American Culture - Life in the USA

Worldwide Influences. No one survey can do justice to the vast sweep of American culture. The United States is a dynamic country, covering the breadth of a continent. Many cultural currents exist and coexist within American life. The sections that follow do not attempt to cover every aspect of American culture, but instead zero in on some phenomena, like television, films and American music, that newcomers can study in order to learn more about American life.

The United States is both an old country and a new country. American values have developed over several centuries, affecting (and often being enriched by) successive waves of immigrants. The trend continues: old ways blending with new ideas. The best way to look at it is to realize that while Americans are often open to new ways of thinking, they have a deep culture, and a deep sense of being American, one that is not always that easy to describe. Those who disagree, who believe the country has no true culture compared to the “older” civilizations of Europe, Asia and elsewhere, do not truly understand the United States.

In some ways, all the sections of Life In The USA are about American culture. Perhaps the best way to start learning about American culture is to look at the three sections that follow, dealing with The American Worldview.

Next Section: American WorldviewLife in the USA Home Page.

Full Chapter Outline:
American Worldview Part 1
American Worldview Part 2
American Worldview Part 3
The American Dream

Hollywood
—Going to the Movies
—Movies are Rated
—Movies on Video
—Movies on Television

Iconic American Films:
—It’s A Wonderful Life
—The Best Years of Our Lives
—Unforgiven
—Rocky
—To Kill a Mockingbird

Television
—The Great Experiment
—Broadcast and Network TV
—Daytime TV
—Prime Time
—Reality Television
—Late Night Talk Shows
—Syndication and Immortality
—Star Trek
—Public Television
—Cable and Satellite Television