Initially we should have a clarification over terms similar to culture, identity and cultural identity which leads us to the American cultural identity and its elements. Culture is a very complicated 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 are able to define tradition as follows: culture refers to the customs, practices, languages, values and world views that define social teams corresponding to those primarily based on nationwideity, ethnicity, region or common interests.
Identity is another term we must know about earlier than understanding cultural identity. “The condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is.”(2) One of the best way to define the time period identity is a solution to the question who am I? We are able to say that identity is about our self-notion and notion of others. There are different types of identity in line with totally different ways of categorizing of aspects. Personal identity, social identity and collective identity are essentially the most recognizable ones. “The concept of a collective identity refers to a set of people’ sense of belonging to the group or collective. For the person, 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 an individual as far as one is influenced by one’s belonging to a group or culture. Then cultural identity is a collective identity.
The American cultural identity will be simply defined as the sets of values, norms and beliefs that make the American people as the Americans. Collective identity will not be in battle with personal identity as every American has its own identity while the whole Individuals has a selected collective identity by which they are distinguished from the British people.
Talking about the parts of the American cultural identity is troublesome, because there are a lot of elements that shape it. To rely among the most essential parts I am going for the next ones.
• Language
English language is among the elements that for my part have shaped the American cultural identity. It offers the People a way 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 People speak has had an excellent affect on shaping their collective identity.
• Egalitarianism
The concept of egalitarianism or having equal opportunities makes the second ingredient of the American cultural identity. This sense that all of us are living in a land of opportunities, while others don’t and all of us are equal to have opportunities to live has integrated Americans as a whole.
• Exceptionalism and Nationalism
The thought of exceptionalism has instilled in Americans mind by way of the history and consequently it has made them think that they’re unique and particular people living in a land of opportunities. They imagine in American Dream and they think that they’ve had this likelihood to live on this land not another people. Americans believe that they and only they’re exceptional and this concept provides 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 nationwide image and an emblem that integrates all Individuals to a whole.
• Liberalism
Liberalism is undoubtedly probably the most influential factor of American cultural identity. The concept of liberalism in America is as old as the United States the place 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 federal government has on the personal lives of the citizens as well. When people see that they are free to decide on whatever they want under the liberalism umbrella, then they feel they are Individuals and so they acknowledge themselves as Americans.
• Individualism
Individualism has had an ideal impact on being an American. It has a Puritan background. Individualism has helped the creation of property ownership and what is called privacy. Ownership in America is of great significance and it provides the owner a sense by which he/she feels American because they consider it a result of residing in America and believing in American beliefs. Individualism is just not only about economic phrases like property ownership. By way of tradition, cultural individualism is the concept that the whole People see themselves as an individual from which the concept of Americanism comes from.
• Pragmatism
Pragmatism, like individualism, has a Puritan origin. Americans 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 very important factor among Americans. People work very hard and they always think about the outcomes undermining the tools by which they will achieve the ends. In accordance with the American multicultural context, pragmatist ideas which refuses any absolutes became very common because “reasonably than believing in absolutes it is believed that these ideas are changeable and rely upon the context in which they are being discussed.” (four)
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