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Modern Self-Making Individualism and the Construction of the Neoliberal Self in Modern US American Self-Help Literature

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Modern Self-Making Individualism and the Construction of the Neoliberal Self in Modern US American Self-Help Literature Modern Self-Making Individualism and the Construction of the Neoliberal Self in Modern US American Self-Help Literature Diplomarbeit zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades einer Magistra der Philosophie an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz vorgelegt von Daniela LIPPE am Institut für Amerikanistik Begutachterin: Assoz. Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Ulla Kriebernegg Graz, 2020 Declaration I hereby confirm that this diploma thesis entitled Modern Self-Making Individualism and the Construction of the Neoliberal Self in Modern US American Self- Help Literature is the result of my own independent academic work. All sources are cited correctly in this thesis; quotations and paraphrases are acknowledged. No material other than that listed has been used. I also certify that this thesis or parts thereof have not been used previously as examination material (by myself or anyone else) at this or any other university. Graz, 2020 ii To all the people who have guided and supported me, inside and outside the classroom. Thank you! Abstract Self-help books have become a seemingly ubiquitous phenomenon. Despite their popularity there is comparatively little research on self-help books. The aim of this thesis is to explore the connection between modern self-help literature and the ideologies of individualism and neoliberalism in US American culture, and to understand what neoliberal ideas of selfhood are explicitly and implicitly promoted and reflected in self-help books. The first section of the thesis introduces the reader to ideas of individualism and self-making as well as neoliberalism and its influence on US American understanding of selfhood. The second section provides an insight into self-help literature and the general history of self-help. Readers are further familiarized with common characteristics of self-help books and different approaches to studying self-help literature. The third section constitutes the analysis of three self-help books, Own it All by Andrea Isabelle Lucas (2018), #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso (2014) and Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo (2019). The analysis shows that self-help books promote and reflect six virtues of neoliberal selfhood. These are entrepreneurship, responsibility, confidence, self-expression, nonconformity and self-exploitation. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 5 2. Self-Making ............................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 Individualism .................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Self-Made Man ............................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Neoliberalism .................................................................................................................. 13 2.4 Neoliberal Self ................................................................................................................ 16 2.4.1 Virtues ...................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1.1 Entrepreneurship ............................................................................................... 17 2.4.1.2 Responsibility .................................................................................................... 18 2.4.1.3 Confidence ........................................................................................................ 19 2.4.1.4 Self-Expression ................................................................................................. 20 2.4.1.5 Nonconformity .................................................................................................. 21 2.4.1.6 Self-Exploitation ............................................................................................... 21 2.4.2 Cultural Aspects ....................................................................................................... 22 2.4.2.1 Media ................................................................................................................. 22 2.4.2.2 Celebrity Culture ............................................................................................... 22 2.4.2.3 Lack of Solidarity .............................................................................................. 23 2.4.3 Criticism ................................................................................................................... 23 3. Self-Help Literature .............................................................................................................. 24 3.1 Self-Help ......................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 History of Self-Help ....................................................................................................... 29 3.3 Self-Help Literature ........................................................................................................ 30 3.4 History of Self-Help Literature ....................................................................................... 34 3.5 Common Characteristics of Self-Help Books ................................................................ 40 3.6 Research on Self-Help Literature ................................................................................... 45 4. Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 46 4.1 Entrepreneurship ............................................................................................................. 49 4.1.1 Risk .......................................................................................................................... 51 4.1.2 Grit ........................................................................................................................... 53 4.1.3 Legacy ...................................................................................................................... 54 4.1.4 Job Market ............................................................................................................... 55 4.2 Responsibility ................................................................................................................. 57 4.3 Confidence ...................................................................................................................... 62 4.4 Self-Expression ............................................................................................................... 66 4.5 Nonconformity ................................................................................................................ 69 4.6 Self-Exploitation ............................................................................................................. 72 4.7 Summary ......................................................................................................................... 73 5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 74 6. Works Cited .......................................................................................................................... 76 1. Introduction [S]elf-help books have become a hugely prevalent, contemporary cultural phenomenon. There could not be a stronger cultural indicator of modern times. (Cherry 7) Self-help literature has become more and more popular throughout the years (LaRosa). Whatever bookstore one enters, from big department stores to small Christian bookstores, there is usually at least one shelf reserved for books that promise their readers to help them with living a better life. As modern US American culture is particularly defined by individualism and the hegemony of neoliberalism (Chomsky 7), I argue that self-help books reflect cultural values and encourage virtues of individualism and self-making which are influenced by neoliberal thinking and that promote the idea of a “neoliberal self” (McGuigan). The aim of this thesis is to understand how self-help books reflect cultural values and to identify virtues that promote a neoliberal self within them. In order to do so the thesis provides an overview of individualism, self-making as well as neoliberalism and neoliberal selfhood as part of US American culture and introduces the reader to self-help literature. On the grounds of this theoretical overview three self-help books, Own It All (2018) by Andrea Isabelle Lucas, #GIRLBOSS (2014) by Sophia Amoruso and Everything is Figureoutable (2019) by Marie Forleo, are analyzed and discussed. The first section of the thesis seeks to offer a sociocultural framework by discussing the importance of the individual and self-making in US American culture. It explains why and how the individual became so important and how this importance is expressed through ideas of individualism and the myth of the self-made man. Moreover, an overview of neoliberalism is provided and its influence on society and people’s everyday lives and their ideas about selfhood and self-making are discussed. The second section familiarizes the reader with self-help literature. The term self-help is explained, and a historical overview of self-help in its various meanings is provided. Additionally, self-help literature
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