other ideologies.
ReplyDeleteIn my Univ 299 class I had the opportunity to talk about individualism in relation to the central focus of the class. (Big Idea) Each Univ class had a different Big Idea, but my class focused on collecting. Of course when talking about collecting, individualism, naturally becomes a topic. In this context we viewed individualism as being a very important component of collecting and is a very influential force in what people collect. Thus our views on individualism as a class where mainly positive, as it was a catalyst for people who collect. The only time we viewed it in a negative light was when the collection was taken to the point where it was detrimental to the collectors health. Overall, we had a mainly positive outlook on individualism as a whole so long as it was not destructive.
ReplyDeleteMatt Embretsen^
DeleteIn my Intro to Psych class, we discussed individuality. It was portrayed as a positive thing, as being different from the crowd is generally said to be a good trait to have. It was stated that while some people might follow trends , everyone has an individual personality and original thoughts. I would actually disagree with this. I think that the vast majority of people on the planet believe that they are individuals, however almost all of these have never had an original thought once in their lives.
ReplyDelete-Killian Duffy
DeleteHonestly, I haven't heard many discussions about individuality in school, except for touching on it in History class, where it was a big part of what America represents. America is known as a "free country" and people are allowed to express who they are in any way they'd like, as long as it doesn't directly harm anyone. It can be seen as a good thing because it allows people to be who they are and not have to hide. However, it causes conflict, because not everyone "agrees" with the way other people express themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhat other classes have you had in which individualism was discussed?
ReplyDeleteI am currently in a class for my major which is interdisciplinary studies. That means that myself and the students in the class were able to formulate or our own degrees. In the class since we all have different interests so we are able to focus on how our interests shaped the degree. Recently we are talking about how to represent our degree in elevator pitches so we are practicing how to effectively share our ideas and experiences. I think that this a great thing. It allows for sharing ideas about ourselves and each other, helps us think about things in different ways.
This is Claire Ozga by the way
DeleteI am in a Sociology class this semester and we have briefly been discussing individualism and how early sociologists viewed it. My professor has mainly discussed its effects on society as a whole and how every individual affects one another. For the most part we have been discussing its positive effects on society as competition empowers people to work as hard as they can in a capitalist society.
ReplyDeleteI think I remember discussing individualism once or twice in high school in English classes when it came up as a theme in books like Catcher in the Rye. When juxtaposed with conformity as it was in those books, it seems much more positive. In college classes discussing individualism, we talked about it in a more critical way through the lens of its place in a capitalist society. In this case, individualism supports the myth of the American Dream that suggests that upward mobility is possible for any individual with effort. I think that it is a useful narrative to deter workers from unionizing and maintain the status quo. In the last year and half, we’ve seen how negatively individualism can affect communities with the public conversation around mask mandates and vaccines often favoring individual choice over collective wellbeing. -Jordyn
ReplyDeleteI am currently in a class about teaching children and infants with disabilities. In this class, the topic of individualism comes up quite often in regards to children's development. For example, when trying to figure out if a child is "typically" developing, there are certain guidelines that can imply they are or they aren't, but there is also an extreme emphasis on the individuality of each child and their course of development. There are certain ages when milestones such as talking, crawling, walking, etc. should occur, but a quicker or slower development does not automatically imply the child is gifted or disabled. This is because each person is unique in the way they learn, develop, and process. There is also a lot of talk of individualism in this class when regarding individualized education plans, which is a huge focus in this class. The basic idea is that each child process and responds differently so each child should have a unique approach to learning. In this class, individuality is celebrated and embraced, as it should be in regards to education in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWe briefly discussed individualism in my AP World class when we talked about the more modern era. When we talked about it I would definitely say it was a positive topic and it was interesting because we talked about individualism occurring all around the world, not just here in the U.S. We talked about individualism mostly in terms of pop culture and/or trends and often times it gravitated towards women.
ReplyDeleteIn my Sociology class, back in ninth grade, we briefly defined it as something like the only form left of solidarity in modern society. Don’t quote me on that though, it’s been a long time. In my psychology class, we never specially went over that, but it was refenced as the opposite of collectivism and how it could be lost in groups and stuff like that. We also went over it in Art history in reference to how certain pieces would promote it and others wouldn’t depending on the concept. I think although it varies, it’s generally portrayed as a good think. I think it’s considered good if it defines you but keeps you a part of the society.
ReplyDeleteDuring high school, individualism wasn't prioritized, at least in the classes I was in or knew of. I always had a grasp of the importance of being your own self so I might not have fully noticed if the idea of individualism was being pushed. The first time individuality was discussed in a classroom setting was actually my focused inquiry class here. It wasn't directly discussed in a sense of "you should be your own person" ordeal but we touched up on the topic of the student-teacher dynamic. We discussed how conversations in the classroom should be a two-way street, instead of the idea that the teacher is bestowing their knowledge upon us. I felt as if that opened the class to be more outspoken on their ideas, which in-turn, leads to a more unique and diverse group of students. He made it a safe space to speak our mind which, I believe, turns out a more individualized setting. I definitely believe it is perceived as a good thing. Most everyone can feel comfortable while also expressing themselves.
ReplyDeleteWe are currently talking about individualism in my focused inquiry class. It has been discussed in a more positive light. Our teacher talked about individualism in comparison to personal thinking. Our personal preferences and experiences lead us all to think differently and add to one another's knowledge. Our teacher also tends to practice letting us discuss our opinions and views allowing us to express out individualism which I really enjoy.
ReplyDelete(Alyssa Black) In my business classes we discuss the relationship between individualism and capitalism, individualism being a good thing for a capitalist market since it's taught as a source of creativity that fuels innovation and helps us move forward. I think it is funny because I do not necessarily agree, a lot of anti capitalist have such beliefs because capitalism is seen as this machine that works to create copies so to speak, so to say that this same machine is also stimulus for individuality seems like quite the oxymoron, but I guess it just depends on where you stand within the capitalist structure. I think individualism is a good thing but of course like with all things there needs to be balance, in this case with collectivism, because if we all are so hung up on ourselves we lose a sense of community that is so essential to human existence and the well being of a society.
ReplyDeleteWe have spoken about Individualism in my focused inquiry class. It means to be your own person. Your characteristics, personality, memories, and habits all make up who you are as an individual. Everyone is unique in their own way and there are no two individuals exactly alike. Individualism is mostly known as a positive thing.
ReplyDelete-Natalie Agee
I have not talked about individualism in any of my other courses, but when I was reading Bulman Chapter 2 I noticed something interesting. Individualism is most important to the middle class, the most homogenous social group. For the middle class to pursue their personal idea of success, they usually need to conform to a very strict structure and try to climb the corporate ladder.
ReplyDelete-Isra Smith
Andrew - In my US history class we talked about presidents and economists who favored "rugged individualism." If I remember correctly, It was presented to our class as sort of a reaction to the economic conditions of the US at the time, which can be seen as either good or bad. Individualism was about pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and not asking for any hand outs. The US government has tried to instill the idea into peoples heads that if you are at a disadvantage or in a bad situation, then you need to handle it by yourself.
ReplyDeleteAngela Mitchel
ReplyDeleteI cannot recall discussing individualism in any of my classes besides band. With playing music, not just individually, musicians must listen to themselves in order to make sure they are in tune; Without the individual listening skill, especially with band instruments, the band will just sound bad. This is why most pre-college bands sounds bad to the outsider; The individuals comprising the band are not individually listening to everyone around them, so then this causes a sort of "miscommunication" with who is actually in tune. If you have ever been to a music recital, you might notice one person walk out on stage and hold out a tuning note. This is so everyone else can refer to one individual, and so the miscommunication of "who is right or wrong" will not have to be an issue.
This concept of importance with individualism can also be used when discussing societal standards. A North Korean dictatorship-like society may seem perfect from an outsider's perspective, however once you look up close at the individuals, you can see quite the opposite: This "perfect society", in reality, won't even pass for good.
Hi, This is Katelin. In today’s society/generation individualism is shown everywhere. I have had many instances in class or even walking down the street that resembles individualism. However, talking about it seems to be a little less likely to hear about. Maybe in middle school the female teachers would tell us girls about how to be independent but once you reach high school, you figure it out for yourself if you want to. It seems to be not such a forced issue when you get older because I feel as if by that point you either do it independently and care or you rely on others. People can change but teachers aren’t wasting the time to discuss it with us separately. In middle school, they would say that we need to stop flirting with the boys and do our own work. I also feel as if it was never a “real” conversation about being your own person and relying on others. Most teachers tried to embarrass you about “flirting” so you would do the work, but I don’t think that was ever very effective. I truly believe sitting down to have an actual conversation over individualism and telling us to do what we love and stay passionate could have helped. I believe that individualism being a good or bad thing is solely internalized with yourself. Society, especially now, is seeing individualism as a good thing. Girls stand united to help others become strong against certain situations. Another quick point to make is I always see girls worrying about individualism but rarely hear anything about boys. I think making this topic less sexist could help everyone to realize the importance as well. Overall, I agree with being independent, I think it’s a good thing and discussing the topic more at a later age could really impact people.
ReplyDeleteGabriela Rodiguez- Individualism has been taught to me throughout high school and my college experience. Year after year I have been told how important individualism is, from politics to different types of personal relationships. Being able to individualism ourselves from our parents' belief when it comes to politics has been seen a lot throughout recent years. Being able to individualize yourself means that you have your own beliefs and morals aside from what our parents or community believes or what they might think about our own separate beliefs.
ReplyDelete- I have been plenty of philosophy classes where we discussed more of social theory in terms of individualism. Questioning whether people have freedom over themselves and their choices. Or maybe everyone’s actions are pre-determined. We’re merely presented an illusion of free-will. Currently I’m learning about individualism through the lens on institutions like states or bureaucracies. The concepts could also relate to other institutions as well. Basically, talking about how individual actors behave and make decisions while operating in hegemonic institutions. In politics, Individualism is looked at more objectively, I think because it’s not on a personal level. They are usually talking about big institutions operating on a global scale. Philosophy is the opposite with each theory pertaining to individualism you can kind of tell whether the theorist thinks it’s a good or bad thing if you read it critically. (Keyana Roberts)
ReplyDelete