Abstract
Accompanying capitalism, individualistic beliefs have advanced individual rights and freedoms. Social critics, however, argue that individualism justifies inequalities by suggesting that barriers to economic well being exist only in the psyches of individuals, and not also within social structures. A single ideology of individualism could not effectively cross all lines of social difference in the USA. Consequently, supplemental ideologies emphasizing full self-reliance and high self-esteem emerged at historically important junctures, reaching diverse populations and circumventing structural strain. Separated or intertwined, these ideologies may contribute to negative social consequences. Americans are described as simultaneously `too individualistic' and `not individualistic enough.'
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