The Search for Political Community: American Activists Reinventing Commitment (Cambridge Cultural Social Studies)

This book challenges the myth that Americans' emphasis on personal fulfilment necessarily weakens commitment to the common good. Drawing on extensive participant-observation with a variety of environmentalist groups, Paul Lichterman argues that individualism sometimes enhances public, political commitment and that a shared respect for individual inspiration enables activists with diverse political backgrounds to work together. This personalised culture of commitment has sustained activists working long-term for social change. The book contrasts 'personalised politics' in mainly white environmental groups with a more traditional, community-centred culture of commitment in an African-American group. The untraditional, personalised politics of many recent social movements invites us to rethink common understandings of commitment, community, and individualism in a post-traditional world. This book challenges the myth that individualism necessarily weakens commitments to the common good. It examines environmental and other activist groups in which individualism sometimes enhances political commitment. Rather than criticize individualism and favor a return to "traditional" values, Paul Lichterman examines the untraditional, personalized politics of many recent social movements and invites us to rethink common understandings of commitment, community, and individualism in a post-traditional world. This book challenges the myth that individualism necessarily weakens commitments to the common good. Examining environmental and other activist groups in which individualism enhances political commitment, it invites us to rethink understandings of commitment, community, and individualism in a post-traditional world. This book challenges they myth that Americans' emphasis on personal fulfillment necessarily weakens commitment to the common good. Drawing on his extensive ethnographic research on a variety of environmentalist groups, Paul Lichterman argues that individualism sometimes enhances public, political commitment. Rather than criticize individualism and favor a return to traditional values, this text examines the untraditional, personalized politics of many recent social movements. It invites us to rethink commitment, community, and individualism in a post-traditional world. Paul Lichterman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 261-271) And Index.