American Studies
American Civilization: An introduction Summary
Chapter 1- American context
The term ‘American Civilization’ describes an advance society, which occupies a specific geographic space
(The US) and has settled historically by many different people. Its contributary cultures illustrate a
distinctive, but complex, way of life. Although previously associated notions of superiority and imperialism,
‘civilization’ now has a neutral and inclusive meaning.
Examples of central features that conditioned the US history:
Pre-Columbian migrations of peoples to the America from world-wide origins, colonial and military
occupation by Europeans from the late fifteen century, and the establishment of social values,
religious faith and institutional structures.
The treatment of Native Americans and other minority ethnic groups
The war for independence from Britain
The westward, southern and northern expansion of the new nation
Principles of dignity and rights to freedom, justice and opportunity in the Declaration of
Independence (1776), the constitution (1787) and the Bill of Rights (1791)
Ideologies of egalitarianism, individualism and utopianism.
Large-scale immigration into the country in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
The Civil War to end slavery and southern-state secession from the Union
US isolationist and interventionist attitudes toward other countries during two world wars (1914-18
and 1939-45), the 1945-89 Cold War and early twenty-first century growth of the US as a dominant
economic, military, and cultural force since the nineteenth century.
These historical events have created six major cultures in the US, which may conflict with each other and
operate on different levels of idealism, pragmatism and rhetoric. The first is a diverse ethnic culture
founded on Native American civilizations, European colonial settlement, African American slavery and
later waves of immigrations. The second one is a multi-faith religious culture, which reflects the beliefs of
early inhabitants and remains prominent today. The third, is a political-legal culture based on
individualism, constitutionalism and respect for the law. It tries to unite the people under ideal versions of
‘Americanism’, such as patriotism, egalitarianism and morality, which should be practically reflected in
political and legal institutions. The fourth is an economic and consumer culture of corporate and individual
competition and production, which encourages profit and the consumption of goods and services based on
1
,principles of supply and demand. The fifth consists of media cultures (information, communication and
entertainment), which became diverse and technologically complex in the twentieth and twenty-first
centuries. The sixth represents cultural expression in the arts, sports and leisure, which reflects the
inventiveness of the US life.
US society has been conditioned by these cultures. However, many people such as political activists, the
youth and disadvantaged minorities may be alienated from them. Conflicts about assumed national values
and unity have occurred throughout US history, Topics such as racism, religious and political polarization,
gender roles, inequality between poor and rich, abortion, same-sex marriage, ethnicity are sources of
contemporary debate.
The majority of the cultures have, however, since the Declaration of Independence in 1776, collectively
created what is seen as a national identity in the US for the majority of the inhabitants.
There are four kinds of culture according to Mauk & Oakland:
1. Ethnic Culture
Colonial settlement after 1607 was largely composed of British arrivals, who shared North America with
Native-America communities, the Spanish and the French. They were responsible for promoting many of
the new nation’s political, social, constitutional and religious institutions, which produced a mainstream
American identity and set of values whose impact is still felt. Until 1776, over half of the population came
from the British Isles and contributed to a white, mainly Anglo-American, Protestant culture. They
promoted many of the new nation’s political, social, constitutional and religious institution. Their political
principles were based on democracy, independence of the people and skepticism about government. Their
values were conditioned by a belief in individualism, a protestant work ethnic and rule of law.
Their political principles:
Democracy
Grass-roots sovereignty (independence of the people)
Skepticism about government
Their social values:
A belief in individualism
Protestant work ethnic (working hard in this life to be rewarded here and in the next)
2
, The rule of law (respect for and acceptance of legal rules applicable to all individuals)
Irrespective of status or wealth
Large-scale immigration on US culture
In 2008, the foreign-born share of population was about 13% (50 million people)
The biggest minority population in the US is Latino and they are found in Southern states such as Florida,
New Mexico, Texas and California.
The US Census Bureau estimates that white people (66% of the people in 2008) will make up less than half
in 2042. This change will be caused due to:
Immigration
Higher birth rates among ethnic minorities
Intermingling of races
An ageing white population with lower birth races
The importance of African Slaves
They affected public life different times in the US history, but they have also experienced difficulties of
integration to the existing society. There has been conflicts and racial tensions between settled groups,
Native Americans, African American and immigrants, which sometimes erupted into violence. These factors
have revealed nativism (discrimination towards others by the existing population) and racism in many
areas of American life, often in institutionalized form.
Ethnic diversity has brought advantages and disadvantages over time and reduced the dominance of the
original Anglo-American Protestant culture, which had to take account of a growing social pluralism. It is
argued that the US has managed to integrate immigrants successfully into the existing society and
newcomers have generally adapted to American life. However, racial and ethnic divisions still continue to
affect American society; opinions about the existence of racism in the US vary between blacks and whites,
minorities in polls admit to being racially prejudiced; and black and white still live in separate worlds.
2. Religious Culture
American religious culture has its roots in ancient Native American beliefs, the faith that colonists, slaves
and immigrants brought to the US over the centuries and new American religions. Some early settlers
escaped religious persecution in their homelands and hoped to establish communities based on
3
,nonconformist beliefs, which related to and sought a separation form, or purification of national religions.
The religious faiths of initial arrivals, particularly those with Protestant identification, provided institutional
and moral bases for a new nation.
However, not all settlers were religiously inspired, some travelled for adventure, freedom, new
experiences, land acquisition and to escape from European social and political habits.
Despite the official separation of the state and the church, religion plays a huge role in society and many
question whether it is realistic or necessary to deny religion a full, active, and legally decisive part in public
life.
Political-Legal culture
The elements of the American political-legal culture have been largely shaped by:
The central place of law and constitution in American life
The restrictions that the constitution places upon politics
The fact that many Americans believe in minimal government, especially at the federal level, which
has historically required a balancing state and local apparatus.
The perceived need to produce consensual national policies so that the system can operate.
The Constitution is central to this structure, but it has to be interpreted by the judiciary branch (US
supreme court) to determine through judicial review whether actions of government and other bodies are
constitutional or not. Idealized versions of America constructed through its federal and state political
organs and a general respect for the law can potentially minimize conflict.
The need in the political-legal culture for balance and compromise illustrates the degree of abstraction that
is involved in defining ‘the US’ and ‘Americanness’. The notion of what constitutes America has to be
revised or reinvented over time and reflects the tension between a materialistic practical reality, with its
restrictions, and an idealistic, abstract and rhetorical image of the nation. Words such as “hope”,
“democracy”, “traditional values” and “independence” are part of election campaigns and the wider US
conversation.
America’s national motto: E pluribus Unum – Out of many, one
3. Economic Culture
Economic framework has a central cultural importance, and it is both idealistic/abstract and
materialistic/practical. Americans have beliefs in individualism and free enterprise system, which is
supposed to provide goods and services demanded by consumer market. Competition is encouraged and
4
,success is celebrated. People have had to fight for their economic and social survival, however, the process
can result in exploitation of others, and a Darwin “survival of the fittest” mentality. The competitive nature
of the US leads to disparities in wealth, social inequality and life opportunities.
Many Americans have historically claimed to be skeptical of “big businesses” and tend to support small
businesses.
Both private and public economic sectors are subject to fluctuations, due to market and global influences,
speculation or human error. The US economy has been considerably influenced since 2007-8 by a
worldwide financial crisis, which resulted in a recession in 2010, a large deficit budget, job losses and
unemployment, bank collapses and individual suffering.
4. Media Culture
Media culture has grown from simple methods of production and communication to complex modern
technologies, online services, a very diverse audience and market. These developments have been tied up
to political and social concerns, concentrated ownership of media, class identification, mass literacy, a
dominant communication and social role and the expansion of entertainment. The media has provided
quality services, instant news, public participation, and widened knowledge. But they have also abused
their position by encouraging a celebrity culture and “dumbing down” of social and educational values and
products. However, they have a protection and freedom under the First Amendment, which states that
Congress cannot legislate to abridge the freedom of speech or of the press.
Arts, sports and leisure cultures
Art, sports and leisure activities have been diverse and often influential in the US and have reflected class,
national and economic conditions. They have been described in terms of elite or popular culture or divided
into high, middlebrow and lowbrow cultures. The arts have been characterized by output from theaters,
opera, orchestras, film studios and ballet, which today can provide both classic and more popular offerings.
A wide range of music from classical to urban and street music, pop, jazz and rock are available, as well as
dramatic plays and musicals at both amateur and professional levels.
Sports and leisure are also market by a large diversity of types, participation and attendance, although high
and low culture distinctions still remain.
A historical dilemma for the US has been how to balance a need for civic unity against the reality of ethnic
diversity and to avoid dangers of fragmentation and conflict. Emphasis was initially placed in
5
,“Americanization” or the assimilation of different ethnic groups into a shared, Anglo-American-based
identity or “melting pot”. But this aim was seen as pressurizing immigrants to move into Americanized
dominant culture, with a possible resulting loss of their ethnic identity. “Assimilation” implies absolute
national unity, whereas pragmatic “integration “occurs at more gradual levels of blending or mixing.
The US should be more realistically regarded ethnically, culturally and ideologically as a “salad bowl” “stew
mix” rather than a melting pot. The “salad bowl and stew mix “imply that variety and difference should be
incorporated into a larger “American” whole. The reality of cultural and ethnic pluralism (difference) in US
society continues, as do arguments in support of homogenization (sameness).
Social and institutional change
The “American way of life” is defined by how citizens function within and respond to local and national
institutions and cultures, whether positively or negatively.
Terms chapter 1
American Civilization describes an advanced human society, which occupies a specific geographical space (The
US) and has been populated historically by many different migratory populations.
The American Dream refers to the dream of immigrating to the US in order to start a new life and to seek
success. The American dream is important, and it is one of the reasons the US has so many immigrants, however,
the US is a competitive society and therefore not everyone can succeed.
Individualism is recognized by the individual dream. The US culture values independence and personal freedom,
however, with great freedom comes great responsibility.
Exceptionalism is the notion that America is exceptional. Many Americans strive to be exceptional and that can
be seen in the actions taken by the US in the world, and the sense of having a special mission in the world and in
being an example.
9/11 was the terrorist attack to the twin towers and the pentagon in the US. 9/11 was important as it
conditioned the US foreign affairs, as a retaliation the US government created a war on terrorism to protect its
national and international interests.
Nativism is the dislike of foreign things and people. Nativism and racism are still very present today in the US as
It was in the past and leads to conflicts among different ethnic cultures.
Melting Pot = Melting pot is a metaphor that describes a society in which many different people blend together
into one. The US is often described as a melting pot and this process has been seen as pressing immigrants to
assimilate to American culture and lose contact with their ethnic identities.
Globalization (interdependence of world trade and business) affected the US economy as it adapted to the
changing international order. The USA was no longer the only dominant economic engine in the global economy
and faced competition from Japan, China, India, other Asian Rim countries and the European Union (EU).
Civil War Civil war was a war that started within the US in 1861 between the North and the South. The civil war
was important because it abolished slavery and made slaves free.
Work ethic derives from the protestant way of life, working hard in this life to be rewarded here and in the next.
Americans nowadays are still focused on working hard in order to obtain their goal and it is a conditioning factor
in a general American ambition to succeed materially in life.
6
, American traits are traits that describe an American or American Society, traits such as restlessness, mobility
and self-improvement are typical American traits. This is important because the US distinctive image is known
internationally and influences the global culture whether simplistically, stereotypically or in sophisticated forms.
Alienation is a a feeling that power is in the hands of a political elite at state and Washington levels and that
politicians do not consider the concerns of ordinary voters. It leads to low turnout of registered voters actually
voting in elections.
Enlightenment is a European movement that emphasizes reason and individualism rather than tradition. The
enlightenment influenced the framers of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.
Egalitarianism is a doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. America is
supposedly founded on egalitarianism, however, in the US the majority of people are not treated with equal
rights and opportunities. There are many examples, as the fact that African Americans did not have the right to
vote and the fact that they were not allowed to attend universities until a certain period. Besides this, the
educational system is extremely unequal, and odes not treat everyone equally.
Brand names are brands that are highly successful and known worldwide. The distinctive US culture can also be
seen in brand names and movies, music and radio.
Ancestral groups refer to the genetic link from one’s earliest ancestor. The three largest ancestral groups in the
US are the English, Irish and German and they all contributed to the fourth largest ancestral identity, known as
American.
Integration the process of integrating into something, integrating in a country/culture. Immigrants and African
slaves had to integrate into the US and that was extremely hard due to language problems, social position or
cultural practices. Nevertheless, there were continuous debates concerning assimilation and integration and that
is something that also characterizes American society.
Rule of law is the respect for and acceptance of legal rules applicable to all individuals irrespective of status or
wealth. This is important because it ensures that no one is above the law, no matter how rich and powerful it is.
Besides, it ensures impartiality of decision and fairness.
Anti-statism is the distrust of government. It is known that Americans do not trust big businesses and big
governments, this is due to the fact that Americans were already skeptical about governments since the
revolution and it can even be seen in the constitution that if the government fails to meet the people’s
expectations that it can be overthrown.
Americanization is the process of making someone assimilate into American culture. Americanization has been
criticized as it forces immigrants to assimilate to American culture which results in them losing connection with
their ethnic identity.
In Multiculturalism there are various ethnic groups and minorities with different interests. There is tension
between pluralism and an acceptance of diversity in the US
Old Glory Americans have historically tried to construct a sense of overarching national identity and institutional
unity by binding the ethnically diverse population to central images of ‘Americanness’, such as the national flag,
the pledge of allegiance to the flag, the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell, Abraham Lincoln's
Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address, the ‘;Star-Spangled Banner’ (the US national anthem)
and the Constitution. These are meant to provide common cultural signs which promote loyalty to ideal notions
of what American citizenship, ‘America’ and ‘Americanness’ might be.
Chapter 2 – The country
1. Political Ecology
7
,The US natural environment varies from the artic to the tropical, from rainforest to desert, from vast plains to
rugged mountains. However, exploiting its natural resources has caused extensive pollution and shown a
wastefulness that has led to dependence on resources from other nations. Recently, a coalition of groups, including
economists, politicians, and national security advisors, helped the nation achieve the goal of energy independence.
2. Natural Resources, economic development and environmental concerns
With an area of 9,363,123 square kilometers, the Unites States is exceeded in size only by Russia, Canada and China.
Of the 50 states, 48 lie between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and between Canada and Mexico, while two, Alaska
and Hawaii, lie in the Northwest corner of the continent and the Pacific Ocean.
The Atlantic plain
A costal lowland stretching from New England to the middle of Texas
A narrow coastal strip to the North, the plain gradually widens to include large parts of the southern states
Its soil is mostly poor but includes a fertile citrus-growing region and the cotton belt in the south, which have
both been intensively developed for commercial farming
The plain’s most important natural wealth is found along and, in the Gulf, where much of the nation’s crude
oil and natural-gas reserves are located.
Water pollution from industrial development in the north and the commercial fertilizers and oil-drilling in
the South are the most serious threats to the Plain’s environment.
Even though environmentalists protest, drilling for petroleum off the East Coast has become a more serious
alternative.
Appalachia
The Piedmont rises to the Appalachians, much eroded mountains from Canada to Alabama that separate the eastern
seaboard from the interior.
These mountains, the Appalachian plateau, and the rugged ridge and valley country to their west delayed
European invasion and settlement.
Although the Appalachians and the upland sub-regions contain minerals, only iron, building stone and coal
are found in big quantities
The coal deposits in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, in the area called Appalachia, are among the world’s
largest and once provided fuel for developing industry in the north-east, and the Great Lakes region as well
as for heating homes across the nation.
Today, Appalachia is among the nation’s most depressed area because ‘cleaner’ gas oil and atomic energy have
partially replaced coal. Producing and using these newer energy sources, however, has also been identified as the
main cause of air pollution and acid rain.
Central Lowland and Ozarks
West of the Appalachian highlands lies the central lowland, a vast area stretching from New York state to central
Texas and north to Canada, which resembles a huge, irregular bowl rimmed by the great lakes and highlands.
The iron is one of these, the Mesabi Range at the western edge of the Lakes, transported inexpensively
over the Great Lakes to the coal of Appalachia, made the development of America’s industrial core
possible. The industrial ecology was the backbone of the nation’s economic expansion and claimed
priority over environmental concerns until many of its “smokestack” factories proved unable to compete
on the global market in 1970.
The central Lowland is not entirely flat. The glacial moraine, an area of rocky territory with many lakes,
runs along a line just north of the Ohio and Missouri rivers. On both sides of the moraine, the lowland
has a table-like flatness except near rivers that have drug gorges.
The lowland also varies in rainfall and temperature. Rainfall decreases towards the west, resulting first in
change from forests mixed fields to the prairies, where trees are rare.
The natural resources of the central lowland, which is often called the nation’s breadbasket are its soil
and fossil fuels.
The fields of oil in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas were the nation’s most important domestic supply until
the reserves in Alaska were tapped.
8
,The Great Plains and Colorado Plateau
The great plains are a band of semi-arid territory almost 500 miles wide between Canada and Mexico.
The plain rise so gradually towards the west that large parts of the region appear to be utterly flat.
Most of the plains, however, are broadly rolling and parts of the northern plains are cut up into spectacular
gorge and ridge country called “badlands”.
The plain’s mineral wealth, mainly low-grade brown coal, is extracted through environmentally damaging
strip-mining, which grows in economic viability as the world price of oil rises.
3. Cultural Regions in the contemporary US
Political Geography
The high mobility of the American population adds to the homogenizing effects of popular mass culture, modern
transportation, urbanization and the centralization of the economy and government.
The country is divided in regions:
The North-East
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York
The North often seems to be one unit when viewed from other sections of the country. It stretches from Maine,
south through Maryland and west to the border of Ohio, the whole region is known as densely-populated, highly
urban and suffering from becoming post-industrial (changing from older heavy industry to a high-tech service
economy)
The North-East is still the nation’s economic and cultural centre, and is two regions (New England and the Mid-
Atlantic) rather than one.
New England
Often divided into two parts
Southern New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island)
- Had a cultural importance out of proportion to its size, natural resources and population.
Massachusetts
Received a large number of early colonists from Britain and rapidly developed stable institutions, cohesive
communities and an expanding population that strongly influenced the rest of New England and the northern half of
the country during the 18th/19th century.
Several aspects of the nation’s traditional core culture can be traced to southern New England.
- The original settlers’ goal of funding a model religious community that would inspire reform in England was
generalized to ‘’American Exceptionalism’’, a belief that the nation has a special mission and ability to set an
example for the rest of the world.
- The region first also had the country belief in the so-called Puritan work ethic, the faith that hard work and good
morals are rewarded in this world and the next.
- In the mid 19th century, there were authors (Ralph Waldo Emerson) who expressed central values that for over a
hundred years were taught in US schools as the foundation of the entire nation’s culture. In the schools’
popularized version, the American creed was an optimistic individualism expressed in introspective self-reliance and
self-improvement, thrift, hard work and a belief in progress.
In the 1800s the New England Yankees became famous for their economic ingenuity, as traveling peddlers, clipper-
ship captains and mill owners.
9
, The fall line near the coast, by providing cheap water power close to trade routes, made the region the cradle of
American industry.
But when industry converted into steam and electricity, the region lost manufacturing jobs to parts of the country
richer in the natural resources essential to modern industry.
Today one of New England’s greatest strengths in competing with other economic regions today, is its concentration
of quality institutions of higher education and research.
New England is now a leader in innovative business methods, publishing and high technology industries.
The region’s tourist industry flourishes because of its scenic qualities and status as a repository of the nation’s
history.
The northern zone of the region (Maine, Vermont and most of New Hampshire) A lot of woodland, mountain areas,
this had developed a lucrative industry providing summer cottages and second homes for people who want to
escape east-coast cities.
In the 1700s the Mid-Atlantic region surpassed New England because of a larger more varied population, better soil
and a greater share of natural resources. This made them bigger in trade and manufactures.
During the next century, these advantages helped the mid-Atlantic region grow into the nation’s commercial-
industrial hub.
Its harbour became the nation’s premier port cities, and here too the fall line provided cheap water power.
The mid-Atlantic has passages through the Appalachian mountains. First roads, then canals and later railroads
followed these east-west routes as they opened western New York, Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes States to
settlement and carried farm products to the coastal cities of the mid-Atlantic.
The Erie Canal, joining lake Erie with NYC, made the cost of shipping a ton of freight form the lake to the city nearly
24 times cheaper, and thus the pattern of transportation down the inland rivers to New Orleans rapidly shifted
towards NY, which became the nation’s largest and wealthiest city.
By the later 1800s, transportation and trade welded together New England, the midAtlantic region and the big cities
of the Great Lakes and inland rivers.
This was the urban industrial core that attracted people to jobs in a variety of ‘smokestack’ industries.
Although it includes agricultural areas, the distinguishing aspect of the core is still the size and closeness of its racially
and ethnically mixed industrial cities.
They contain many Latino and Asian groups as well as today, but in popular opinion Bostom seems Irish, Buffalo is
Polish, and NYC is mostly Jewish, Italian, African, Asian and Caribbean.
By the 1970’s, the migration of heavy industries abroad and ‘high-tech’ companies to the south and south-west
resulted in the core being rechristened to the ‘Rust Belt’.
Like New England, this region has had to develop new jobs, diversify its economy and recruit employers with tax
breaks and social services. But the economic tug-of-war between the region continues, and the south and west still
attract more jobs and people than the urban core.
The South
Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
10
