American individualisms : child rearing and social class in three neighborhoods / Adrie S. Kusserow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kusserow, Adrie.

Series:

Culture, mind, and society.

Culture, mind, and society

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social classes--New York (State)--New York.

Social classes.

Child rearing--Social aspects--New York (State)--New York.

Child rearing.

Socialization--New York (State)--New York.

Socialization.

Individualism--New York (State)--New York.

Individualism.

New York (N.Y.)--Social conditions.

New York (N.Y.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (221 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

What are hard and soft individualisms? In this detailed ethnography of three communities in Manhattan and Queens, Kusserow interviews parents and teachers (from wealthy to those on welfare) on the types of hard and soft individualisms they encourage in their children and students. American Individualisms explores the important issue of class differences in the socialization of individualism in America. It presents American individualism not as one single homogeneous, stereotypic life-pattern as often claimed to be, but as variable, class-differentiated models of individualism instilled in young children by their parents and preschool teachers in Manhattan and Queens. By providing rich descriptions of the situational, class-based individualisms that take root in communities with vastly different visions of the future, Kusserow brings social inequality back into previously bland and generic discussions of American individualism.

Contents:

Cover; Contents; Series Forward; Introduction; Chapter One: Ethnographic Method and Context; Chapter Two: American Individualism and Social Class Revisited; Chapter Three: Queenston and Kelley Ethnoconceptions of the Child's Self: The Soft-Hard Continuum and Establishment of Firm Boundaries to the Self; Chapter Four: Queenston Hard Protective Individualism vs. Kelley Hard Projective Individualism; Chapter Five: Individualism and Ethnoconceptions of the Child's Self in Parkside; Chapter Six: Queenston and Kelley Preschools; Chapter Seven: Parkside Preschools

Chapter Eight: Balancing Psychologized Individualism with Societal Constraints and Uncovering the True SelfConclusion: The Varieties of Individualism; Appendix A: Sample Letter for Parents; Appendix B: Interview Questions; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

OCLC:

560287094