I have heard a lot of discussion about the destruction/downfall/breakdown/etcetera of the "American culture." This has been very confusing to me, because I always believed that America does not have a unified culture; rather, I think that each individual American decides for her/himself what his/her culture will be.

My question: Do you think there is any unified, distinctly American culture?

I agree there is no distinct American culture. The immigrants who came to America brought their culture with them. Some of the cultures have blended, but each nationalities have retained certain customs.

One that comes to mind for me is St. Nick's Eve, Dec. 7th when St. Nick tosses bags of candy, nuts and fruit through an open door or window. This is a custom passed to me from my German/Swiss father, which I have passed on to my children and they are passing on to theirs.

Big cities have neighborhoods called Little Italy or Little Norway. The population of some towns and villages are all descendents of a certain nationality. For example In New Glarus and Monroe, small Wis. towns, the people are nearly all Swiss and in Stoughton they are Norwegian.

During the summer there are many festival celebrating nationalities. German fest, Polish fest, Greek fest, Irish fest are a few that are held every summer in Milwaukee. These occasions include the country's dress, dance, food, and music , and they are a heck of a lot of fun! For the last couple of years we have had added a Mexican festival here in Madison Wi.

I think all the above says we are a country with many cultures. Lucky us

America is not old enough to be able to claim one true culture. All but the native American Indians descended from other nations. Our anscestors brought their individual cultures from those places, whether it was England, Germany, or Mexico.

There are some vocal Americans that would like to say that our culture is only that of the homoginized American history we were taught in junior high school and they want to preserve that simplistic ideal at all costs. These are the people who have decided that immigrants, melting pots, understanding of other cultures, religions, and sharing ideas is a threat to the American way of life.

But the reality is, all of those things ARE the American way of life and have been since the begining. Read some history, starting with our Constitution and Amendments.

Right On Danya

I usually find this sort of topic a bit difficult to discuss because "culture" can mean wildly different things to different people. For some, I think it's the level of "civilization" of a given society (though "civilization" is another difficult term, itself is often defined by a country's "culture"). One dictionary definition would have it that culture is the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group; to another, it's "the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought"; elsewhere, it's all the knowledge and values shared by a society.

Depending on one's definition, America certainly has a culture - just a relatively young and nebulous one. I believe that there are artforms, institutions, and values that are distinctly, if not necessarily uniquely, American. Certainly our form of government - especially as outlined in documents like the Bill of Rights - and our purported egalitarianism (and its flourishing in the melting pot that Danya describes) are exemplars of original American values. There would also clearly be institutions which define our union of states which would be distinctly American as well - the relationship between local, state, and federal government - our governorships, our court system, our interstate commerce agreements - would all be a unique part of American culture.

In the more usual sense of culture (I think), relating to arts and aesthetic traditions, I feel we are a bit poorer than some older cultures. Apart from native American crafts, the only uniquely American artforms would probably be the musical theatre and jazz (with its development through pop music over the past several decades). An argument could also be made for our "contributions" to the film and television industries, I suppose.

To answer the question, then, there are certainly aspects of American culture which are "distinct", but I don't know if the culture of any society is overwhelmingly "unified". Ours may be a bit more scattered and diverse than many (in terms of patterns of behavior or tastes), but, in our institutions, at least, I feel that there is (or has been) a more or less unified sense of individual liberty, equality, and opportunity. And this aspect of our culture is most definitely in the process of "destruction/downfall/breakdown" - and the deterioration of our celebrated civil liberties and respect for human rights has been accelerating since the beginning of 2001.

Though you say that America's government (federalism) is an original American idea, it has roots in older government forms, going back to the ancient Roman republic.

America doesn't have a distinct, unique culture in the way that other older countries do. As Wertz pointed out, however, America's openness, and ideas of racial and religious toleration seems to be one thing that is really American about America (even though it's not always practiced as loudly as it's preached).

Many other countries have racial and religious tolerance. So much so that it is hardly even an issue as it is here. As far as I know places like Germany, Brittain, Canada, Noraway can say the same.

Sure. That's pretty much what I was trying to imply with "distinctly, if not necessarily uniquely, American". That said, I think that the marriage of classical democracy with the Enlightenment notion of the sanctity of the rights of the individual - particularly as manifest in our ornate form of representative governance - was unique (or, at least, became so following abolition and the enfranchisement of women). The French attempted similar with their first Republics, but they didn't fare quite so well as the American Republic did - for a time.


I'd agree - especially with the preaching part.


At this stage, perhaps, yes (though it's still illegal for a Catholic to ascend to the British throne, for example, and we don't have to look too far back in German history to find a bit of racial intolerance integral to the political philosophy of the state). But I would still argue that this sort of egalitarianism originated in the States, though, even here, the ideal of "liberty and justice for all" is still emerging - or at least had been. At the moment, it looks as though we're poised to take a giant step backward.

America's identity is built solely upon an idea - freedom. Other countries unite by ideas, but they draw upon a common culture beforehand. Cultures in America conflicted first, and it was ideas (democracy, freedom and not culture) that caused it to unite.

It may be possible to say that we are a land of theorists, maybe ... dreamers? (I going to flatter us and avoid using "air heads".)

Whatever it is that we are, the belief that "ideas" are most important seems to be the foundation of it.

Our all powerful media reflects that, since it circulates concepts, theories, "ideas".

It is important to point out that America was founded by people who chose to leave their former cultures. The dominant culture in America was built by people who valued the future more than the past, progress over a secure reality, and ultimately - "ideas".

But, we are not a "lofty" bunch because there are subcultures that have created jazz, blues, rock n roll, country music (tangible culture). Much of this is a newer version of something from elsewhere...(Africa, Ireland...)

American culture is a combination of a dominant "lofty" culture and "tanigle" subcultures.

That is about the best I can do.

This is a difficult subject.

jjirout

America appears to have a culture of 'belief in itself'.
This is a powerful tool which can have detrimental effects on others when taken to extremes.

Regards....Alan

Our Culture

Beyond the walls of our home lies a great Nation with a culture of its own. The structure of our Government, our laws and the way people relate to each other have great influence on our actions and attitudes.
"Only in America"

There is a culture in this country whether spoken or unspoken that manifests itself in everything we say, do, or think. For example, in the United States we expect to compete in every aspect of our lives. At the same time we expect to compete, we also expect to be given equal opportunity to grow to our potential. We believe we all have equal rights under the law. We expect American Industry to put out a quality product and for our Nation to be a leader in the world. Sometimes we even find ourselves "on the soap box" spouting expectations of our Nation's performance or the performance of American Industry not realizing that unless we each live up to these expectations, our Nation and our Industries cannot. Frequently, many of our competing interests and our strong desire to ensure Individual Freedom, result in extraordinary events taking place that can only be explained by the expression: "Only in America".

Alan, check this out Australian Culture. True or false?

http://www.zompist.com/aussie.html

MT

MT.

I have to admit that it isn't very far out .
Although some of it is a bit over the top.

Very funny all the same.........

Onya..

Regards..Alan

The Ten Commandments of American Culture
1. You can’t argue with success. (Be a success.)
2. Live and let live.
3. Time flies when you’re having fun. (Have lots of fun.)
4. Shop till you drop.
5. Just do it.
6. No pain, no gain. (Get tough.)
7. Enough is enough. (Stand up for your rights.)
8. Time is money. (Don’t waste time.)
9. Rules are made to be broken. (Think for yourself.)
10. God helps those who help themselves. (Work hard.)

Madtown

I just happen to have the probable source of the idea that America has a distinct culture, and that it is losing this culture:

"The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our Country and Civilization" by Patrick J. Buchanan, © 2002

In this book, Buchanan explains how America is divided and that a cultural war is going on. And I quote, from page 3:

"Uncontrolled immigration threatens to deconstruct the nation we grew up in and convert America into a conglomeration of peoples with almost nothing in common--not history, heroes, language, culture, faith, or ancestors. Balkanization beckons."

Sandwiched between this early point and the one I will quote toward the end of the book are all sorts of arguments to support the thesis of the book's title. From pages 266-267:

"But the cultural revolutionaries are succeeding where the Leninists failed. Communism ceased making converts in the West two generations before it fell. The cultural revolution is making converts even now. And democracy alone cannot defeat it, for democracy is defenseless against an ideology that has as its end the transformation of democracy by a new elite, a new faith, and a new order."

Who do you suppose these elitists are? I'll bet you all can guess

Wow AM, you sure pulled this thread from outta the deepest darkest pits of AD...hehe

I have read bits and pieces of that book. I liked what I read. Almost makes me want to go get that book

I don't think America has a distinct culture. It seems to me that each little minority group segragates themselves into their own little culture within a culture.

I agree 100% with Pat, and what I did read of that book. It's sad really

--cheers

DP,

I bought the book because I think Mr. Buchanan is a hoot. I can easily debate many of the points made, and so I encourage you to get a copy. Here's the cheapest source I've found:

Death/West Cheap!

Due to a really rotten economy and our having to count pennies, I've been using those used/overstock/damaged book outlets lately for research (and the public libraries a lot too ). They generally ship quickly via USPS (media rate).

Just for grins, I've used this book and Al Gore's "Earth in the Balance" for writing college lectures on critical thinking and rhetoric. I admire both men's writing style, even though they both make me go



a lot

here's my opinion on what i think American culture is:

American culture consists of Fast Food, rap/whatever type of music, TV, DVD's, computers & the Internet & the drive to be successful in the business world & make lots of money

I think we have an American culture, it is utilitarian and a little vulgar but it spreads disney to France and McDonalds to China, and really bad pop music to Japan. It permeates the whole world. Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are the King and the Queen, but Kevin Spacey and Ed Norton are almost enough to say that we really do have a capital 'C' culture beyond the middle brow culture that really defines us. Jazz, Rock n Roll, and some pretty good literature (Thoreau, Whitman, Twain, Fitzgerald, hemingway, Steinback) give us something to cling to. But hey we are on top of the world's money pile right now, we can be a little neavou riche and gouche.
(Help me spell check! )