The Consequence of Blaming the Individual

Person-Blame distracts attention away from institutions

When one uses only the person blame approach, it frees the government, the economy, and the educational system (among other institutions) from blame.  The person blame approach ignores the strains that are caused by inequalities within the system.

Person-Blame makes it more difficult to institute systemic change

By excluding the existing order from blame it makes it that much harder to initiate change in economic, social, or political institutions. By replying on a personal-blame approach, societal conditions such as norms that are racist, sexist, or homophobic go unchallenged.

Person-Blame allows the powerful to control dissidents

Blaming the individual allows the government to "control" dissidents more easily. Deviants are sent to prisons or hospitals for rehabilitation. Such an approach directs attention away from the system. It eliminates the individual under consideration. Replying on a personal-blame approach legitimizes social programs aimed at individuals.   It encourages treatment of the individual in terms of counseling, behavior modification, or psychotherapy.

Person-Blame Reinforces Stereotypes

Person blame also has the potential to reinforce stereotypes. (e.g., the poor are poor because they are lazy). The person-blame approach tends to support the Social Darwinist position that people are placed in the system according to their ability or inability.

The System-Blame Approach

This course often advocates a system-blame approach.

System-blamers argue that societal conditions are the primary source of social problems.

They may suggest that the key to understanding social problems is understanding the distribution of power in society.