Cultural Narcissism
Is American Culture Breeding a Society of Narcissists?
Melati S. Frankfort
California State University Channel Islands
Abstract
In America today, it seems we live in an individualist culture based on materialism, self-indulgence, grandiosity, and a quest for fame or infamy via reality shows and social networking sites, and that these values have replaced those of family, morality, and community. Is then American culture breeding a society of narcissists fueled by the self-esteem movement that commenced in the 1970s? Is the current state of constant mainstream media coverage on overly exuberant celebrities flaunting their wealth, along with the ability of anyone to post their private lives on the internet for public viewing making narcissism the norm? Can narcissism as a personality disorder be applied dimensionally to an entire culture in a social psychology context? This paper will explore theories on cultural narcissism, the roots of narcissism dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries when the first individualism movement emerged, and how in recent history focus has again shifted on the individual with the dawn of the self-esteem movement of the 1970s, its resulting effect on current generations, and potential effect on future generations in the form of cultural narcissism.
Is American Culture Breeding a Society of Narcissists? There is an assertion in cultural theory that the current cultural trend in America is fueling a narcissistic society, but that according to psychoanalytic theory, narcissism can only be applied to an individual as a diagnosed personality disorder that develops during childhood (Morales, 1995). Therefore, can narcissism be applied to define the state of an entire culture in in a social psychology context? In the DSM-IV-TR, narcissism is defined as a personality disorder consisting of a “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy . . .” with at least five
Melati S. Frankfort
California State University Channel Islands
Abstract
In America today, it seems we live in an individualist culture based on materialism, self-indulgence, grandiosity, and a quest for fame or infamy via reality shows and social networking sites, and that these values have replaced those of family, morality, and community. Is then American culture breeding a society of narcissists fueled by the self-esteem movement that commenced in the 1970s? Is the current state of constant mainstream media coverage on overly exuberant celebrities flaunting their wealth, along with the ability of anyone to post their private lives on the internet for public viewing making narcissism the norm? Can narcissism as a personality disorder be applied dimensionally to an entire culture in a social psychology context? This paper will explore theories on cultural narcissism, the roots of narcissism dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries when the first individualism movement emerged, and how in recent history focus has again shifted on the individual with the dawn of the self-esteem movement of the 1970s, its resulting effect on current generations, and potential effect on future generations in the form of cultural narcissism.
Is American Culture Breeding a Society of Narcissists? There is an assertion in cultural theory that the current cultural trend in America is fueling a narcissistic society, but that according to psychoanalytic theory, narcissism can only be applied to an individual as a diagnosed personality disorder that develops during childhood (Morales, 1995). Therefore, can narcissism be applied to define the state of an entire culture in in a social psychology context? In the DSM-IV-TR, narcissism is defined as a personality disorder consisting of a “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy . . .” with at least five
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