The Self-Esteem Myth

Has anyone written anything analyzing what I'll call, for the sake of argument, the self-esteem myth -- that is, the meme that's been going around for a decade or two that the breakdown of society can be blamed on efforts by some nebulous cabal of educators and others who try to promote self-esteem at all costs while undermining quality?

I mean, almost certainly "yes", but I don't know what it is, because I don't know what to search for, so would appreciate any pointers.