Summary: American Civilization: An Introduction | 9780415822022 | Mauk, et al

Read the summary and the most important questions on American Civilization: An Introduction | 9780415822022 | Mauk, David C;Oakland, John.

• 1 The American context

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• How is the American society divided

  Although the government takes measures to try and unify the amercian people, they remain socially, religiously, politically, ethnically, divided. 

• What is the main motive for America's current foreign politics? How would you describe these politics, name a few  examples

  Proteciotism: nine eleven terrorist attacks, It is the aim of the US to protect their economical interests and to keep its citizens safe from terrorism. They have taken all kinds of actions to keep America (and the world) safe. They are much more strict at their borders and they have taken military actions in e.g. Afghanistan and Iraq. 

• Which are the five populated US territories?

  Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas,  American Samoa

• What makes the American community so diverse

  early migrations of people from all over the world (Asia, Vikings=)check and settlement of various European peoples, with specific social values,  religions and institutional structures.

• Explain and examine the significance of: utopianism

  Idealistic and impractical social theory, often beyond realization. Together with egalitarialism and individualism it was an ideology that belonged to the factors that conditioned US historical development.

• name 6 important central historical factors that have conditioned the American society

  large-scale immigration, treatment of native and african americans, ideologies, exceptionalism, Civil War, political polarisation, capitalism

• What was dominant religion of the first immigrants and what where their political principles and social principles

  white, anglo-american protestants; political principles: democracy, grassroots sovereignty, and skepticism about government; social principles: individualism, Protestant work-etchic, rule of the law

• Explain and examine the significance of the Civil War

  The Civil War was a war  between the Southern (or Confederate)  and Northern (or Union) states of America, fought from 1861 to 1865, about slavery. The Confederate states lost and slavery was officially abolished.

• What do most Americans think of immigration nowadays

  They want to reduce legal immigration because they think they think all these different people with very different beliefs and cultures are a threat to American values, customs and the labour martket and they think illegal immigration should be stopped

• what about the religious culture in Amercia

  has its routs in the ancient Native american beliefs and the religions of the various immigrants . Many immigrants came to America to be able to practice their religion and escape persecution in their homeland. . Their were periods when religious observance was low and there were great awakenings. When compared other states, in america there is strong religious belief, and a diversity of religions. The influece of religion on Amercian life causes debate.