Summary Of The Myth Of Individualism

Americans are just like other people from all around the world. They are shaped by many different things. Social forces is one of the main influences upon people. When people are shaped by social forces, does that make them individuals? A thing that America is known for. Or does it make them conform to the society in which they live? The book called The Myth of individualism, how Social Forces Shape Our Lives written by Peter L. Callero helps bust the “myth of individualism”. This book shows a brief introduction of the myth we believe today about individualism. It shows this from a sociological point of view and how sociologist may think about this concept. Callero does a phenomenal job in showing how social forces influence out lives. He explains
You may ask yourself what exactly “social” means. Social means for the desire of one to be with others versus alone. According to dictionary.com “Social” can have several different meanings, but they all have other thing in common, “others”. The definitions given from dictionary.com are as follows. “1. Pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations. 2. Seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious. 3. Pertaining to, connected with, or suited to polite or fashionable society .4. Living or disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation. 5. Pertaining to human society, especially as a body divided into classes according to status. 6. Involved in many social activities 7. Of or pertaining to the life, welfare, and relations of human beings in a community.” As you can see, these seven definitions explain people very well. Today many may think that people are becoming more individual and becoming less of a union. But that is not necessarily
Callero gives the account of a high school senior named Louise who works at McDonalds. She was accused of stealing a purse, her assistant manager was on the phone with “Officer Scott” and was being order to have Louise do and perform unmoral acts. The assistant manager, Donna, followed the instructions of the stranger on the phone. She knew it was wrong but simply ignored that because she believed she was obeying someone of higher authority. We as Americans, would like to believe that none of us would ever do such a thing. According to a study mentioned in The Myth of Individualism, done by a Professor named Stanley Milgram, 65% of people would obey orders that were way beyond the bounds of being socially acceptable behaviors. “Good, ethical citizens have been following bad, unethical instructions from persons of authority for quit sometime” (Callero 68) Why is this? Callero says that all these hoaxes demonstrate perfectly the force of group membership. People like to be in a group and fit well within the group. These mindless acts that Callero describes, all lead to people obeying in order to avoid getting in trouble and also staying within their group. “Groups anchor our sense of self and provide us with social identities. Our family, work, friendships, play, religion, education, and politics are all experienced in and through