“Homeland, the country that I love, forever reign supreme; And when time stands still, my homeland, may heaven hold your dream” (Spring-Rice). Gustav Holsts’ song “Homeland” is all about people who are patriotic towards their own country. America has been built upon a certain set of rules in which makes it unique from their countries. Americans have excessive pride in their country which shows greatly in their interactions with others. Americans also have other traits which reflect their culture. White America views itself in three ways: appearance, narcissism, and social status. “You want to fit in with these people? They’re not going to change. You have to” (Traister 675). America has views which are built on appearances. This is …show more content…
People who hold their arms and hands in positions away from their bodies, and who stand, sit, or lie with their legs apart- thus maximizing the amount of space that they physical occupy- appear most physically masculine” (Devor 571). In contrast for a person to appear “feminine” they are said to have, “body postures and demeanors which communicate subordinate status and vulnerability to trespass through a message of “no threat” make people appear to be feminine. They demonstrate subordination through a minimizing of spatial use: people appear feminine when they keep their arms closer to their bodies, their legs closer together, and their torsos and heads less vertical than do masculine-looking individuals” (Devor 569). Americans set specific standards that others achieve through clothes and body language (among other things). Daniel J. Boorstin once said, “As individuals and as a nation, we now suffer from social narcissism. The beloved Echo of our ancestors, the virgin America, has been abandoned. We have fallen in love with our own image, with images of our making, which turn out to be images of ourselves” (BrainyQuote). Even though Americans may view themselves as coming from a very patriotic background they are also viewed for being self centered. Most Americans seem to realize this (but not all). Even other countries have picked up on the fact Americans
America is commonly characterized as the greatest country in the world, the glorious “land of the free and the home of the brave”, “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. This idealization of the American identity conveniently focuses on what people want to hear and blurs out most everything else. In reality, Americans do not live up to the dreamscape created by our views, and we never really have. America is no longer characterized by its freedom and democracy, nearly every first world country can afford that luxury. Nor are we set apart by the great opportunities given to our people, for those are far from universal. We aren’t equal, we aren’t unified, we aren’t kinder or smarter or richer than any other country across the board. It’s easy to find the shortcomings of American culture, all the things we aren’t, but the things we are have proven to be more elusive. First, let’s examine the nots.
People are consistently changing the way that they look, act, and even some of their beliefs just to fit in with society. There’s an invariably never-ending desire to want to feel accepted by others. Social pressure is what drives humans to do things that they know are wrong, but yet, they continue to do so. “The Rules about the Rules,” Stephen Carter describes a person of integrity would know right from wrong and would do right at all personally cost. Amy Tan Mother Tongue, was often embarrassed by the broken English her family spoke. She would conceal her accent whenever she could to avoid the embarrassment. Culture and gender play an immense role when it comes to trying to fit in. In America, you have to fit in as an American while keeping the roots of your
When thinking about the word America, an interesting word popped up in my head. It isn’t very easy to describe this word, as it’s unlike any other country. In fact, it is something more outstanding. Even though this country has made some big mistakes in its history, it doesn’t affect the definition it deserves. Americans are a mixed race of people that come from many different countries; sharing the same rights but possessing their own opinion on the idea of a better life for themselves and their families. The ability to connect with each other and cooperate also helps to define the ability to move forward and find new ways to innovate.
America is a wonderful place to live, because we are free. Freedom is important, and many people in other countries do not have much freedom. I am glad I have a place like this to grow up in; where I know that I can be equal with other races and other genders. Also, I am glad I have a place like this that will respect me and I know it will be a great place to have my children grow up in.
America, or better known as to some people, “’Murica”. No matter what way you describe this country or your beliefs about it everyone could agree we are a great nation. Many people believe this country is based on Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Others could argue we are based on freedom and the rights of people, although all these may be correct one thing that is proven is the basis of our government. Many of our ideas or traditions are borrowed from the British who which we gained our independence from in 1776. Our government is based on an ordered government, Representative government, Limited government, and checks and balances.
The physical side is at one time they did love each other because kids were born. The shared activities are the fact they have children and they still do things as a family.
The “American dream,” a promise of the ability to turn your life from rags to riches if you try hard in the United States of America, has been the definition of what it means to be an American. But over time it the American dream has changed and its pledge perhaps more viable than ever. This is due to the simple fact that America as a nation has evolved over time and the core values which its people encompass are a reflection of the times. So as an American how do we define ourselves and our nation outside of the American dream? America has been known over time as a “big brother”- protector of mankind. Yet many of our citizens did not have equal rights until the 1960’s and it took the fourteenth amendment to guarantee equal protection
Many of Americans today do not take the time to realize that our nation is little by little falling apart. Our leaders are corrupt, our environment is being destroyed, and there are thousands of children being born each day. The three major social problems facing the American citizens in the 21st century are births to unmarried woman, being able to trust or government and or leaders, and lastly destroying the environment.
Since its inhabitance, competition and dominance has been a concept that remains prevalent throughout American life. Past ideologies such as Manifest Destiny, Cultural Imperialism, and Ethnocentrism are all practices and beliefs comprising what it means to be American for many citizens, while also continually shaping outside perception of Americans today. On one hand, many countries have and continue to fully embrace American culture, globalization, and the rise of capitalism. In contrast, many countries have and continue to reject America’s stride for world assimilation regarding their ideals and values.
We as Americans tend to get stuck in our everyday routines. We get up, eat, go to work or school, and come home, all so that we can do the same thing again the next day. Doing the same thing is a dangerous and unhealthy habit, much like not being in your natural habit. We take the same worn down roads, read the same ancient words, and do not get to really fully experience what else is out there for us because in America we are confined. Many people just do not think that there is really anything else out there for them to see so the make the claim and stick with the mantra that America is the greatest country. We go to work to get paid so that we can feed ourselves and families, and we go to college to get a well-paying job to provide for our future families. Americans’ are trapped in the system because these days we do not know any other way, and we have to do these things to keep acting as providers. “Down the ages too men have been impressed by the
There are practically two types of people in the world, those who love America, and those who hate it. In that sense, Americanism can be somewhat balanced in terms of whether America is helpful or hurtful, and almost never in between. I, for one, love America because of the nation’s lifestyle and the way things work around here.
We, as U.S. citizens, have a unique position in the world’s affairs as a developed global power. Despite this, the mindsets held by most modern Americans regarding the rest of the world tend to be shallow or ill-informed. Even further, these beliefs harm the minority communities residing within our own country as well. Monoculturalism refers to the act of encouraging /a national popular culture via the exclusion of outside influences. A monocultural society in today’s day and age can have several negative impacts on our society such as an dismissive, closed off mindset and a shift towards homogenous thinking in the human species.
The United States of America is a very unique country for numerous reasons. One particularly good reason is our great cultural diversity. Weaved deep into our history are the tales of people traveling overseas to the New World looking for better lives. Of course, not all these tales have happy endings (or happy beginnings, or any happiness anywhere in some cases), but regardless, learning about our nation’s migratory history is very important. Immigration is a very serious topic of discussion in today’s heated political climate; whatever your stance of the issue may be, it’s handy to have some knowledge of the subject, as it could affect your opinions on it in a substantial way. We should discuss where and why immigrants came to our shores, how legislators have tried to stop them, and what impact they’ve left on our country today.
A nation is said to exist when it could traced its origins through the state, in which it associate itself with, histories. Additionally, the cultural elites must be established and well-versed in writing and speaking the national language. There must also be a valid reason for its claim on a certain territory. It is only when these three requirements are fulfilled will the international community consider their claim for a nation (Hobsbawm, 1990: 37). Disagreements, however, tend to arise in the political community over the definition of a nation. This essay will try to list out the different approaches employed in defining a nation starting from a nation being a natural cultural entity to it being politically and
When I think about going to another country I think about what kind of popular food they will have, the sights to see, things to do, if they have good shopping, and so much more. Most people don’t put into consideration how the population of that country defines themselves and their relationships to others. A country can either have an individualist culture or a collectivist culture. According to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, individualist cultures believe being individual is important, they stress their independence, reward personal and individual treatment, and value everything about being individual (Sprague, Stuart, Bodary 3-2a). Collectivist cultures view needs and group goals as the most important thing along with focusing mainly on cooperation instead of competition. When talking about America, it is considered very