At the beginning we should have a clarification over terms resembling tradition, identity and cultural identity which leads us to the American cultural identity and its elements. Culture is a very sophisticated time period to define. “It has more than a hundred definitions.” (1) To give a simple definition and no to confused with the hundred of the definitions we can define culture as follows: tradition refers to the customs, practices, languages, values and world views that define social teams reminiscent of those primarily based on nationwideity, ethnicity, area or widespread interests.
Identity is another term we should know about before understanding cultural identity. “The condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is.”(2) The most effective way to define the time period identity is an answer to the question who am I? We will say that identity is about our self-perception and perception of others. There are completely different types of identity in keeping with totally different ways of categorizing of aspects. Personal identity, social identity and collective identity are probably the most recognizable ones. “The concept of a collective identity refers to a set of individuals’ sense of belonging to the group or collective. For the individual, the identity derived from the collective shapes a part of his or her personal identity.” (three) The master forces of collective identity are nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, profession and decadent culture.
Cultural identity is the identity of a group, tradition or of a person so far as one is influenced by one’s belonging to a gaggle or culture. Then cultural identity is a collective identity.
The American cultural identity might be merely defined because the sets of values, norms and beliefs that make the American individuals because the Americans. Collective identity isn’t in battle with personal identity as every American has its own identity while the entire Americans has a selected collective identity by which they are distinguished from the British people.
Talking concerning the parts of the American cultural identity is tough, because there are numerous components that form it. To count among the most necessary components I go for the following ones.
• Language
English language is without doubt one of the components that in my opinion have shaped the American cultural identity. It offers the People a sense of having a British origin and a sense that the language their ancestors spoke was English like them and I think it makes them think of their Anglo-Saxon background. English language as the keyity of the Individuals speak has had a great influence on shaping their collective identity.
• Egalitarianism
The concept of egalitarianism or having equal opportunities makes the second factor of the American cultural identity. This sense that we all are living in a land of opportunities, while others don’t and we all are equal to have opportunities to live has integrated Americans as a whole.
• Exceptionalism and Nationalism
The idea of exceptionalism has instilled in Americans mind through the history and as a result it has made them think that they’re distinctive and special individuals residing in a land of opportunities. They imagine in American Dream they usually think that they have had this probability to live on this land not another people. Americans believe that they and only they are distinctive and this idea offers them a sense of nationalistic point of view. Being patriot is a very common image of being an American and it has much to do with exceptionalism and nationalism. For instance, US flag is considered a national symbol and a logo that integrates all Americans to a whole.
• Liberalism
Liberalism is undoubtedly essentially the most influential aspect of American cultural identity. The idea of liberalism in America is as old as the United States where in accordance the US Constitution the people are free to work, worship, live, journey and so on so forth as long as they respect every others’ rights. Liberalism limits the influence the government has on the personal lives of the citizens as well. When folks see that they’re free to choose no matter they want under the liberalism umbrella, then they really feel they are Individuals they usually acknowledge themselves as Americans.
• Individualism
Individualism has had an amazing impact on being an American. It has a Puritan background. Individualism has helped the creation of property ownership and what’s called privacy. Ownership in America is of great significance and it gives the owner a sense by which he/she feels American because they consider it a result of living in America and believing in American beliefs. Individualism isn’t only about financial phrases like property ownership. In terms of culture, cultural individualism is the concept the whole Individuals see themselves as a person from which the thought of Americanism comes from.
• Pragmatism
Pragmatism, like individualism, has a Puritan origin. People work very hard to achieve their goals. The question “What do you do?” is a quite common query in American culture. It signifies that hard-working is a vital factor among Americans. Americans work very hard they usually always think about the outcomes undermining the instruments by which they will achieve the ends. In accordance with the American multicultural context, pragmatist ideas which refuses any absolutes grew to become quite common because “relatively than believing in absolutes it is believed that these ideas are changeable and depend on the context in which they are being discussed.” (4)
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