The Culture of Narcissism.Critical Book Review
Critical book review:
Christopher Lasch (1991)
The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Expectations
The culture of narcissism was widely recognised as a socio-cultural critique of American society when published in 1979. Written by Christopher Lasch, the book analyzes a social phenomenon identified by Christopher Lasch as ‘cultural narcissism’, a process by which certain attributes of the pathological branch of narcissism (Bocock, 2002) become societal characteristics (Lasch, 1991). This review will be analyzing the relevance of the book within wider sociological debate. I will argue that although the book identifies a recognisable social trend it fails to deomonstrate a specific cause or reason for that trend. The author proclaims that the causes of narcissism are the decline in the family and fetishism of commodities (Lasch). I will go on to argue that capitalism is the main cause of narcissism and that Lasch fails to diagnose the problem by focusing on superficial aspects of it rather than the root cause. I will also argue that by analyzing the causes of the problem superficially the author only suggest superficial and erroneous solutions.
Books Core Argument
The culture of narcissism is inspired by Sigmund Freud's theory of pathological narcissism. There are obvious similarities between both thesis, but they also differ in that for Freud it was a pathological illness of a determined group of individuals with an over developed sense of self. For Lasch, contemporary social trends have led to narcissism becoming a cultural rather than a psychological phenomena, in the sense that aspects of Freudian narcissism have become characteristic of modern social life. But by becoming a social phenomena, cultural narcissism is expressed in a very different way from pathological narcissism. Lasch argued that the cultural narcissist was not self obsessed and did not have an over developed ego as Freud had suggested. In fact it was the lack
Christopher Lasch (1991)
The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Expectations
The culture of narcissism was widely recognised as a socio-cultural critique of American society when published in 1979. Written by Christopher Lasch, the book analyzes a social phenomenon identified by Christopher Lasch as ‘cultural narcissism’, a process by which certain attributes of the pathological branch of narcissism (Bocock, 2002) become societal characteristics (Lasch, 1991). This review will be analyzing the relevance of the book within wider sociological debate. I will argue that although the book identifies a recognisable social trend it fails to deomonstrate a specific cause or reason for that trend. The author proclaims that the causes of narcissism are the decline in the family and fetishism of commodities (Lasch). I will go on to argue that capitalism is the main cause of narcissism and that Lasch fails to diagnose the problem by focusing on superficial aspects of it rather than the root cause. I will also argue that by analyzing the causes of the problem superficially the author only suggest superficial and erroneous solutions.
Books Core Argument
The culture of narcissism is inspired by Sigmund Freud's theory of pathological narcissism. There are obvious similarities between both thesis, but they also differ in that for Freud it was a pathological illness of a determined group of individuals with an over developed sense of self. For Lasch, contemporary social trends have led to narcissism becoming a cultural rather than a psychological phenomena, in the sense that aspects of Freudian narcissism have become characteristic of modern social life. But by becoming a social phenomena, cultural narcissism is expressed in a very different way from pathological narcissism. Lasch argued that the cultural narcissist was not self obsessed and did not have an over developed ego as Freud had suggested. In fact it was the lack
References: Beck, U, Bonss, W, Lau, C.(2003) Theory, Culture & Society.vol 20, London, Sage. Bocock, R. (2002) Sigmund Freud.Revised ed, London, Routledge Craib, I Giddens, A. (2009) The Consequences of Modernity, Stanford, Stanford University Press. Gorz, A. (1999) Reclaiming Work, Cambridge: Polity Press. Kammen, M. (1979:454) A Whiplash of Contradictory Expectations, Reviews in American history [online] (Vol 7, No4) http://www.jstor.org/stable/2701599 28/11/2010 Karl, M Lash, C. (1991) The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations, New York: W. W. Norton and Company. Ritzer, G, Smart,B.(2001) Handbook of Social Theory, London, Sage Publications Ltd. Ritzer, G. (2008) Modern Sociological Theory, New York, McGraw-Hill. Wheen, F. (2002), Karl Marx, A Life, New York, Norton.