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CLIFFS NOTES FOR AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 The United States of America has The Atlantic Ocean in the East, the Pacific Ocean in the West , Canada in the North, and Mexico.
CLIFFS NOTES FOR AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY CHAPTER INTRODUCTION The United States of America has: ● ● ● ● ● The Atlantic Ocean in the East, the Pacific Ocean in the West , Canada _ in the North, and Mexico in the South 50_ states: 48_ contiguous states, 2_ noncontiguous states Hawaii and _Alaska_ federal district: Washington, District of Columbia_ (the capital) Several territories and island possessions _330 million_ people Two significant factors that affect American culture are: (Para 3) ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Its immense size of the US_ Different _climates_, lifestyle Its great ethnic diversity , including: Native Americans Europeans Hispanic Latino Americans _ Black or African Americans _ ® Cultural _pluralism_ A nation of immigrants (Para 7) Melting pot is the term used to describe American culture because the dominant American culture has survived and successfully_absorbed vast numbers culture of immigrants throughout its history The 21st-century immigration pattern (Para 11-12) ● ● The percentage of _white_ Americans from Europe is growing smaller More than half of all the new immigrants are from _Latin America_ ® _white Americans of European descent _ communities grow CHAPTER TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES AND BELIEFS Traditional American values (Para 5) Six basic values that have become traditional American values: Dream Cost Individual Freedom Self-Reliance Equality of opportunity Competition Material wealth Hard-work Individual Freedom & Self-reliance (Para 6-7-9) ● In the Constitution, the early settlers decided on: ®The separation of _Church_ and _State_ ®No _aristocractic_ society, no ruling class of noblemen ● By _limit the power of the government_ and the _churches_, the early settlers: ®Create a climate of freedom_ emphasizing on the _individual_ Ø Individual _freedom_ (individualism) ● As a price, individuals must learn to rely on _themselves_ or risk _losing_ freedom ®Americans must achieve financial and emotional _independence Equality of Opportunity & Competition (Para 13-15-16-18-31) ● Lack of a _hereditary_ aristocracy (Para 13,15) ®People from low social class can still rise to social positions ● Each individual should have an _equal_ chance for success (Para 31-16) ®Americans see life as a _race_ for success ®“ _fair_ play” ● As a price, a person must with other people (Para 31-18) ®“ Winner (honored)_” vs “ Losers (dishonored) ” ®The _pressures_ of competition in the life of an American begins in childhood and continue until retirement from work 4 Material wealth and hard work ● Most immigrants come to the US to have a better life and raise their _standard of living (32-21) ®The American Dream: “From rags to _riches_” ● ● ● Acquiring and maintaining _a large number of _ _material possessions_ is very important to most Americans (22-23) Material wealth is a widely accepted measure of _ _social status_ in the US As a price, Americans must godliness _ (33) ®Material wealth = the natural _reward_ for hard work and evidence of their _abilities_ (24) The American Dream (34-28-29) In understanding American culture, it is important to distinguish between idealism _ and reality _, when keeping in mind how American ideals still influence almost every facet of life in the US CLIFFS NOTES FOR AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY CHAPTER THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS HERITAGE Freedom of Religion in the US (Para 1) ● ● ● Americans believe in _individual freedom_ ○ Believe in the _right_ of individuals to practice their own religion ○ Religious freedom must be protected Great ethnic diversity ○ _religious_ _pluralism_ The separation of _Church _ and _State _ ○ Forbid the US from ever establishing an _official faith,or a national church _ Christianity in the US (Para 3) ● ● ● The majority of Americans are _Christians_ ○ More than half are _Protestant_ The Catholic faith was first brought to North America by the _Spanish_ in the 1500s In the 1600s, Protestant European settlers, most from _England , began establishing colonies in the east coast Religious Diversity in the US ● ● ● Americans believe the _individual_, not the _organized church_, should be the center of religious life (Para 22) Encourage a _tolerance_ and acceptance of _all faiths_ Develop religious diversity ® religious diversity is _growing_ (Para 26) ○ The number of _Protestants_ is declining ○ More people strongers faiths ○ New religious organization emerge ○ More young Americans are attracted to _Eastern_ religious teachings ○ They are looking for a belief system that will help them _grow and improve_ as individuals, and not interested in participating in a religion out of _duty_ CHAPTER THE FRONTIER HERITAGE The impact of the American Frontier (Para 1-3) ● ● ● ● ● ● ● The frontier has been particularly important in shaping American _values _ The frontier experience began when the first colonists settled on the east coast _ in the 1600s It ended about 1890_ when the last western lands were settled The American frontier consisted of the relatively unsettled_ regions in the west_ of the US They came to believe that it was their destiny to control all the land ○ _Manifest_ _Destiny_ Many Americans still see the frontier people and beliefs as inspiring examples of traditional American values (Para 5) ○ Hard work ○ _Competitiveness_ and sense of adventure ○ _ Individualism _ ○ Self-reliance ○ _Equality of opportunities Americans tend to view the frontier settler as the model of the _free_ individual, because the frontier settlers had more freedom from government_ controls (Para 7) CLIFFS NOTES FOR AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY CHAPTER THE HERITAGE OF ABUNDANCE A history of abundance ● ● America has been criticized as a “_throw-away_” country, where there is so much abundance that people are viewed as _wasteful_ (Para 1) This abundance is the gift of _nature_ When the European settlers arrived in North America, they found a continent with: (Para 2) · Rich, fertile farmland_ · Abundance of _trees_and _animals_ · _small_ population · great _undeveloped_ _natural_ resources ● This abundance is increased due to equality of opportunity (Para 5) · in a nation such as the US, wealth and _social position_ were not determined by birth _ (Tocqueville) ®American desire to _increase_ their personal _wealth_ and material _comforts_ ®Increase the nation’s material _abundance_ as quickly as possible ®Love of material things was seen as a _virtue_, a positive incentive to _work hard_ and a _reward_ for successful efforts (Para 7) ®American people judge themselves and other people by _materialistic standards _ From Producers to Consumers (Para 9) ● ● ● In the 1700s and 1800s, most Americans thought of themselves more as _producers_, like farmers and workers Since the 20th century, Americans began to think of themselves as _consumers than as producers_ Mass media, such as radio and _television_, enable _mass_ _advertising_ to reinforce the American’s _self-image_ as a consumer Effects of Mass Advertising (Para 11-12) ● ● ● ● Sponsors_ have some control over the content of TV _programs_ Advertising techniques are used to _change_ Americans’ attitudes, behavior, and _beliefs_ People are persuaded to _consume_ more and more products Consumerism is the reason for American huge _economic_ development 4 What American Consumers like: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Comfort (Para 13) Cleancliness_ ○ Commercials for soap, shampoo, deodorants, mouthwash, etc _ Novelty _ (Para 16) ○ Inventing new products and _improving_ old ones ○ Using _credit_ card—“buy now, pay later” Convenience Labor-saving devices (Para 17-18) _Fast-food_ restaurants and _take-out_ services Convenience food that are packaged _ ready to cook, or are even _precooked_ ®Products are designed and advertised as such (Para 20) ®Reflect the American busy lifestyle An Abundance of Technology (Para 21-22-14) ● ● Technological revolution New technologies have increased the _hectic pace_ of life in the US · Change television viewing _habits_ ®From traditional broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox) and public TV stations* ®To _cable and satellite TV (such as HBO) · Change the way to get entertainment and _information ®Personal computers and the Internet ®People no longer depend on major resource _ for news, information, and goods for sale * Public television has no _advertisements_, and programs are paid for by _contributions from viewers _ and government grants The Decline of American Abundance? (Para 30-31-32-33-34-36) ● ● ● ● During the US’ first 200 years, Americans were always _optimism about their wealth and abundance This belief was based on their experiences ○ greatly _reduced the conflict between the rich and poor ○ gave strong _support to basic national values like freedom, self-reliance, equality of opportunity, competition and hard work Over the last few decades, Americans realize their material abundance might have a limit _ ○ the energy crisis and economic recession ○ the rising _ cost of all things ○ the declining number of high-paying jobs in factories _ ○ Minority _ populations are often hit the hardest Many Americans must _work harder _ than their parents did to have the same standard of living But even that is not enough ○ Americans are becoming less _wasteful and more protective of their _environment CLIFFS NOTES FOR AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY CHAPTER GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN THE US A suspicion of strong government (Para 1) The ideal of the _free individual led to American deep suspicion _ of the government Many Americans believe that the bigger and stronger the government _ becomes, the more dangerous it is to their individual _ freedom _ 2 The organization of the American Government (Para 3-4-5-7-11-12) ● ● ● The US Constitution _ is the supreme law of the US It established the framework for the American Government The provisions of the Constitution are more concerned with keeping the government from doing evil _ than with _enabling it to good The national government is divided into THREE separate _ branches, balancing each other through the system of checks _ and balances _ The legislative branch ( Congress _) The The judicial executive branch _ branch (Federal (Presidency) _courts _) Location The _Capital The _White House The _Supreme_ _ Court Role Enforces the laws _Interprets _ _ the laws May prevent _ a bill passed by Congress from becoming law - Settle dispute Makes _ the laws Both houses must _agree on all legislation before it goes to the president - Determine if a law is Constitutio n _ Organiza The The House of tion _Senate _Representative s _ Headed by the Headed by the _president_ _Supreme _ Court Includes lower national court Election 100 435 Senators_ _Representative _ s _ _2_ Senators divided among each state the 50 states by _Representative s _ Every _6_ Every _2_ years years Elected Indirectly _ through the _electoral college Every _4_ years No election Justices are - appointed by the President - approved by the Senate The system of checks and balances prevents any branch of the US government from abusing its power Bill of Rights (Para 9) ● ● ● Is part of the Constitution _ Is designed to protect specific individual rights and freedoms from government interference Eg: freedom of expression, freedom of religious worship, fair criminal procedure, etc The Political parties (18-19-20-23-34-37) Two main parties _Democratic_ Party Republican Party (the Democrats) (the Republicans) Political view Government should _more_ to solve _social problems_ ● ● ● ● Voters ● ● Members Government should not _interfere_ in people’s lives Make more _regulations_ Spend more on _economic_ security and _welfare_ state _Big_ government ● poorer and less-privileged Americans _ethnic minorities and other nonwhite _ women’s rights groups ● The _Liberal_ (left_-wing) ● ● ● Make less regulations give American business more _freedom_ _Small_ government is supported by bussiness_ groups anti-government Americans the _Conservative_ (right_wing) Special Interest Groups (Para 26-30-32-33) ● ● ● ● ● Are often called “lobbying/pressure_ groups” Are formed by _American_ with similar special interest groups_ to more effectively _influence_ the actions of government Eg: the NRA, labor unions, farm groups, ethnic groups, etc Government and politics are based on reaching compromises with a large numbers of groups and pleasing as many as possible Interest groups have enormous _effect_ on politicians by voting and contributing large sums of _money_ to _election_ campaigns Sometimes this effect is harmful to the United States