Is there an American Culture? Let PF decide

Greeting ladies and gentleman The Mello Guy and myself were having a discussion on another thread that turned to American culture. A sticking point came about when we could not even agree if there WAS an American culture. The Mello Guy claimed there was not, that we were just an amalgamation of many cultures and thus did not have one. I on the other hand feel that while we are an amalgamation of many culture that does not mean we do not have a distinct American culture but that is just the source of our culture.

Allow me to first give you the dictionary definition so we have the same basis to begin:
a :the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

b :the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also :the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

c :the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization

·d :the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic
Merriam-Webster

So I ask is there a distinct American over arching culture? Not just urban or country or southern and northern or what ever regional groups exist. But a distinct American core culture. Or do we not have an American culture at all? That would diverse history precludes us from having a core overarching American culture.

I did not put a poll because I felt this should be a discussion not just a numbers thing. Also thank you The Mello Guy for the discussion so far and I hope we have a spirited and pleasant discussion over this topic.

 

Link the other thread or is there a reason it has be started over again?

 

Spirited, yes.

Pleasant...?

And of course we have a culture - it's absurd to claim otherwise.

 

Ah I said the same thing but can we prove it? For instance a fine example would be Japanese culture. It is very distinct with definite traits that can be observed and commented upon. We can say of course there is an American culture but can we prove it?

 

Oh we were getting off topic and not really exploring the question is all. I felt this deserved its own.

http://politicalforum.com/index.php...entral-america.514902/page-13#post-1068058567

 

The Japanese LOVE our distinct culture, including (but not limited to) jazz, film, television, literature, art, architecture, dance, theater, sport - you name it.

Mello is a silly fellow.

 

Starting point here:

http://politicalforum.com/index.php...entral-america.514902/page-13#post-1068058567

 

There are subcultures all over the U.S. Generally, there used to be a patriotic culture. We LOVED our military, because its the ONLY thing that allowed us to become what we've become. We LOVED our stars and stripes. Sadly, there are people now villainizing it all. Can't respect the flag, because it represents slavery or racism or genocide. Intelligent people understand that's just the past, NOT the now. Does Germany currently represents NAZIs? No. Then why does the US represent slavery? Its absurd!!!! Does anyone know if Germans still hate their country for what happened over 1/2 a century ago? Do current Japanese see themselves as the traitorous killers of Americans? Doubt it? But there are people EVEN HERE who see us as baby killers because we dropped bombs on the Japanese, when they were the ones who started it.

Because certain people don't want to be called Americans, its been stupified. They want to be called African Americans or Native Americans or Mexican Americans. IDIOTS!!!! No. If you were born here you should just want to be an American. Sadly, far too many are exploiting being an American, including those to the south of us and even more frightening, the Chinese.

 

So you feel that Nationalism was a cultural trait of the overarching American culture, but now it is not? Or am I misunderstanding your point? As to the rest I dont know if it is pertinent to the discussion.

 

You're talking out of your alien behind.

 

Of course there is. It was apparent to Alexis De Tocqueville.

 

I more or less agree with your dictionnary's eclectic definition. IMO a culture is made out of a common language, historical backround, religious beliefs, art, and general values. The USA have a very strong cultural identity. It's called Americana. Just ask a French.

It is because as a nation they are homogenuous - everybody is American first, country of origin second. It doesn't work like that in Canada, where you stay in your own cultural ghetto for generations.

That creates a strong national culture, by the sheer pull it exercizes - the American Dream, which can be anything, really, and accessed by anyone who would just seize it.

 

There isn't one American culture. There are several, probably at least a dozen.

 

There are regional cultures but does that preclude the existence of a overarching American culture? Could you provide your thoughts on that since you are actually the first person to go down this track as it were?

 

There isn’t one overarching American culture. There is almost nothing cultural that every American (or even almost every American) would agree on.

 

Do you have an american accent? As an american it is so normal to me that I cannot identify you as having an accent but what about someone from a different language? Culture is simlar.

 

*Which* American accent. There are at least 10.

 

"Culture" is a vague and imprecise term that can be used as a weasel word in all kinds of political arguments from different sides. I use it too, but it's really a word we should drop, ESPECIALLY in policy discussions. For example, I could craft a perfectly reasonable argument based on nothing but facts for both sides of the OP question without breaking a sweat due to the vagueness of the term.

On a side note, parents, whatever you do, don't let your kids major in Sociology in college. It's on a par with the resentment studies departments as being utterly worthless and a hotbed of ideological indoctrination at the same time. If you pay tuition for that, you're a sucker.

 

Not necessarily a single American culture. There tends to be regional cultures but those are more often than not really derivatives of immigrant communities' cultures from back in the day.

 

Any description of a diverse group necessarily involves generalizations and stereotypes.

However, I think there is a underlying US culture that binds the vast majority of us. There is a basic belief in a constitutional representative democracy as the superior form of government, which emphasizes individual rights and liberties which are defined in the constitution and include freedom of speech, press, religion, equality before the law and the rule of law, right to a due process, and a trial by your peers for major infractions.

I think that there is a basic belief in a meritocratic economic system, where everyone should have the chance to achieve their potential and have a chance to achieve success if they work for it, and a basic belief in a free enterprise economic system, though not all agree on how laissez-faire it need be. I think there is a general "can-do" spirit in American culture born of this belief.

 

There are American Cultures and there are foriegn cultures residing in america. An american culture that engages and interactes in america society both changes and is changed by that society. These foreign cultures have been Americanized. Historically this sort of assimilation has been encouraged and supported and has led to an overarching culture that unifies all people of varying sub cultures within the US.

The recent rejection of this overarching culture by the 'regressives' has led to a deunification of Americans. Fear not, for a new generation is being born who understands the value of moderate nationalism and will correct the destructive views and behaviours of the 'regressive' party. Hopefully a new party will cone out of the ashes that will bring back true progressivism that is capable of real deliberation with their conservative American brothers.

 

I had forgotten about that, but I remember reading his book, Democracy in America, in college. De Tocqueville recognized a distinctive American culture back then. Interesting that now it's an article of faith on the left that there is no such thing.

 

So you are saying the people in say San Francisco have the same culture as the people in Huntsville, Alabama?

 

I’m going to bet the millions of Blacks living in America at the time weren’t part of that “distinctive American culture”. Nor were the Native Americans.

 

Probably not at the time he wrote the book, but now? Of course.