B GIÁO D O I H C CÔNG NGH TP.HCM AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY Compiled by: www.vn AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY Edition 2014 CONTENTS I CONTENTS CONTENTS. III UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES .3 E PLURIBUS UNUM: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE .4 UNITED STATES GEOGRAPHY .5 UNITED STATES PEOPLE .6 UNITED STATES CULTURE.7 UNITED STATES ECONOMY .8 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT .9 UNITED STATES HISTORY. 14 QUESTIONS FOR REVISION. 15 UNIT 2: THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES .2 FORCES THAT SHAPED AMERICAN CULTURE .2 The Emergence of an American Voice .3 Immigration and Diversity .4 Development of Mass Media .5 The Impact of Consumerism .3 WAYS OF LIFE .2 Food and Cuisine .4 Sports and Recreation .5 Celebrations and Holidays.1 Role of Education .2 History of Education in America .4 Concerns in Elementary Education .5 Concerns in Higher Education .5 ARTS AND LETTERS .4 Libraries and Museums.
72 QUESTIONS FOR REVISIONS. 73 UNIT 3: AMERICAN TRADITIONS .3 American Culture through Generations. 136 QUESTIONS FOR REVISIONS. 136 UNIT 4: CULTURAL ETIQUETTE .1 THE UNITED KINGDOM .2 Meeting and Greeting .5 Dining and Entertainment .9 Especially for Women.2 THE UNITED STATES.2 Meeting and Greeting .5 Dining and Entertainment.
151 QUESTIONS FOR REVISIONS. 152 INSTRUCTIONS III INSTRUCTIONS A PROFILE OF THE MODULE The module of American Culture and Society gives an introduction to the country and people of the United States in the overall setting with its typical and particular features about: - the geographical location and climate - its history and process of forming the country and the people - the important events in its history - its political system - its religions and festivals - the economical and social features - the impacts of the world economy on the society of the United States and how the United States has laid its impacts of its economy and culture on the world - its educational system - the training models of different levels of education - Through this introduction, the learners have a comprehensive view of the country and the people of the United States as well as the impacts of its culture in the global world. IV INSTRUCTIONS MODULE CONTENTS UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES This unit equips the learner with an overview of the United States on the six different aspects: geography, people, culture, economy, government, and history. They affected how people who came to the United States formed new societies.
People formed communities and built a society. The next three elements are major parts of that society - its culture, economy, and government. History tells the story of how people created a society. It details how people adapted to geographical settings, how they constructed and changed their economy and government, and how their culture changed along the way.
UNIT 2: THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES This unit gives insights into the culture of the United States. The American culture is rich, complex, and unique. It emerged from the short and rapid European conquest of an enormous landmass sparsely settled by diverse indigenous peoples. Although European cultural patterns predominated, especially in language, the arts, and political institutions, peoples from Africa, Asia, and North America also contributed to American culture.
All of these groups influenced popular tastes in music, dress, entertainment, and cuisine. As a result, American culture possesses an unusual mixture of patterns and forms forged from among its diverse peoples. The many melodies of American culture have not always been harmonious, but its complexity has created a society that struggles to achieve tolerance and produces a uniquely casual personal style that identifies Americans everywhere. The country is strongly committed to democracy, in which views of the majority prevail, and strives for equality in law and institutions.
UNIT 3: AMERICAN TRADITIONS This unit gives insights into the customs and traditions of the American people. The Americans have many Customs and Traditions rooted in the cultures of their forefathers who were either Native Americans or who settled this great land after journeying long distances from other nations in search of "The American Dream". INSTRUCTIONS V Very often the display of an object or symbol that is meaningful to a family or to society can become a Custom, Tradition or Ritual. Family Values are reflected in the Customs and Traditions practiced.
UNIT 4: CULTURAL ETIQUETTE This unit gives insights into the differences between the British and American cultural etiquette. Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group. The French word étiquette, literally signifying a tag or label, was used in a modern sense in English around 1750. From the 1500s through the early 1900s, children learned etiquette at school.
Etiquette has changed and evolved over the years. Etiquette is dependent on culture; what is excellent etiquette in one society may shock another. Etiquette can vary widely between different cultures and nations. This unit deals with the following matters relating to cultural etiquette in the United Kingdom and the United States: the people, meeting and greeting, body language, corporate culture, dining and entertainment, dress, gifts.
There are also helpful hints for foreigners to cope with problems relating to cultural etiquette in these two countries. PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE The module of American Culture and Society requires the prerequisite knowledge of the module of British Culture and Society. REQUIREMENT FOR THE MODULE The student has to have full attendance of the sessions and fulfil all the assignments at home. HOW TO ABSORB THE CONTENT OF THE MODULE In order to study well this module, the related student has to review every old lesson, answer all the assigned exercises.
Besides, before coming to class, the VI INSTRUCTIONS student has to have good preparation by reading in advance the new lesson and looking for more information related to the lesson. METHOD ASSESSING THE MODULE LEARNED The module learned is assessed through: participation in the activities in class hours with the weight of 10% and the midterm test with the weight of 20%. The final exam score: 70%. The final exam is done in a written test of 60 minutes.
The content for the exam includes all the assigned exercises from Unit 1 up to Unit 4. UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES 1 UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES After learning this unit, the learner will be able to: Present, analyse and discuss the matters relating to the United States on the six different aspects: geography, people, culture, economy, government, and history. Identify the role of these two meanings in helping connect the various parts of the American experience, each of which is described in one of the six aspects on the United States. Each of the aspects is one part of the jigsaw puzzle that is the American experience.
The puzzle forms a picture, which can only be fully understood when all the pieces are in place.1 PROFILE Flag of the United States President: Barack H. Obama (2009) Vice President: Joseph Biden (2009) Land area: 3,539,225 sq mi (9,166,601 sq km); total area:3,718,691 sq mi (9,631,420 sq km) Population (2012 est.68/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.49; density 2 UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES per sq mi: 85 Capital (2010 est.): Washington, DC, 601,723 Largest cities (2010 est.): New York, 8,175,133; Los Angeles, 3,792,621; Chicago, 2,695,598; Houston, 2,099,451; Philadelphia, 1,526,006; Phoenix, 1,445,632; San Antonio, 1,327,407; San Diego, 1,307,402; Dallas, 1,197,816; San Jose, 945,942 Monetary unit: dollar Languages: English 82%, Spanish 11% (2000) Ethnicity/race (2010 Census): White: 223,553,265 (72.8%); American Indian and Alaska Native: 2,369,431 (0.8%); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander: 1,225,195 (0.6%, none 4% (2007) Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.29 trillion; per capita $49,000. Real growth rate: 1. Arable UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES 3 land: 18%.
Agriculture: wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products.6 million (includes unemployed); farming, forestry, and fishing 0.6%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.6%, managerial, professional, and technical 35.5%, sales and office 24.5%; note: figures exclude the unemployed (2007). Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining. Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber. Major trading partners: Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, Germany (2011).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 151 million (2009); mobile cellular: 279 million (2009). Radio broadcast stations: AM about 5,000, FM about 10,000, shortwave 18 (2008). Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with the five major networks NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) (2008). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 498 million (2011 est.
Internet users: 245 million (2009). Transportation: Railways: total: 224,792 km mainline routes (2007). Highways: total: 6,506,204 km; paved: 4,374,784 km (including 89,426 km of expressways); unpaved: 2,131,420 km (2008). Waterways: 41,009 km of navigable 4 UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (2012).
Ports and harbors: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo. International disputes: prolonged drought in the Mexico border region has strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea awaits Russian Duma ratification; maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; The Bahamas have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island.2 INTRODUCTION The Overview of the United States: The United States of America, popularly referred to as the United States or as America, a federal republic on the continent of North America, consisting of 48 contiguous states and the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. These six aspects - geography, people, culture, economy, government, and history - comprise element because landforms, resources, and climate affected how people who came to the United States formed new societies. People, in all their variety, are the second element because they formed communities and built a society.
The next three elements are major parts of that society - its culture, economy, and government. History tells the story of how people created a society. It details how people adapted to geographical settings, how they constructed and changed their economy and government, and how their culture changed along the way. Thus all of the six aspects - geography, people, culture, economy, government, and history - form a progression of interconnected aspects.
UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES 5 1.3 E PLURIBUS UNUM: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE E Pluribus Unum First used to unify the 13 British colonies in North America during the American Revolution (1775-1783), this phrase acquired new meaning when the United States received wave after wave of immigrants from many lands. These immigrants had to find ways to reconcile their varied backgrounds and fit together under a constitution and a set of laws. That process of creating one society out of many different backgrounds is one of the biggest stories of the American experience. leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he all Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur, who wrote under the pseudonym J.