Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequality - Paperback

by Lawrence M. Eppard (Author), Mark Robert Rank (Author), Heather E. Bullock (Author)

Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequalityexplores and critiques the widespread perception in the United States that one's success or failure in life is largely the result of personal choices and individual characteristics. As the authors show, the distinctively individualist ideology of American politics and culture shapes attitudes toward poverty and economic inequality in profound ways, fostering social policies that de-emphasize structural remedies. Drawing on a variety of unique methodologies, the book synthesizes data from large-scale surveys of the American population, and it features both conversations with academic experts and interviews with American citizens intimately familiar with the consequences of economic disadvantage. This mixture of approaches gives readers a fuller understanding of "skeptical altruism," a concept the authors use to describe the American public's hesitancy to adopt a more robust and structurally-oriented approach to solving the persistent problem of economic disadvantage.

Author Biography

Lawrence M. Eppard is assistant professor of sociology at Shippensburg University.

Mark Robert Rank is the Herbert S. Hadley Endowed Professor of Social Welfare at Washington University in St. Louis.

Heather E. Bullock is professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.