英概2unit11.pptVIP

American way of life: a search for credible generalization It is difficult to generalize about the life about the American way of life because of its less cultural coherence . They agree above all about the value of disagreeing. One-line stereotypes about the USA Stereotype 1: All Americans are rich. Movies show events in heightened drama. People from very poor to very rich. Living in poverty has fluctuated between 11% and 15% of the population. Stereotype 2: American society is violent. Highest ratio the world, the justice works hard to pursue criminals. Underclass people. Guns are more freely to own. Overall American society is more violent than in others. Stereotype 3: American families are in disarray. Tough-love family, nurturing-parent. No-fault divorce. Diminish the authority of parents in the relation to their children. Children listen to their peers more than parents. Stereotype 4: Americans are all religions.85% of Americans say they believe in God, the other 15% divided between those who say they are atheists or agnostics. Religion enters into most arguments in America. Stereotype 5: Americans are optimistic. an upbeat expectation of a brighter future. Has been shaken by world events in recent decades, but it remains strong. The USA as a Melting Pot The USA is a nation of immigrants. Start in the early 17th century. Israel Zangwill White Anglo-Saxon Protestants(WASPs) The values associated with s WASP: 1920s, in World War Two after World War Two Alternatives to the Melting Pot as National Self-Image Salad bowl: texture , decay Mosaic : did not decay, never change Kaleidoscope : dramatically, not at all fixed A 21st-Century Metaphor for American Life The WWW(World Wide Web) originating in the USA, is a central technology for modern life. Important features. The WWW began in the USA as a Cold War military innovation. The liberty and the equality of Internet. No censorship but having laws to punish for bad use. No guarantees of the truth of any