User:RSharland/SocialTheoryAssignment

Wikipedia:User:RSharland/SocialTheoryAssignment

Americanization is a word that is used to describe the beginning of the twentieth century when immigrants from all nations arriving here in the United States of America were forced to assimilate into American culture induced through changing their speech patterns, ideas, traditions, and ways of life whether they want to or not.

History

To understand the term Americanization we must understand the period in which the term emerged in the late 1880's to the outbreak of World War I, created in the United States to describe the process the incoming immigrants took in order to become citizens after arriving from Europe. Upon entering the war the United States made the process of Americanization an official part of the war effort. Many states passing bills and legislation providing an education and Americanization for newly arriving citizens.

Lack of Modern Americanization

In modern society Americanization has taken on a less prominent role in the last few years with the events of September 11, 2001. Our country is experiencing the largest continued wave of immigration in it history, which, barring new legislation will continue far into the future. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has given out more then 900,000 green cards in the past year allowing for immigrants to live in this country permanently, along with 400,000 long term immigrants including illegal immigrants totaling 25 million people close to 10% of the population into our country and no real programs to help these people assimilate into our culture as there have been in the past our culture only changes to make things easier for these new people. With this new wave of Immigration it is harder to Americanize each and ever person being we can't reach the illegal immigrants who come here being we don't have any real documentation that they are here period besides the effect they have on our government.

More then just Americanization

Today Americanization is no different then Globalization, Cultural Imperialism, or Cultural Hegemony; all of these are terms that basically describe removing ones former cultures and beliefs for that of another.

Globalization is nothing more than the imposition of American culture on the entire world where as Americanization is the imposition of American culture on those entering the United States. Globalization theory emerged as a result of a series of developments internal to social theory. Globalization is a universal term for a complex collection of economic, social, technological, cultural and political changes seen as increasing interdependence, integration and interaction between people and companies in disparate locations. Globalization is a term emerging as early as 1944, but was applied first in 1981 coined by Theodore Levitt the term first appeared in an article he wrote in 1983 for the Harvard Business Review called "Globalization of Markets."

"...globalization is in so many ways Americanization; globalization wears Mickey Mouse ears, it drinks is Pepsi and coke, eats Big Macs, does its computing on IBM laptop with Windows 98. Many Societies around the world can't get enough of it, but others see it as a fundamental threat." - Thomas Friedman

Alternatives to the Norm

As new citizens arrive here in the United States the general idea is to inject them with a dose of Cultural Imperialism, trying to get the citizen's into the correct mind state of a normal American by introducing them to American culture. There is a heavy resistance to Cultural Imperialism from most people who have rooted traditions in their native country that they do not want to let go. Blending of the new culture with the old is a key form of making our country the best it can be, teaching the new citizens that they don't have to suppress their own native countries culture and that they should incorporate it into their new American culture in order to make our traditions richer. This country was founded by people with multiple cultures coming together to make one big melting pot allowing this country to have traditions and customs from all over the world. However in today's society with the recent events people who are different then the norm are often seen as threat to our country and its way of life even though that is what makes our country great it is also a source of fear for the American people because it is human nature to fear and dislike that which is different.

Cultural Hegemony a term coined by Antonio Gramsci is defined as a diverse culture can be ruled or dominated by one society or social class, that everyday practices and shared way of life provide the foundation for complex systems of domination. Gramsci was worried that this could occur in the world because people generally accept the mainstream ideas rather then fight for what they want and know is right. He knew that through the media, schools and popular culture that the majority idea would be accepted regardless of the morality of the issue. Americanization in today’s world consists of the fact that you accept the norms of society or not and based on these two ideas we might alienate a person for believing something else other then what is culturally acceptable.

Breaking Away From the Everyday

Another way to put Americanization into action is to break the norm when it comes to American citizens.

When you see an individual on the street and they are speaking a foreign language and wearing foreign clothing you might think that hey they are a not a citizen of the United States of America simply because of what they are wearing and doing. You could walk up to them and talk to them and find out that they are more patriotic then anyone you have ever known but based on appearance you might disagree. Their appearance might not reflect the Americanization that has taken place once they came here but the things you don't see might will.

Another example of Americanization is when you know a friend born in another country but lives here, celebrates our holiday's and embraces our traditions even though they are against they cultural believes from their homeland. Repeating the pledge of Allegiance at a ball game and taking your hat off, regardless of who you are or where you came from when you here that song almost everyone immediately takes off their hats and pay their homage and respect to the flag of this country breaking the norm you might think of an un-Americanized citizen.

References:

Chitose, Yoshimi. "Transitions Into and Out of Poverty: a Comparison Between Immigrant and Native Children." Journal of Poverty 9 (2005): 63-88. CSA Sociological Abstracts. 28 Oct. 2006.

Garber, Judith A., and Yasmeen Abu-Laban. "The Construction of the Geography of Immigration as a Policy Problem: the United States and Canada Compared." Urban Affairs Review 40 (2005): 520-561. CSA Sociological Abstracts. 29 Oct. 2006.

Krikorian, Mark. "Will Americanization Work in America?" Center for Immigration Studies. 1997. 1 Nov. 2006 .

Moya, Jose C. "Immigrants and Associations: a Global and Historical Perspective." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 31, No. 5, Pp. 833-864, Sept 2005 31 (2005): 813-864. 29 Oct. 2006.

Ritzer, George. Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. 252-258.

Walzer, Michael. "What Does It Mean to Be an "American"?" Social Research 71 (2004): 633-654. CSA Sociological Abstracts. 29 Oct. 2006.