The American context

20 important questions on The American context

Which are the elements that shape (and bind) Amercan society  (politically speaking)

the Constitution and the law

What sort of a government do the Americans want 

They want minimal government, they want indiviualism, democracy

What is pluralism and what is the opposite

Society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups  live next to each other, coexisting while maintaining  their traditional belief and customs, within the confines of a common civilization. the opposite is assimilation, where all different groups blend together to become one new group.
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Name the pillars of the economic culture of the USA and name some consequences of this culture

individualism and free enterprise, little or no government interferance, 
tough competition, survival of the fittest. Disparaties of wealth, social inequalities and unequal life opportunities. 

What do Americans mean when they are skeptical of big business and big government.

They do not want certain enterprises or the government to obtain too much power, this will lead to exploitation, abuse and corruption.

What is Americanization and what is the opposite

assimilation of all different ethnic groups to one Anglo-America based identity, a national unity, a melting pot. Out o many one.  The opposite is diversity (ethnic pluralism), where different cultures coexist, more like a stew. Exceptance of diversity within national structures such as the law. 

What is bilingualism and where

speaking two languages; in California 

What is the Star Spangled Banner

the national flag, pledge of allegiance to the flag

How do they try to achieve unity, Americanness

by emphasizing  shared aspects such as the pledge of allegiance to the flag, the constitution, the declaration of independence, 

Name some 'typical' aspects of Americanness

self-reliance, democracy, distrust of government, independence, egalitarism, opportunity, respect for the law

Key feature of American life

how to  cope with the tensions  resulting  from combing the traditional ideals  with the actual reality of American Society .

Who are the unifiers and the pluralists

unifiers want assimilation , one American identiy, the pluralists want different cultures living next to each other, cooexisting , respecting each others different customs and attitudes. 

How do the Americans feel about their government

they feel the people inWashington are out of touch with the people in the country.

What can you say about the Universities in America

universities in Amercia are private institutions and incredibly expensive. This means that only the very rich can afford to send their children to university. Maybe if you have a exceptional talent in for instance sports you may get a scholarship.  

When you think of a Amercan national identity, what is  the problem?

Because of the ethnic diversity, 

Why do others often have a strange and negative idea about who Americans are

Because we get our idea from press, movies and television and they always show the extremes. 

Why is America a meritocracy

Because the society is very competative and if you do not have a lot of money you need to be excellent in something or you are not likely to succeed and you may feel like a nobody.

E pluribus unum

National motto of the founding fathers: out of many, one

Push and pull factors

Reasons for people to emmigrate to other countries, especially in the 1800s. Push factors in those days were: religious persecution, political unrest and economic decline (no jobs). Pull factors were: unlimited supply of (cheap) land and at some time even free land giveaways, jobs for high wages and the discovery of gold.


What is celebrated on Thanksgiving Day?


It is celebrated hat God gave the Pilgrim Fathers a good harvest in 1621.

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