The United States Collective Identity - 2264 Words

A true basis of what it means to be an American can be thoroughly argued on the grounds of what constitutes an American, is an American born or is an American made? The collective identity of the American populace is the shared characteristics, the same drive, which ultimately results in oneness. The unique American cultural identity is the shared revolutionary nature, which drives Americans toward progressive social changes. The original thirteen colonies faced a rather odd situation in their nascent years. Far enough away from Britain to not completely live under their control, the colonies began to form a new way of defining themselves. Rather than simply being British colonies they wanted to act as a sovereign nation in their own right. Fearful of the colonies gaining too much power the British government implemented a set of Acts, such as the Intolerable Act and the Stamp Act, with the intention of them limiting the colonies’ freedoms and smothering any chance of rebellio n. However, the colonist took this as an act of oppression instead and rose above it in order to regain their personal freedoms. They felt that their society had plateaued into mediocrity under the rule of King George as they didn’t have protected rights (The American Pageant, 126-133). In the hopes of ridding themselves of the British rule war broke out, the crude colonist soldiers fighting against the well-polished British army, something revolutionary all in itself as it has never been doneShow MoreRelatedGlobalization And Its Impact On Culture And Identity1380 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States prevails as an ever-evolving, unique amalgamation of people, cultures, and influences. Due to the growth of technology use in the world, globalization, the process of interaction and integration among people, is spreading rapidly (What Is Globalization?†). Historically, people have often identified in a collective way in order to associate with a group, culture, or indiv idual (Miladinovic). However, nowadays, this form of identification cannot be used as people are changing theRead MoreAfrican Diaspora Identity : History, Race, Culture, And Language1147 Words   |  5 Pages Diaspora identity is when a group of individuals is displaced from a country of origin and must migrate to a new homeland. In some cases, the migration is forced whereas in others it is voluntary but forced through circumstances. The process of identity becomes central as those that migrate are forced to determine what it means to be a member of a new culture while still maintaining their own heritage and traditions. One way that culture can be honored is through literature. When considering diasporaRead MoreRemembering The Road Of World War Two : Analyzing The Collective Memory Of A Historical Event1738 Words   |  7 PagesOne way in which history is examined is through analyzing the collective memory of a certain historical event in a particular place. Patrick Finney†™s Remembering the Road to World War Two: International History, National Identity, Collective Memory examines seven countries, the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, the United States of America and Japan and how their civilians and historians collectively remember the beginning of the Second World War. This paper will examine how objectiveRead MoreGaribaldi Unification Essay1277 Words   |  6 Pagesof Italy sparked my curiosity about the impact unification had on national and regional identities in Italy, and the effect these identities have on the way the world perceives the people of Italy as opposed to the way they see each other. It seems to me that Garibaldi and the unification process must have had a profound effect on the people of Italy and the way they see themselves fitting into the nation-state as a whole. I would imagine that many of these questions do not have clear answers, butRead MoreThe Gentrification Of Chinatowns Across The United States871 Words   |  4 Pages The gentrification of Chinatowns across the United States represent an environmental racism, because it forces people of of their homes on the streets. Most of the Chinatowns are located in the centers of the majors cities, surrounded by financial districts, and other rich neighborhoods. With current economy trends we can see an increase of new companies moving and opening new offices around different towns. With limited space available for new companies to open their business, landlords sell theirRead MoreLife On Screen By Sherry Turkle933 Words   |  4 PagesTurkle in her book Life on Screen describes the computer as our second self in which due to the rapidly expanding internet we are now linked to millions of people and places across the globe, it’s via these transnational relationships our sense of identity is transformed. These relationships enable virtual communities to form between people that talk to each other every day but have never phys ically met. Within a larger cultural context, we are able to understand that the boundaries between the realRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Hierarchical Order Within South East Asia Essay1407 Words   |  6 Pagesaims to explain the surprising peace and mutual co-operation which grew out of South East Asia following the post-Cold-War period. Her main argument is that it is the South East Asian states themselves which created this peace and co-operation through two broad ‘pathways’: Omni-enmeshment on a regional and inter-state level and the creation of a ‘complex balance of influence.’ My main criticism with her argument is that the current order in South East Asia has yet to be challenged by a substantialRead MoreNational and European Identity 1273 Words   |  6 Pages(EU) have a strong interest in the concept of European Union identity (Cram, 2009). The ‘European union’ identity can be identified nowadays, although there are still confl icts between national identities and a shared European identity which can be illustrated by the data from Eurobarameter and other sources. Most people perceive themselves as Europeans, as Anderson (1991) state, there is no contradictory between Europe and nation-state, ‘country first, but Europe, too’ is the main feeling of theRead MoreThe Other Hand By Anthony Smith Essay735 Words   |  3 Pagesexample, illustrates that identities have clear deterministic characteristics that shape both small societies, nations and states. There are four major determinants that Smith illustrates in his work: distinguishable characteristics of national as opposed to other kinds of collective cultural identification; the role of ethnic bases in the formation of new nations; the nature and impact of different nationalist ideologies and symbolism of the formation of ethnic political identities; and last, the politicalRead MoreThe Theory Of Un Collective Security Essay1223 Words   |   5 Pagesin Weiss et al.’s first chapter entitled The Theory of UN Collective Security, the authors elaborate on the foundation and purpose of the United Nations serves on a global scale by means of collectivity. Second, chapter four entitled Evolving Security Operations: Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Libya, and Syria, provides specific examples of relations between the United Nations and individual nation-states, the progress the UN has made in developing countries, and