Lipkin, A. I. Subcivilizational Particularity of the USA. 1. American Individualism

Abstract: The author describes the definition and genesis of American individualism forming the basis of subcivilizational particularity of the USA compared to Europe and especially Russia. Individualism is a result of a certain ‘life style’ and colonization of a new continent. The main ideals of individualism are a ‘self made man’, ‘American dream’, success, competition and risk. The American individualism is viewed based on the examples of such typical American phenomena as land, gold, oil, meat ‘rush’, growth of cities and colleges, development of technology, education, science and culture. In his research the author has carried out comparative historical analysis by using the developed conceptual framework centered on the concepts of civilizational and subcivilizational communities that are being formed around the ‘cultural core’. Besides describing an important element of North American subcivilizational cultural core the author also shows that it is the subcivilizational particularity of American individualism created during the formation of the USA in the 17th – 19th centuries which is the main cause of the USA’s leading position in the modern post-industrial world. The author also describes the socio-cultural grounds of the American tendency towards the ‘direct action’ and simpler forms of high culture.

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