Q: Is there an American culture? What is the American culture?

For Tues May 20 – last class day before Final.  

Q:  Is there an American culture?  What is the American culture?

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090126/EDIT09/301269995:  Trying to define what constitutes the “American character” is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

Snoopy

You have had an “aha” moment – what is it?  

Ways to approach your presentation:

• ·         Language – speech patterns.
• ·         Americans as listeners; Americans as interrupters
• ·         The classroom in this culture (as opposed to in your native culture)
• ·         Body language
• ·         The male-female divide – its presence or absence
• ·         Orientation to media
• ·         Americans’ knowledge of their own place in the world, their history.
• ·         The isolation of Hollywood.
• ·         The American belief system, e.g., in God, in equality, in freedom of press, in freedom of expression, in self-reliance
• ·         Self-reliance
• ·         group think - independent thinking - tribal thinking
• ·         do not attack people; attack ideas
• ·         free press or "Pravda"

·         .DUE:  bring in maximum 1 page on it.  double spaced.  Prepare to present.

HERE ARE MINE:  among agonizing, irrational politics and insipid worship of heroes and tribes, there are instances of brilliance.  Here are 4:

1. does it show American culture?
2. this one is one shot - and it was done after the media proclaimed this city (my home town) dead.  The city roared back with this, getting everyone from the Mayor to the Police to the Fire department involved.  That was three years ago - it now has over 5 million hits
3. and how about this for shooting and raw talent
4. the bus in Berkeley, the taxi cab line in NYC