Culture of the United States
Culture of the United States
The Culture of the United States was originally the culture of the Native Americans of North American. U.S. culture as we understand it began with the arrival of European settlers and the official establishment of the American state in 1776.
As the United States is an immense country, with many residents and citizens are descended from relatively recent immigrantss, defining a common set of customs, traditions, behavior and way of life is difficult. Unlike many Old World nation-states, the United States does not have a homogenous population or a traditional homeland.
However, American culture can be interpreted as being largely based in Western European based culture with influences from the native peoples, Africans brought to the U.S. as slaves, and other more recent immigrants from Asia and elsewhere. Additionally, due to its large size and the value placed on individualism, there are many integrated but unique subcultures within the U.S.
America's formative years were in the late 18th century, and a great deal of American culture is couched in the ideals of The Enlightenment. The Declaration's mission statement about securing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; French revolution's ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity; and the national motto of E pluribus unum ("From many, one") reflect the country's values and social development. Another primary influence on American culture is the constant stream of new immigrants, many of whom had fled persecution or oppression in their home countries, and were seeking freedom (including religious freedom) and economic opportunity, leading them to reject totalitarian practices.
By and large, Americans value the ideals of individual liberty, individualism, self-sufficiency, altruism, equality, Judeo-Christian morals, free markets, a republican form of government, democracy, populism, pluralism and patriotism. (Americans often believe that their patriotism has nuances which differentiate it from nationalism and nationalism's negative connotations.)
There is a close relationship between America's political and economic traditions. The individual pursuit of self-interest leads to the best result both for the individual and for society as a whole is believe to be a successful formula for both economic success and optimal political function. Whether this is true is arguable (e.g. the United States government is not the most generous donor of international aid, and there are pockets of severe deprivation within the United States) but the U.S. economy is one of the most successful on earth, and many of its citizens enjoy comparatively high living standards.
The fact that the United States is the largest English-speaking marketplace allows firms to compete across the country and to enjoy economies of scale (cost reductions that arise from the huge scale of manufacturing) that reduce prices and benefit consumers. The relatively uniform commercial culture--with many large stores or "chains" operating nationwide--produces a commercial atmosphere which is relatively homogeneous throughout the country.
The population of the United States tends to be centered in large cities, in marked contrast to the demographics of a century ago, when the country was quite agrarian.
The United States is skeptical of socialist and communist ideologies, but some of the related movements, such as the labor movement were accepted by the country, although not without dispute. The country was less affected by socialist ideas in the 20th century than was Europe, and the McCarthyism and The Cold War as a whole demonstrated a deeply felt hostility to communism, which was perceived as anti-individualistic. They are also evidenced in aspects of social policy, e.g. the absence of a national health care system and constant controversy about the size and role of the government, especially the federal government, in individuals' lives and in states' laws.
The American tradition of free-market capitalism has led the populace (and their leaders) to generally accept the dictates of the market and the alterations to society that a changing economy implies, although social and economic displacement are common. The result is a flexible, but money-minded, socio-economic system.
The American religious tradition is primarily Christian, but the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion and, again, the diversity of the population means that no one religion holds sway over the entirety of the population. Culture "wars" often have roots in religious differences, but religious violence is rare and on a small scale. America is a more church(-temple-mosque)-going country than most European countries.
Individual Americans can be ethnocentric, with little interest in the culture of other countries. For example, very few books from European countries or Japan are translated for sale in the United States and sales of those that are translated are slow. Imported television shows are rare, and imported films tend to be less successful than the homegrown versions. Americans also tend to travel less than citizens of other countries, but that may be because the United States itself is so large and diverse that tourists need only visit another state for a new experience. American businesses, however, tend to be quite internationally sophisticated.
The insularity of the general population and the media means there can be limited understanding of and sensitivity towards other countries and cultures, and this has arguably produced problems for the United States.
The residents of the United States refer to themselves as Americans and to their country as the United States or America. They generally resist using "America" to refer to the two major continents of the Western hemispheres. To Americans, "Yankees" are a baseball team in the Bronx, while to many foreigners, that term is synonymous with the American people. "The States" is a term generally used when referring to the country from some overseas vantage point. "USA" is a casual term, and rarer than within the country than one might expect, "U.S." is more common. USian is rare within the country, but is often used internationally to denote the U.S. specifically, rather than the Americas as a whole, or to distinguish U.S. English from the whole English language.
Because of the size and large population of the country, America is often described as a nation of joiners who tend to self-associate with non-familial groups. Individuals tend to perceive themselves as "free agents" rather than bound by family or clan ties.
Group allegiances are sometimes regional, but can also be related to a professional or fraternal organization. For example, residents of North Caroline are proud to be "Tar Heelers," Indiana residents are "Hoosiers" and many cities have a strong sense of civic identity, often reinforced by a innocuous but deeply felt rivalry with another local city.
Recent immigrants tend to congregate with other immigrants from their country of origin, often establishing neighborhoods in cities with popular names like "Chinatown", "Polish Town" or "Little Saigon". Second- and third-generation descendants of immigrants tend to have looser affiliations with their ethnic groups.
America has tens of thousands of clubs and organizations, and if a group has a charitable or service orientation, Americans may volunteer their time through those groups. Examples of these groups include the Rotary Club, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Bar Association, and so on.
America has the most elaborate and developed media apparatus in the world, consisting of highly developed radio, television, satellite, newspaper, magazine and Internet industries.
Television often plays an important role in introducing children to new ideas and
developing common views of the world. Many shows are broadcast over the entire U.S.,
delivered to the home via the air or by cable and thus
have an influence on a very large set of the population as 98% of all American households
have at least one television and in fact, the majority of households have more than one.
It is through the mass media that Americans develop their
sense of the rest of the world. The national broadcasts
are in English, though many more urbanized areas of the
country have some local broadcasts in languages other
than English, such as Spanish or Chinese, and the Spanish-language Univision network is available in large parts of the country.
The types of food served at home vary the most and depend upon the region of the country and the family's own cultural heritage. Recent immigrants tend to eat food similar to that of their country of origin. Families that have lived for a few generations in the U.S. tend to eat some combination of that and the food common to the region they live in or grew up in, such as New England cuisine, Midwestern cuisine, southern cuisine, Tex-Mex cuisine and Californian cuisine.
The most stereotypical American meal is hamburger, French fries and a Coke. Fast food restaurants serving this meal are widespread throughout the United States and their rapid growth internationally has led to a backlash and accusations about the McDonald's-ization of the world.
See Cuisine of the United States for a complete list.
Jeans, a T-shirt and athletic shoes, with optional baseball cap, come close to being a national uniform.
The greatest variations in dress are related to climate. In Hawaii, the hula shirt as an acceptable item of wear by men has received formal approval by the state legislature. In beach areas, especially in California, Hawaii and Florida, skimpy clothing, such as shorts for adults, is considered acceptable in all but the most formal settings. Cowboy hats, Western boots and large silver belt buckles are found in southwestern and western regions of the United States, particularly Texas and Arizona. Easterners generally tend to dress more formally than Westerners. Residents of northern states wear heavy sweaters, warm, water-resistant boots, and down parkas in the cold season.
Children are generally required to attend school from
the ages of 5 or 6 until 16, with the majority continuing until they are at least 17 or 18, or have graduated from high school. The public
education systems vary from one state to another but
generally are organized as follows:
Public Education. Public education in the United States is provided by
the separate states, not the federal government.
It is free, but unlike many other countries, the US has no standard nationwide curriculum. Rather it is
up to the teachers and administrators
of the school districts to determine what is and is not
taught. Increasingly, statewide curricla are being developed. Also, as of 2003 there is increasing state and federal pressure to use standardized tests, which lead to a more uniform curriculum.
Funding of schools is often done on the local level,
with money obtained from property taxes used to fund
the public schools.
Private Education. Most of the private institutions have traditionally been religious institutions, such as
Catholic schools and yeshivas. Some private secular schools, military schools and multi-lingual schools are
available. Private secular and multi-lingual elementary education may cost $10,000 to $20,000
per year per student in large metropolitan areas, placing these schools out of reach of all but the most
wealthy of middle and upper class families. Religous schools vary in price, from nearly free to
costs on par with private secular schools. Poorer families may send their children to these lower priced
schools for a religious education, or because they consider the schools better than the available public schools. Home schooling is allowed in many states and is an alternative for
small minority of households. The motivation for home schooling is often religious.
Higher Education. As with the lower level public education system,
there is no national public university system in the United States. Each state
has its own public university system. There are also many privately
run colleges, universities, and trade schools. State university tuition ranges from
the nearly free on up, but is generally significantly lower than at private schools, and often lower for state residents than for out-of-state students.
The US does provide some federal grants and loans for higher education to
lower income families.
Undergraduate degrees granted by institutions of higher education include associate's degrees from community colleges and bachelor's degrees from four-year schools.
Common graduate degrees are master's degrees or Ph.D.s, or specialized professional degrees such as a J.D for a lawyer, an MBA for a businessman or an M.D for a doctor.
The United States is a great center of higher education, boasting more than 1,500 universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning, the top tier of which include schools considered the most prestigious and advanced in the world. Among these are the eight Ivy League schools, and elite private universities such as Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and Georgetown University.
Students seeking officership in the United States Military may enroll in ROTC courses at most colleges and universities, or in one of four service academies: United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy or the United States Coast Guard Academy.
Additionally, the extensive system of public universities and colleges includes prestigious institutions like the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Virginia, the University of Michigan, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Wisconsin.
Most people commute to work using automobiles rather than mass transit.
Most jobs are based on a 40-hour work week, that is, five days (Monday through Friday), eight hours per day. The United States has minimum wage laws requiring a minimum wage for many employees, though a number of employment sectors are excluded. Some states have higher minimum wages that the wage mandated by the federal government.
Paid vacations are usually two weeks. Other company benefits include sick days and personal days.
Americans usually retire at the age of 65, but may retire earlier if their pension plans permit it.
Immediately after World War II, Americans began living in increasing
numbers in the suburbs, belts around major cities with
higher density than rural areas, but much lower than urban areas. This move
has been attributed to many factors such as the automobile, the availability
of large tracts of land, the increasing violence in urban centers,
and the cheapness of housing. These new single family houses were usually one or two stories tall, and often were part of large
tracts of homes built by a single developer. In the last years of the 20th century increasing numbers of homes in America have been built in residential subdivisions governed by homeowner associations which maintain the facilities and enforce the agreements of the community. (See also gated community.)
The typical coupling in the United States involves two people of different sexes. Couples often meet through religious institutions, their work or school, or friends. There are many private firms providing dating services, services that are geared to assist individuals in finding partners.
The trend over the past few decades has been for more and more couples deciding to live together before or instead of getting married. The 2000 Census reported 9.7 million different-sex partners living together and about 1.3 million same-sex partners living together. These cohabitation arrangements have not been the subject of many laws regulating them, though many states now have domestic partner laws that confer some legal support for unmarried couples.
Marriage between individuals is only allowed between indviduals of different sexes and the marriage laws are established by each individual state, however all of the states in the U.S are bound by the constitution's full faith and credit clause to honor the marriages and divorces of another state. Married couples typically reside in their own separate dwelling rather than living with others or with their parents.
The typical wedding involves a couple proclaiming their commitment to one another in front of
their close relatives and friends and presided over by a
religious figure such as a minister, priest or rabbi depending upon the faith of the couple. In Christian ceremonies, the general practice is the bride's father to give away the bride
to the groom. Secular weddings are also common, often presided over by a judge, Justice of the Peace or town clerk.
Divorce, like marriage, is the province of the state government, not the federal government. Divorce laws vary
from state to state, but all states allow for divorce of
married couples. State law provides for child support where children are involved, and sometimes for alimony.
Deaths are generally thought to be an occasion for grieving by the majority of Americans. Funerals are held to honor the "passing away" of the individual. The dead are placed in a coffin and are generally embalmed and often displayed before being buried in the ground. Unlike some Western European countries where the body remains in the cemetery for a limited period of time, e.g. 20 years, in the United States there is typically no limit. Other traditions such as cremation have arisen in which the body is burned to ashes and the ashes are stored in an urn or scattered over a site significant to the deceased.
Since the 1970s, traditional gender roles of male and female have been increasingly challenged by both legal and
social means. Today, there are far fewer roles that are legally restricted by one's sex, though there are still cultural means of inhibiting such roles. More and more
women have entered the work place and at all levels, though
women are still typically found at the lower, less influential roles in private companies. Most men however have not taken up the traditional homemaker role, nor
have they taken many of the traditionally female jobs, such as receptionists and nurses.
Beginning in the early 20th century, the two-parent family known as the nuclear family was the predominant American family type. Children live with their parents until they go away to a college or university, or until they acquire their own jobs and decide to move out into their own apartment
or home.
In the early to mid-20th century, the father typically was the sole wage earner and the mother was the children's principal care giver. Today, often both parents hold jobs. Dual-earner families are the predominant type for families with children in the US. Increasingly, one of the parents has a non-standard shift, that is a shift that does not start in the morning and end in the late afternoon. In these families, one of the parents manages the children while the other works.
Prior to school, adequate day care of children is necessary for dual-earner families. In recent years, many private companies and home-based day care centers have sprung up to fulfill this need. Increasingly, corporate sponsorship of day care is occurring as well as government assistance to parents requiring day care.
Single-parent households are households consisting of a single adult, typically a woman, and one or more children. These types of households have been increasing in number and today, the majority of black households are single parent households. For whites, Hispanics, and other races, the predominant family household is still the two parent family.
In the single parent household, the mother typically raises the children with little to no help from the father. This parent is the sole bread winner of the family and thus these households are particularly vulnerable economically. They have higher rates of poverty, and children of these households are more likely to have educational problems.
The population of rural areas has been declining over time as more and more people migrate to cities for work and entertainment. The 1970s and 1980s saw the closure of many smaller farms across the US as small farmers were no longer able to make a profit from farming. Even in the rural areas, electricity and telephone service are available to all but the most remote regions, due in part to rural electrical cooperatives and the New Deal rural electrification projects. As in the cities, children attend school up to and including high school and only help with farming during the summer months or after school. However, the school schedule throughout the US is based on the assumption that children will be needed to work on farms during the summer.
Most Americans now live in what is known as the suburbs. The suburban nuclear family has been identified as part of the "American Dream", a married couple with children owning a house in the suburbs. This archetype is reinforced by mass media, religious practices and government policies and is based on traditions from the white Anglo-Saxon cultures.
One of the biggest differences in suburban living is the housing occupied by the families. The suburbs are filled with single family homes separated from retail districts and industrial areas.
Aside from housing, which is often smaller apartments or semi-attached homes rather than separate houses, the major difference from suburban living is the diversity of many different subcultures with close proximity as well as retail and manufacturing buildings mixed with housing. Urban residents are also more likely to travel by mass transit, and children are more likely to walk or bicycle rather than being driven by their parents.
Variations in the majority traditions occur due to class, racial, ethnic, religious, regional and other groups of people.
Regional differences are explored in the New England, Mid-Atlantic States, U.S. Southern States, Midwest, Southwest United States and The West pages.
Subcultures in the United States include:
The development of the arts in America--music, movies, dance, architecture, literature and the visual arts--has been marked by a tension between two strong sources of inspiration: European sophistication and domestic originality. Frequently, the best American artists have managed to harness both sources.
American culture has a large influence on the rest of the world, especially the Western world. American music is heard all over the world, and American movies and television shows can be seen almost anywhere. This is in stark contrast to the early days of the American republic, when the country was generally seen as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally advanced world centers of Asia and Europe. Nearing the end of its third century, nearly every major American city offers classical and popular music; historical, scientific and art research centers and museums; dance performances, musicals and plays; outdoor art projects and internationally significant architecture. This development is a result of both contributions by private philanthropists and government funding.
American culture also exhibits a tendency to hybridize pop culture and so-called high culture, and generally questions normative standards for artistic output. This is likely an effect of the country's egalitarian tradition, and the nation's history of constitutionally protection freedom of speech and expression, as enshrined in the First Amendment.
American popular culture has expressed itself through nearly every medium, including movies, music and sports. Mickey Mouse, Babe Ruth, screwball comedy, G.I. Joe, the blues, The Simpsons, Michael Jackson, Gone With the Wind, Michael Jordan, Indiana Jones, Catch-22--these names, genres, and phrases have joined more tangible American products in spreading across the globes.
It is worth noting, that while America tends to be a net exporter of culture, it absorbs many other cultural traditions with relative ease, for example: origami, soccer, anime, yoga and surfing.
The United States is an enormous exporter of entertainment, especially sports, movies and music. This readily consumable form of culture is widely and cheaply dispersed for entertainment consumers world-wide.
For better or worse, many nations now have two cultures: an indigenous one and globalized/American popular culture. That said, what one society considers entertainment is not necessarily reflective of the "true culture" of its people. More popular syndicated programs cost more, so overseas entertainment purchasers often choose older programs that reflect various, and dated, stages of the United States cultural development. Pop culture also tends to neglect the more mundane and/or complex elements of human life.Customs and Culture
General
Attitudes
Names
Intra-National Allegiances
Media
Television
Newspapers
Newspapers have declined in their influence and penetration into
American households over the years. The U.S. does not have a national paper per se, although the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are
sold in most U.S. cities. USA Today is promoted as a national newspaper, but appeals largely to people who are on the road.
Instead, metropolitan areas have their own local
newspapers. Typically, a metropolitan area will support at most one or two major
newspapers, with many smaller publications targeted towards particular audiences.
Although the cost of publishing has increased over the years, the price of newspapers
has generally remained low, forcing newspapers to rely more on advertising revenue and
on articles provided by the major wire service, the Associated Press, for their national
and world coverage.Food
Clothing
Dress is usually casual and informal, and in the Western tradition of pants and a shirt, and dresses for women. The exception to the informality in major cities such as San Francisco and New York City, where many residents dress with polish and style. Social and business situations may call for tailored suits or other more elegant outfits. The strictest clothing convention applies to skirts and dresses; they are strictly reserved for women and girls.Education
Additionally, many children attend schools prior to age 5. These pre-schools are often private and
not part of the public educational system although some public school systems include pre-schools.Work
Housing
Coupling rituals
Marriage Ceremony
Divorce
Death rituals
Gender roles
Lifestyles
Family Arrangements
Nuclear family living patterns
Single parent living patterns
Regional Distinctions
Rural living patterns
Suburban living patterns
Urban living patterns
Variations
Culture: Arts and Entertainment
American Popular Culture
Exportation of Popular Culture
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses and schools. |
| Martin Luther King Day | 3rd Monday in January | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses and schools. |
| Inauguration Day | January 20th (following presidential election) | Observed by the federal government. |
| Groundhog Day | February 2 | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Valentine's Day | February 14 | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Presidents Day | 3rd Monday in February | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses and schools. |
| St. Patrick's Day | March 17 | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| April Fool's Day | April 1 | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Mother's Day | 2nd Sunday in May | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Memorial Day | last Monday in May | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses and schools. |
| Flag Day | June 14 | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Father's Day | 3rd Sunday in June | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses. |
| Labor Day | 1st Monday in September | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses. |
| Rosh Hashanah | Date depends on Hebrew calendar | Not observed by most businesses. |
| Yom Kippur | Date depends on Hebrew calendar | Not observed by most businesses. |
| Columbus Day | 2ndMonday in October | Federal government holiday. Also observed by some businesses. |
| Halloween | October 31 | Not generally observed by businesses. |
| Election Day | 1stFirst Tuesday on or after Nov 2 | Observed by the federal and state governments. |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Federal government holiday. Also observed by some businesses and schools. Formerly Armistice Day |
| Thanksgiving | 4th Thursday in November | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses and schools. |
| Christmas | December 25 | Federal government holiday. Also observed by most businesses and schools. |
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