Dominant American Culture Patterns

Lecturer :
Irawansyah, M.Pd

Composed by
Group 2 of 6H
Auliya Tyas Nursyifa (1911040280)
Insania Fadhalula Tamara (1911040363)
Muhammad Rizki Amarta (1911040412)
Nurhayati (1911040435)

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING

RADEN INTAN ISLAMIC STATE UNIVERSITY OF LAMPUNG

2022
A. Definition of Dominant Culture

Dominant culture is a particular political, social or economic entity, in

which multiple cultures are present.
The dominant culture in a society is the group whose members are in the
majority or who wield more power than other groups. In United States, the
dominant culture is that of white, middle-class.

A group does not have to be a majority to be a dominant culture.

B. Origins of U.S. cultural patterns

The history of Native Americans in the United States began before the
founding of the country, tens of thousands of years ago with the settlement
of the Americas by the Paleo-Indians. Anthropologists and archeologists
have identified and studied a wide variety of cultures that existed during
this era. Their subsequent contact with Europeans had a profound impact
on their history afterwards.

Origins of American Culture, Nearly every region of the world has

influenced American culture, especially the British who colonized the
country from the early 1600s, according to the Library of Congress. US
culture has also been shaped by the cultures of Native Americans, Latin
Americans, Africans, and Asians. The United States is ethnically diverse
as a result of large-scale European immigration throughout its history, its
hundreds of indigenous tribes and cultures, and through African-American
slavery followed by emancipation. America is an anglophone country with
a legal system derived from Anglo-American common law.

American culture includes both conservative and liberal elements,

scientific and religious competitiveness, political structures, risk taking
and free expression, materialist and moral elements. Despite certain
consistent ideological principles (e.g. individualism, egalitarianism, and
faith in freedom and republicanism), American culture has a variety of
expressions due to its geographical scale and demographics.

The United States also has traditionally been thought of as a melting pot,
with immigrants contributing to but eventually assimilating with
 mainstream American culture. However, beginning in the 1960s and
continuing on in the present day, the country trends towards cultural
pluralism,and partisanship. Throughout the country's history, certain
subcultures (whether based on ethnicity or other commonality, such as
ghettos) have dominated certain neighborhoods, only partially melded
with the broader culture. Due to the extent of American culture, there are
many integrated but unique social subcultures within the United States,
some not tied to any particular geography. The cultural affiliations an
individual in the United States may have commonly depended on social
class, political orientation and a multitude of demographic characteristics
such as religious background, occupation, and ethnic group membership.

● Several Important Items that shaped U.S. culture

Nearly every region of the world has influenced American culture,

especially the British who colonized the country from the early 1600s,
according to the Library of Congress. US culture has also been shaped by
the cultures of Native Americans, Latin Americans, Africans, and Asians.
Here are some of the important items that make up U.S. culture;

a. Native Americans
Native Americans are the most important item in the formation of culture
in the United States itself. Because in the United States of America all
tribes have a rich culture, the meaning of rich here is whether it was
founded in language or ceremony, which strengthens America as a nation
today. Even though the indigenous cultures have struggled to survive the
tribe's ever-changing relationship between self-determination and self-
preservation, they remain as vibrant and resilient as ever.

Native Americans as Indigenous PeoplesNative Americans are

increasingly turning toward a global international perspective. In light of
the history of treaty-making and with an eye toward restoring the sense of
equality between nations that justified the treaty process to begin with,
Native Americans in concert with indigenous peoples worldwide are
asserting their own sense of "sovereignty." The United Nations Draft
Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is at the center of this
global struggle. The Declaration was the product of twenty years of
 negotiation among indigenous peoples and U.N. bodies. Its very title
draws the line of battle rights of indigenous peoples.

Native culture remains strong in areas with large populations that are not
disturbed or relocated, including traditional government and communal
property organizations now legally managed by Indian reservations (large
reservations are mostly in the West, particularly Arizona and South
Dakota). The fate of native cultures after contact with Europeans is quite
diverse. For example, the Taíno culture in the Caribbean region of the US
is on the verge of extinction and like most Native American languages, the
Taíno language is no longer spoken. In contrast, the Hawaiian language
and culture of the Native Hawaiians have survived in Hawaii and mixed
with immigrants from the US mainland (beginning before the 1898
annexation) and to some extent Japanese immigrants. It has occasionally
influenced mainstream American culture with well-known exports such as
surfing and Hawaiian shirts. Most of the native languages that are now
U.S. territories have become extinct, and the cultural dominance of the
economy and mainstream English threatens to survive in most places. The
most common indigenous languages include Samoan, Hawaiian, Navajo,
Cherokee, Sioux, and the Inuit spectrum. Ethnic Samoans are the majority
in American Samoa; The Chamorros are still the largest ethnic group on
Guam (albeit a minority), and along with the Refaluwasch are a smaller
minority in the Northern Mariana Islands.

b. European Influence
The Europeans brought technologies, ideas, plants, and animals that were
new to America and would transform peoples' lives: guns, iron tools, and
weapons; Christianity and Roman law; sugarcane and wheat; horses and
cattle. They also carried diseases against which the Indian peoples had no
defenses. From the earliest contacts, Spanish explorers, priests, and
conquerors spread European architecture, religion, language, political
systems, and even food throughout the lands they conquered.

American culture is the amalgamation of the traditions, practices, and

customs of the United States. In the words of an anthropologist Cristina
De Rossi, “ culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we
wear it, our language, marriage and music” (Zimmerman, 2015, para. 1).
 Many societies have contributed their distinct flavors to the “melting pot”
of American culture. Almost every world region has influenced the
country. However, Europe’s biggest impact on the literature, art,
architectural and fashion traditions was made. London, Paris, and Rome
and other cultural centers of the Old World dictated the trends, followed
by Americans. From the pre-colonial times to the post-independence era,
the United States of America bears a rich heritage of Europe. However, it
is worth noting that just as the Old World was changing the New,
American culture was affecting Europe. Nevertheless, without European
influence, America would be an entirely different continent.

c. Immigration (and Ellis Island)

Ellis Island is important for immigrants because It served as the country's
main immigration station from 1892 to 1924, after which its role was
reduced; during that period an estimated 12 million immigrants passed
through Ellis Island, where they were processed by immigration
authorities and obtained permits to enter the United States. What happens
to immigrants on Ellis Island Despite the island's reputation as "Island of
Tears," most immigrants are treated with courtesy and respect, free to start
their new life in America after just a few hours on Ellis Island. Only two
percent of arriving immigrants are excluded from entry.

Ellis Island was also used by the military for nearly 80 years. In the mid-
1790s, as a result of the increasing military tensions of the United States
with Britain and France, a U.S. congressional committee drew a map of
possible locations for the first defense systems to protect major American
urban centers such as the Harbor. New York. A small portion of Ellis
Island of "the land from the high to low water mark around Ellis Island" is
owned by the city. On April 21, 1794, the city ceded the land to the state
for public defense purposes. The following year, the state allocated
$100,000 for fortifications on the Bedloe, Ellis, and Governors Islands, as
well as the construction of Castle Garden (now Castle Clinton) along the
Battery on Manhattan Island. Batteries and magazines were built on Ellis
Island in preparation for war. A wharf was added to the northwestern tip of
the island, possibly from soil excavated from the inlet in the northeast
corner; the inlet was filled by 1813. Although his military threat never
materialized, further preparations were prompted by another possible war
with France in the late 1790s; these new preparations were overseen by
 Ebenezer Stevens. Military conflict also failed to occur, and by 1805, the
fort had become shabby

C. The Ingridients of American Dominan Culture

1. Opening Erie Canal

When constructed in 1825 between Buffalo and Albany, the Erie Canal
cost less than $7 million and created thousands of jobs. Nearly two
centuries later, the canal still plays a significant role in the economy and
way of life of Upstate New York. Erie Canal, 363 miles (584 km) long,
was the first canal in the United States to connect western waterways with
the Atlantic Ocean. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in
1825. Its success propelled New York City into a major commercial centre
and encouraged canal construction throughout the United States (Robb,
2021)

2. New York City as Financial Capital

Walll Street, street, in the southern section of the borough of Manhattan in
New York City, which has been the location of some of the chief financial
institutions of the United States. The street is narrow and short and extends
only about seven blocks from Broadway to the East River. It was named
for an earthen wall built by Dutch settlers in 1653 to repel an expected
English invasion. Even before the American Civil War.

Even before the American Civil War the street was recognized as the
financial capital of the nation. The Wall Street district, commonly called
the Financial District, contains the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE
Amex Equities, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The
headquarters of many investment banks, government and municipal
securities dealers, trust companies, utilities, insurance companies, and
 brokerage firms have also been located in the district. American Civil War,
also called War Between the States, four-year war (1861–65) between the
United States and 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union and
formed the Confederate States of America.

3. Defeat of South
American Civil War, also called War Between the States, four-year war
(1861–65) between the United States and 11 Southern states that seceded
from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. After four
bloody years of conflict, the United States defeated the Confederate States.
In the end, the states that were in rebellion were readmitted to the United
States, and the institution of slavery was abolished nation-wide (Hassler et
al,2021)

4. Immigration restrictions act of 1924

The 1924 Johnson-Reed Act, which Congress had overwhelmingly passed
just weeks before and which President Coolidge would sign into law the
following month, marked the start of a dark chapter in the nation’s
immigration history. It drastically cut the total number of immigrants
allowed in each year and effectively cut off all immigration from Asia.
The restrictions imposed by the law sparked a prolonged fight to reverse
them, driven by politicians who decried the law’s xenophobia and by
presidents who worried about the foreign policy consequences of such
exclusions.

Jia Lynn Yang (2020), details the drive to implement and sustain the 1924
legislation and the intense campaign to reverse it, a battle that culminated
in the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. That law eliminated
the quotas, increased the number of visas issued each year, prioritized
 immigration for skilled workers and instituted a policy of family
unification.

5. Mass Media (emergence of radio and TV)

From the 1920s through the end of World War II, radio was a popular source of
news and political analysis. President Franklin Roosevelt used his radio "fireside
chats" (1933-1944) to speak directly to the American people about issues facing
the country. Both before and during the war, radio — particularly Edward R.
Murrow's broadcasts from London — was an important source of information on
developments in Europe and the Pacific. The medium has gone through a
resurgence in recent years with both commercial and public (National Public
Radio) all-news stations, radio talk shows, and the president's weekly radio
address to the nation.

In addition to giving people news and information programming, television has

allowed Americans insight into the political process and has actually become part
of the process. The Democratic and Republican national conventions were
televised for the first time in 1952. Dwight Eisenhower ran the first political TV
ads during his campaign. It is generally believed that John Kennedy "won" the
1960 presidential debate because he looked better than Richard Nixon on
television. By bringing the Vietnam War into our homes every evening,
television certainly influenced the attitudes of Americans toward the conflict and
increased support for withdrawal. The advent of cable and satellite TV has also
provided a means for Americans to see how their government operates. In many
communities, local educational stations broadcast school board and city council
proceedings. Congressional hearings and debates are available on C-SPAN, while
truTV covers major trials.

6. The Automobile and Interstate

1950s American automobile culture has had an enduring influence on the culture
of the United States, as reflected in popular music, major trends from the 1950s
and mainstream acceptance of the "hot rod" culture. The American
manufacturing economy switched from producing war-related items to consumer
 goods at the end of World War II, and by the end of the 1950s, one in six
working Americans were employed either directly or indirectly in the automotive
industry. The United States became the world's largest manufacturer of
automobiles, and Henry Ford's goal of 30 years earlier—that any man with a
good job should be able to afford an automobile—was achieved. A new
generation of service businesses focusing on customers with their automobiles
came into being during the decade, including drive-through or drive-in
restaurants and more drive-in theaters (cinemas).

The decade began with 25 million registered automobiles on the road, most of
which predated World War II and were in poor condition; no automobiles or parts
were produced during the war owing to rationing and restrictions. By 1950, most
factories had made the transition to a consumer-based economy, and more than 8
million cars were produced that year alone. By 1958, there were more than 67
million cars registered in the United States, more than twice the number at the
start of the decade.

As part of the U.S. national defenses, to support military transport, the National
Highway System was expanded with Interstate highways, beginning in 1955,
across many parts of the United States. The wider, multi-lane highways allowed
traffic to move at faster speeds, with few or no stoplights on the way. The wide-
open spaces along the highways became a basis for numerous billboards showing
advertisements.
The dawning of the Space Age and Space Race were reflected in contemporary
American automotive styling. Large tailfins,[3] flowing designs reminiscent of
rockets, and radio antennas that imitated Sputnik 1 were common, owing to the
efforts of design pioneers such as Harley Earl.[4]

7. Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War

The Great Depression began in 1929 when, in a period of ten weeks, stocks on
the New York Stock Exchange lost 50 percent of their value. As stocks continued
to fall during the early 1930s, businesses failed, and unemployment rose
dramatically. By 1932, one of every four workers was unemployed. Banks failed
and life savings were lost, leaving many Americans destitute. With no job and no
savings, thousands of Americans lost their homes. The poor congregated in
cardboard shacks in so-called Hoovervilles on the edges of cities across the
nation; hundreds of thousands of the unemployed roamed the country on foot and
in boxcars in futile search of jobs. Although few starved, hunger and malnutrition
affected many.

In a country with abundant resources, the largest force of skilled labor, and the
most productive industry in the world, many found it hard to understand why the
 depression had occurred and why it could not be resolved. Moreover, it was
difficult for many to understand why people should go hungry in a country
possessing huge food surpluses. Blaming Wall Street speculators, bankers, and
the Hoover administration, the rumblings of discontent grew mightily in the early
1930s. By 1932, hunger marches and small riots were common throughout the
nation.

In June of 1932, nearly 20,000 World War I veterans from across the country
marched on the United States Capitol to request early payment of cash bonuses
for their military service that weren't due to be paid until 1945. The marchers,
who the organizers called the "Bonus Expeditionary Force" but who became
widely known as the Bonus Army, spent several days in Washington, D.C.,
pressing their case, but a Congressional bill to pay the bonus was defeated. On
July 28, U.S. troops and tanks commanded by General Douglas MacArthur
dispersed the marchers and destroyed their makeshift camps in the city.

However, not all citizens were caught up in the social eruptions. Many were too
downtrodden or busy surviving day to day to get involved in public displays of
discontent. Instead, they placed their hope and trust in the federal government,
especially after the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the presidency in 1932.
To find more documents in Loc.gov related to this topic, use key words such as
Great Depression, begging, unemployment, poverty, stock market crash, Bonus
Army, and Hoovervilles.

D. American Values

To understand the political, economic, social and even personal behavior

of any group of people, we must first know the dominant values of their
culture which are passed down from one generation to another through
learning.

American culture has been enriched by the values and belief systems of
virtually every part of the world. Consequently, it is impossible to be
comprehensive. Nevertheless, a few selected values are at the core of the
American value system.

 Freedom
Americans commonly regard their society as the freest and best in
the world. Americans‘ understanding of freedom is shaped by the
Founding Fathers‘ belief that all people are equal and that the role
 of the government is to protect each person‘s basic ―inalienable‖
rights. The U.S. Constitution‘s Bill of Rights assures individual
rights, including provisions for freedom of speech, press and
religion. No one single church dominates or controls in the US,
there is a religious diversity.

 Individualism
Americans‘ notion of freedom focuses on the individual, and
individualism has strong philosophical roots in America. Thomas
Jefferson believed that a free individual‘s identity should be held
sacred and that his or her dignity and integrity should not be
violated.

Individualism, understood not only as self-reliance but also as

economic self-sufficiency, has been a central theme in American
history. Frontiers heroes who braved the wilderness alone, farmers
whose success depended on their ability to confront the hardships
of land and resourcefulness, the celebration of the small
businessman who became a financial success on his own;
individual proprietorship in business is still extolled as the ideal.

 Punctuality
Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a
required task or fulfill an obligation before or at a previously
designated time. "Punctual" is often used synonymously with "on
time." It is a common misconception that punctual can also, when
talking about grammar, mean "to be accurate."

According to each culture, there is often an understanding about

what is considered an acceptable degree of punctuality. Usually, a
small amount of lateness is acceptable; this is commonly about ten
or fifteen minutes in Western cultures, but this is not the case in
such instances as doctor's appointments or school lessons. In some
cultures, such as Japanese society, or in the military there basically
is no allowance.
 Some cultures have an unspoken understanding that actual
deadlines are different from stated deadlines; for example, it may
be understood in a particular culture that people will turn up an
hour later than advertised. In this case, since everyone understands
that a 9 am meeting will actually start around 10 am, no one is
inconvenienced when everyone turns up at 10 am.

In cultures which value punctuality, being late is tantamount to

showing disrespect for other's time and may be considered
insulting. In such cases, punctuality may be enforced by social
penalties, for example by excluding lowstatus latecomers from
meetings entirely. Such considerations can lead on to considering
the value of punctuality in econometrics and to considering the
effects of non-punctuality on others in queueing theory.

 Volunteerism
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, and is
intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, which
in return produces a feeling of self-worth and respect, but no
financial gain. Volunteering is also famous for skill development,
socialization and fun. It is also intended to make contacts for
possible employment or for a variety of other reasons.

Volunteers are highly motivated people, workers who organize

themselves and others to solve a particular community problem or
meet an immediate social need, rather then waiting for someone
else – usually the govt- to do it. The willingness to participate in
such groups is so widespread that six out of ten Americans are
members of a volunteer organization. Volunteerism reflects
Americans‘ optimistic pride in their ability to work out practical
solutions themselves. Americans like to form associations of
different kind . Many volunteers are specifically trained in the
areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue.
Others serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural
disaster.

 Equality
 The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created
equal". In many ways people believe this; we can see equality in
such common practices as "waiting in line". When we go to the
bank, to the post office, or to immigration, we will be asked to take
a number and wait. Regardless of how important or trivial our need
is, we will be treated like everyone else; first come, first served.

We can also see equality in the classroom. All students are the
same in the eyes of professors, and many professors view students
(particularly graduate students) as their equals. Professors may ask
students to call them by their first names.

 Informality
Although equality is ignored in some parts of life, it is followed
closely in others. For example, people treat one another very
informally, even in the presence of great differences in age or
social status. This is not a "lack of respect," this is the custom in
the United States.

Informality is right understood as idealism in practice, or

democracy in action, the right of the individual balanced by his
responsibilities, in the basic unit is the family.

The American visiting Indonesia on the other hand might be

surprised to see that in Indonesia, the parent-children relationship
is rather formal, where children have to respect their parents,
parents still have the authority, and there is no equality‘ at home.

 Ideallizing What is Practical

Many historians believe that most of the beliefs and values which
are characteristically American emerged within the context of the
frontier experience. Survival in the wilderness was best achieved to
robust individualists. Survival experiences also explain the
American tendency to idealize whatever is practical. In America
what works is what counts. Inventiveness was necessary for
survival. This ―can-do‖ spirit is something Americans are proud
of today. They like to think they are natural-born do-it-yourselfers.
 Mobility
As a nation of immigrants, Americans have shared from the
beginning the assumption that the practical solution to a problem is
to move elsewhere and make a fresh start. Mobility in America is
not a sign of aimlessness but optimism. Moving about from place
to place is such a common and accepted practice that most
Americans take it for granted that they may live in four or fife
cities during their lifetime. Americans hate to feel that buying a
house might immobilize them forever.

 Progress
It is associated with the idea of freedom is the ideal of progress.
The nation‘s progress has been measured by the taming of the
frontier and industrial expansion. The desire to progress by making
use of opportunities is important to Americans. In this immigrant
society, progress is personally measured as family progress over
generations. Many Americans can boast that with each succeeding
generation since their first ancestors arrived, the family‘s status has
improved. The classic American family saga is all about progress.
The great-grandparents work hard and suffer poverty and
alienation so that they can provide a good education for their
children. The second generation, motivated by the same vision of
the future and willingness to work hard and make sacrifices, pass
these values to their children. The attainment of the vision of one‘s
grandparents is part of the AmericannDream
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