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Samenvatting American Studies chapters 1 t/m 7 & 9 t/m 14
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Summary American Studies chapters 1 t/m 7 & 9 t/m 14
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Chapter 1: The American ContextAmerican 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= A promise that is often misunderstood. It explains that everyone can start
over and pursue success. However, there are no guarantees, because America is a competitive
society ruled by merit. (verdienste)
Individualism= is recognised by the individual dream. The US culture values independence & personal
freedom. However, with great freedom comes great responsibility.
Exceptionalism= America’s founders sought to build a ‘’City on a Hill’’, a religiously reformed
community that would be a model for change in England. America and its people strive to be
exceptional, which is recognised by its unique mission in the world, idealism, high aspirations and
sense of destiny.
9/11=The US and its foreign politics are still conditioned by the September 11, 2001 attacks on New
York and Washington. In response, the US administration sought to protect its domestic and
worldwide interests and declared it opposition on terrorism.
Major Historical Development:
1. Early migration of diverse people to the Americas.
2. Late 15th C. colonial and military settlement by Europeans.
3. Treatment of Native Americans and African Americans and other minorities over time.
4. War for Independence from Britain: 1775-1783.
5. Westward Expansion of the new nation.
6. Priniciples of human dignity, rights to freedom, justice and oppurtunity in the Declaration of
Independence (1776) and the US Constitution (1787).
7. Ideologies of egalitarianism, individualism and utopianism.
8. Large-scale immigration, especially in the 19th and 20th C.
9. Civil War to end slavery, and southern-state secession (scheiding) from the Union (1861-
1865).
10. Development of Capitalism.
11. Increasing government regulation and bureacracies that undermined individual autonomy.
12. American isolationist and interventionist attitudes towards the world, during the two WW,
Cold War period and early 21st C.
13. Development of the US as a dominant economic, military and cultural force since 19th C.
14. Influence of contemporary globalization on the US and other nations.
Six Major Cultures in the US:
1. Ethnic Culture: Founded on Native American civilizations, European colonial settlement,
African American slavery and waves of immigration. Their political principles and social
values were based on democracy, grassroots sovereignity, belief in individualism and rule of
law, all of which developed the American Identity.
2. Religious Culture: Has its roots in Native American belief structures and in faiths of colonists,
slaves and immigrants. Factors such as church services, diversity of faiths and a strong
religious belief became defining features of American society.
3. Political-Legal culture: based on individualism, constitutionalism and respect of law. It tries to
unite people under ideal versions of ‘’Americanness’’. Its nature has been shaped by:
, - The central place of law and the Constitution in American life
- The restrictions that the Constitution places upon politics
- The Fact that Americans believe in minimal government
- The need to produce consensual (widely agreed) national policies
4. Economic culture: Americans belief in individualism and a free enterprise system, which is
supposed to deliver/supply goods and services demanded by the consumer market.
However, the competitive nature of the US life leads to great disparities of wealth and social
inequalities and the system can produce inferior products, bad service and corruption.
5. Media Culture: Grew from simple methods of production and communication to complex
modern technologies, online interactive programs. The media have provided quality
products, instant new, public participation, widened knowledge and a watchdog role under
the First Amendment, but can also abuse their position by encouraging ‘’celebrity culture’’.
6. Arts, Sports and Leisure Culture: cultural expression in arts, sports and leisure have
historically been very diverse and influential in the US and have reflected class, national and
economic conditions and determinants. They have been described in terms of elite or
popular culture and high, middlebrow and low cultures.
Nativism= Factors such as conflicts and racial tensions between cultures have revealed nativism:
discrimination towards others by the indigenous population and racism in many areas of American
life.
Problems in the American political-legal system= Americans are aware of corruption, fraud and
incompetence in the political-legal system and that claims that ‘’liberty’’ and ‘’freedom’’ are not
always respected in reality.
Ethnic disadvantages= Despite significant structural and cultural improvement from the 1950s , racial
and ethnic divisions still continue to affect American society in indirect and open forms. Attitudes to
immigration remains volatile (vluchtig) and opinions about the existence of racism in the US vary
between blacks and whites.
Sources of contemporary debate:
- The gap between rich and poor
- International military intervention
- The roles of federal and state governments
The Cultures
- The US was founded by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP) who left Europe, because of
religious freedom, puritanical (streng) influence and cultural dominance.
- The American Dream attracts immigrants, leading to a diverse culture.
- Ethnic and Religious culture play a big role in people’s identity. However, America is not a
multi-cultural melting pot, because cultural identity maintains.
- American motto is ‘’E Pluribus Unum’’. It stresses the need to unite diverse groups into one
culture, often through political & legal culture. However, politics also divides people,
example: Blue states vs. Red states i.e. Democratic vs. Republicans.
- The American Dream is part of the Economic Culture. Competition & Success are admired.
, National Identity: Americanization, Assimilation and Integration
To unite the Americans, emphasis was placed on Americanisation: assimilation of different ethnic
groups into a shared, Anglo-American-based identity or melting pot. Assimilation implies absolute
national unity, whereas integration is partial and more natural blending or mixing.
American Identity: It is hard to define American Identity due to pluralism, cultural identity, cultural
contradictions and divisions. But you can make observations. Americaness involves individualism and
personal responsibility, the American Dream & Meritocracy and desire to be exceptional. A key
feature of American life is how individuals manage to combine traditional ideals of the nation with
the actual realities of society and how they cope with the resulting tension.
Chapter 2: The Country
Political Ecology= Refers to the complex issues of America’s involvement with the environment.
Depleted reserves and extensive pollution has led to environmentalist movements, public concerns,
government monitoring and regulation of the environment.
Natural resources, economic development and environmental concerns:
1. Atlantic Plain= coastal lowland from New England to middle of Texas, its soil is poor, but
includes a fertile citrus-growing region and the Cotton Belt for farming. Most important
natural resource is in the Gulf of Mexico- crude (ruwe) oil and natural gas. Water pollution
and oil drilling posed serious threats.
2. The Piedmont= Inland from the Atlantic, where rivers running down to the Atlantic and form
waterfalls. Water power was used for lumber, grain and textile mills. America’s first industrial
cities grew up. X
3. Appalachian=Mountains from Canada to Alabama that separate the eastern seabord from
the interior. Iron, building stone and coal in large quantities. Coal deposits in Pennsylvania
and West Virginia are among the world’s largest. Today: depressed are of the replacement
with oil, gas and atomic energy. X
4. Central lowland= west of Appalachians, from New York to central Texas surrounded by Great
Lakes and Highlands. The iron was transported over the Great Lakes to the Appalachian and
made coal industry possible. This industry was the backbone of the nation’s economic
expansion. The natural resource is its soil and fossil fuels. The fields of oil and gas in Texas,
Oklahoma and Texas were the most important domestic supply until the reserves in the Gulf
and Alaska were tapped. X
5. The Great Plains= is a band of semi-arid (droog/onvruchtbaar) territory almost 500 miles
between Canada and Mexico. It is important for America because the Plain’s mineral wealth,
mainly low-grade (slechte kwaliteit) brown coal, is extracted from there.
6. Hawaii= Is rich in vegetable rather than mineral and its land is suitable for tropical farming.
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