This material courtesy of J. LaVelle Ingram, Ph.D. It is clear that women in America enjoy much more personal freedom and independence than women in many other parts of the world. This freedom is something we hold dear and one of the things that define contemporary American culture. However, it is also clear that many …
In the United States, in government, business, the professions and many areas of culture, the path is still easier for a man than it is for a woman. Decade after decade, however, women have worked to break free from stereotypes and discrimination. Part of this involves establishing women’s legal right to fair treatment. This has …
The term “white people” as used in the United States today can have a number of varying meanings. In its most general sense, the term refers to people who are of European origin. In the early days of European exploration of North America, settlers from Spain founded the two oldest cities in the United States: …
Many people assume that people of English descent are the largest ethnic group in the United States. That distinction, however, applies to people of German descent, who made up more than 17% of the population, according to the 2000 census, followed by the Irish, English, African American, Italian, Mexican, French, and Polish, and then by …
A small upper class “high society” exists, though most Americans have little contact with these people. The core of this group are wealthy people, mostly in the Northeast, who can trace their family lines back to the English or Dutch Colonial days, or to certain legendary fortunes made during America’s great industrial age. This is …
This material courtesy of Jeannine Pitas In January 2005, Time announced the arrival of a new generation. The Twixters are not a type of candy bar, but a new social demographic. In “Meet the Twixters,” writer Lev Grossman (1) notes the growing number of 18-30 year-olds who “just won’t grow up,” nomads who hop from job to …
This material courtesy of James McDaniel While tattoos are growing in popularity among young Americans, tattooing is still a controversial subject in America today. According to Wikipedia, “A tattoo is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin; in technical terms, tattooing is dermal pigmentation.” Tattoos are a permanent form of body modification which …
Most countries in the world have a system of social classes, and the United States is no exception. The United States is a large country with a dynamic economy. Social classes have found their own level over the course of American history. Despite this, social classes are not as rigid as they are in some …
The term “Soccer Mom” is used quite commonly in the United States. It has a range of meanings, some positive, some slightly negative. Though the term has some flexibility, it generally connotes an aware, modern woman in an upscale single-income household. The soccer mom’s primary concern is her children; she juggles many responsibilities, often symbolized …
Census statistics indicate that the single-person household has been the fastest growing type of household in the United States since the 1980s. Singles make up more than 40% of the American adult population and head half the nation’s households. Modern life, combined with extensive educational and career opportunities, makes the single lifestyle attractive to both …