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¶ … values of American culture. Specifically, it will connect this theme with two or more of the following: American energy consumption and foreign policy. Many writers (American and foreign) have commented on the core values of American culture, using terms like "rugged individualism," "individual freedom," "self-reliance," "pioneer spirit" and "democracy." Do you see a theme here?
AMERICAN CULTURE
Americans have always been noted for their loved of individual freedoms and their self-reliance. This tradition began before the Revolutionary War, when America stood up for her rights as a colony of England. Americans have been called "rugged individualists" who embody a "pioneer spirit" because we demanded our rights then, and we continue to do so today in a wide variety of areas, and all you have to do is turn on the television or read a newspaper to see some of these core values which are exhibited every day in our culture. For example, American energy consumption is the highest in the world, because we, as "rugged individualists" demand our right to drive gas guzzling SUVs and souped up hot rods despite the effect it has on the environment, because we have the "right" to drive whatever we desire, and damn the consequences. Americans take their freedoms seriously, no matter what they are, and this is another core value of our culture, which often leads to misunderstanding in other cultures. We appear selfish and self-adsorbed, and our core values do nothing to diminish these appearances. Our foreign policy also exhibits these core values, as the recent war with Iraq clearly illustrates. We were the "good guys" riding in on our white horses to liberate the oppressed, and even though we appeared like bullies to many other countries of the world, in America, our core values dictated that we help the oppressed, and dispose the dictators. If we enjoy freedom, then everyone should -- end of story. It is no wonder that we appear like "rugged individuals" to many; our core values uphold and celebrate this individualism, and without it, we would not be Americans.
However, in addition to being part of the Americanization process, this has also sparked hostility and anti-American sentiments as well, for some Canadians who believe Canadian culture is being lost to the United States. Demonstrations in front of American enterprises, boycotts of American iconic products like Coca-Cola, and even vandalizing McDonald's outlets have all been a part of this effort to not succumb to Americanization. Mechanisms Underlying America's Influence on
Another writer notes, "It is important to point out that the marketing/merchandising effort is not a haphazard or casual affair. Not only are licensees carefully selected, but the Disney company insists on coordinating all aspects of the design and marketing of the products" (Wasko, 2001, p. 56). Most American children grow up on a diet of Disney films, and that has continued for generations, really showing that good, high-quality
Works Cited Baumgarten, Linda. (2002). What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Bilhartz, Terry D., and Elliott, Alan C. (2007). Currents in American History: A Brief History of the United States, Volume 1. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. Crunden, Robert Morse. (1996). A Brief History of American Culture. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. Fisher, John Hurt. (2001). "British and American, Continuity and Divergence"
Disillusionment in Postmodern American Literature The latter half of the twentieth century saw a raft of dramatic changes to American culture and society, bringing with them new forms living and thinking about the world. Beginning in the 1960s and continuing onward, the country saw a deep disillusionment with the suburban trappings of contemporary America, as Cold War anxiety combined with rampant consumerism to instill a sense of moral vacuity, which was
Without a doubt, the behavior of the basketball stars in the nineties heightened the reputation of the African-American community, and brought basketball into mainstream prominence. They proved their black masculinity through both leadership and statesmanship, and paved the road for the players of today's NBA. Despite the exceptional standards that the players of the nineties set, the basketball culture in the new millennium seems to differ drastically. The Kobe generation
It is noticeable, however, that despite illustrating the image of 'good life' among American consumers, it seemed that these ads were catered only to white Americans, which are often depicted as belonging to the elite to middle social classes. Further analysis also showed that apart from the under representation of minorities in these ads, white American women were the 'staple' elements contained in an ad. Although some of the ads