Individualism and Emotional Attachment: An Evolving Tension in American History

Abstract This article identifies and traces the rise of greater individualism in American history, from the early nineteenth century onward, and the corresponding effort to provide protective compensations, through associations, family ties, friendships, and sympathy for stresses such as homesickness and loneliness. The essay emphasizes several major stages in this often complex balancing act. Risks of tension increased in the twentieth century, with declining sympathy for some issues of adjustment, somewhat weaker family, and emotional ties. The situation deteriorated further after the 1950s, through a combination of new and more isolating forms of individualism, greater though diverse family instability and the now-familiar signs of growing loneliness. However, new forms of compensation must also be assessed, from the rise of pets to the unusually eager American reception of psychological therapy. The purpose of the article is to highlight an enduring basic theme in the nation’s emotional history—contributing to the growing interest in the history of emotions more generally—while also placing several urgent current problems in clearer historical context.