The Struggle Between Individualism and Communitarianism: The Pressure of Population, Prejudice, and the Purse

Du Bois's (1903) idea of the color line has not disappeared from American culture and politics. Perhaps it has grown fainter with the momentous changes of the past half century, culminating in the election of the first Black U.S. President in 2008. But the 21st century promises to feature a different line, one that partially grows out of the color line. It may prove to be the century in which the battle between "individualism" and "communitarianism" is contested. Public institutions of all sorts in America are struggling for survival against the forces of demographic shifts, the divisive influence of racial and ethnic prejudice, and the exigencies of a seriously weakened economy. This struggle is critical to the future of K-12 public education. The authors briefly discuss the competing conceptions of individualism and communitarianism as a lens through which to view how population pressures, prejudice, and financial concerns shape the politics and public debate over schools. The pressures on a communitarian ethos exerted by the nation's rapidly shifting demographics (population) and economy (the purse) are having a profound effect on public institutions of all types, especially K-12 public education. The authors focus on these pressures and how K-12 public education in America is being affected. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 7 notes.)