Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses

Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses

The U.S. has a vibrant history of civic activism fueled by a strong individualistic tradition. But while stimulating critical views of the status quo, the individualist mindset has simultaneously acted as a brake on the democratic imagination by promoting the cultural narrative according to which me...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Olga Thierbach-McLean
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: European Association for American Studies 2019-07-01
Series:European Journal of American Studies
Subjects:
US social activism
reform movements
cyber activism
individualism
gun control
depoliticization
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/ejas/14663
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spelling doaj-4e97fc2bf461425b8e75e5dfe44f3b392020-11-24T20:46:39ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362019-07-0114210.4000/ejas.14663Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform DiscoursesOlga Thierbach-McLeanThe U.S. has a vibrant history of civic activism fueled by a strong individualistic tradition. But while stimulating critical views of the status quo, the individualist mindset has simultaneously acted as a brake on the democratic imagination by promoting the cultural narrative according to which meaningful social change can ultimately only occur by transforming one’s own private environment. This tendency finds expression in popular reform slogans, also including modern cyber-activism which – despite its global reach – shows a disposition to get absorbed in insular pet projects. It also plays a vital, jet largely unacknowledged role in America’s struggle with gun violence.http://journals.openedition.org/ejas/14663US social activismreform movementscyber activismindividualismgun controldepoliticization
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Olga Thierbach-McLean
spellingShingle Olga Thierbach-McLean
Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses
European Journal of American Studies
US social activism
reform movements
cyber activism
individualism
gun control
depoliticization
author_facet Olga Thierbach-McLean
author_sort Olga Thierbach-McLean
title Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses
title_short Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses
title_full Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses
title_fullStr Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses
title_full_unstemmed Close to Home, One at a Time, Not in My Backyard: Individualism and the Mantras of Depoliticization in US Reform Discourses
title_sort close to home, one at a time, not in my backyard: individualism and the mantras of depoliticization in us reform discourses
publisher European Association for American Studies
series European Journal of American Studies
issn 1991-9336
publishDate 2019-07-01
description The U.S. has a vibrant history of civic activism fueled by a strong individualistic tradition. But while stimulating critical views of the status quo, the individualist mindset has simultaneously acted as a brake on the democratic imagination by promoting the cultural narrative according to which meaningful social change can ultimately only occur by transforming one’s own private environment. This tendency finds expression in popular reform slogans, also including modern cyber-activism which – despite its global reach – shows a disposition to get absorbed in insular pet projects. It also plays a vital, jet largely unacknowledged role in America’s struggle with gun violence.
topic US social activism
reform movements
cyber activism
individualism
gun control
depoliticization
url http://journals.openedition.org/ejas/14663
work_keys_str_mv AT olgathierbachmclean closetohomeoneatatimenotinmybackyardindividualismandthemantrasofdepoliticizationinusreformdiscourses
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