The challenge of individualism - USA

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Autor sar1901

Veröffentlicht am 30.05.2018

Schlagwörter

USA American Dream history society melting pot

Zusammenfassung

Dieses Referat behandelt die Geschichte der United States of America und beschäftigt sich außerdem mit der Entwicklung der Bevölkerung, ihren speziellen Werten und inwieweit sie heute noch vorhanden sind.

AMERICAN DREAM

  • no universally acceptable definition about the term -> individual
    -> everybody thinks different about it (different dreams), not everybody believes in it
  • key concept within US history, society, culture (lured many immigrants)
  • rooted in Declaration of Independence (“All men are created equal” with natural right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
  • dream of a better life in the future
  • every Individual is given the chance to be successful, wealthy, no matter what skin color, rank, heritage one have -> If you really want something, you can achieve it
  • with a strong will & hard work one can go from “rags to riches”
  • based on equality, liberty and the main idea that if a person works hard, that will achieve his/her goals and improve his/her position in life
  • based on Individualism -> personal freedom, enterprise (including self-reliance & responsibility for one’s own fate

Political dimension:

  • political aspect centers around the ideas of life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness -> all people have the right to pursuit their goals with a minimum of state control
  • government has to support people in realizing their dreams (f.ex. by guaranteeing democracy, freedom & equal opportunities

Today:

  • term often refers to material well-being
  • many symbols and icons which represent the AD: statue of liberty, American flag -> most popular ones as symbols of freedom & democracy
  • in relation to the AD, USA is often seen as the country with unlimited opportunities
  • represented in literature, films, songs, etc. (f.ex. “The Great Gatsby”,“Pretty Woman”,…)

Reality:

Positive:

  • Idea can still be found in the American way of life, their patriotism, optimism about future
  • Gives people motivation, strength, hope
  • Equal opportunities are guaranteed by law
  • Examples of people who represent the idea from “rags to riches”: many pop stars, football stars grew up in ghettos and are now millionaires
  • Barack Obama perfectly embodies the basic American Value of equality & success through hard work -> reminds Americans of basic beliefs and ideas of the AD
  • Ideas are still a source of inspiration for people all over the world

Negative:

  • A lot of citizens are unable to work due to unemployment
  • Unequal health care system
  • Gap between rich and poor (huge, steadily growing)
  • Many illegal immigrants (like Mexicans) who have difficulties to find a job / become a US citizen (difficult to live their dream)

    the AD is only reachable for white people.

HISTORY

-rooted/made official in 1776 -> Declaration of Independence (states from each other & Britain) on July 4 in 1776
-Founding Fathers (Continental Congress made up of representatives of all 13 colonies) considered it possible to run a country on the principles of personal liberty, self-governance and individual rights
-new ideas of life -> equality (before: had always been hereditary classes), happiness (as life was not meant to be happy but for work)

Individualism as key factor:

  • central concept in the way Americans see themselves
  • personal freedom guaranteed by American tradition of skepticism (about government, church restriction, interference (particularly financially) as a struggle for freedom
    -> makes it almost impossible to set up welfare programs or legislature (failure is seen as someone’s own fault and success as a result of hard work)
    -> f.ex. directly kicked out of a house when you stop paying rent
    -> leads to a tension between individual and community (f.ex. more competition in sports, expensive education)
  • first legal foundation for individual rights and freedom: Bill of Rights (1791) -> limited the power of the government, f.ex. forbade to establish a state religion

Puritanism as a shaping historical aspect of contemporary American community and AD:

  • started with social and religious movement by protestants – 16&17th century – aimed to cleanse their church from remaining influence of roman-catholic papism and therefore read the bible literally – “purify” its message – for that reason abolish all “human intentions” in church (traditional mass/hierarchy/decorations,…)
    -> emigrated to New England (in North America) in 17th century because they envisioned USA to be their “New Canaan” – promised land – reference to the old testament
    -> same idea of Mexican & Latin immigrants moving to the US today -> hope to enhance their life quality
  • American civil religion (virtue, integrity, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM…) shaped by Puritans
    -> comparable to Creationists today (wide spread in USA) as they also read bible literally and are devoutly pious – more ideas still existent in several laws (f.ex. prohibition of sexual issues in public)
    -> seen as extremely narrow-minded and conservative

Frontier experience – another root of individualism:

  • term originally referred to “line of settlement” moving westward in 19th century
  • geographical expansion (closely related to “manifest destiny” -> belief that it is America’s mission to democratize the world-> used to justify its territorial expansion (f.ex. IS war in Iraq and Syria, Afghanistan War,…) as well as imperialism (in Latin America)
  • Americans often idealistic; thought to be the sole remaining superpower
  • today: myth still kept alive in culture, political rhetoric,…

Dream to be a “melting pot”:

  • “Individuals if all nations are melted into a new race of men.” -> metaphor even though Africans and Native Americans have always been excluded
  • probably “salad bowl” more appropriate (people from several nations living side by side but not mixing at all -> few mixed-race marriages/children,…

Multiculturalism (consequence of AD):

  • central nation of immigration - leads to high cultural variety
  • 2 competing concepts of multiculturalism: assimilation and pluralism (minorities have to adapt without giving up their culture vs. fight Americanization
  • goal: more rights for minorities, but it has also furthered cultural fragmentation

history:

  • first settlers, attractive to immigrants until today (AD): huge influx of immigrants in main period between 1800-1917 (-> Immigration Act 1917 & other laws limited number of immigrants who could settle in the US and established quotas based on their country of origin -> immigrant visa/ green card  certain permissions needed to immigrate until today)
  • today: Hispanics & Asians make up the largest group of immigrants – even cross borders illegally

Symbols:

-“The Stars and Stripes”/”Old Glory” 13 stripes for 13 states, star for every new state (currently 50)
-> white: purity, red: endurance and bravery, blue: justice
-Uncle Sam -> nickname for American government & people
-> first used to recruit volunteers during both WWs
-Independence Day

Reality:

inequality of chances inhibits the coming true of AD:

  • education needed for high ranking jobs is not available for everyone (as school has to be paid privately -> compare individualism-> no social mobility for children from poor families and immigrants with no start capital (irony: come to have better lives but except from comparatively low paid jobs it’s hard to achieve sth.) -> AD = myth -> hard work and luck cannot overcome financial & social ranking in every case)
  • contradiction: USA/AD promises chances/equality for those who struggle but close the borders at the same time (guarded fence Mexico-US) or green card ony to people with a certain grade of education / minimum capital
    -> descend and assets are not as unimportant for going “rags to riches” as the main idea of the AD seems to promise