Influence of American Culture on the Rest of the World - Essay Example

INFLUENCE OF AMERICAN CULTURE ON THE REST OF THE WORLD Introduction Countries all over the world have been greatly influenced by the Americanculture in all aspects. Some argue that this influence is causing a lot of damage, while some say that it is a positive influence. But the fact of the matter is that people are losing their own self identity because of the massive impact this superpower has on the world. On the other hand, they are progressing and reaching towards an easier and a more convenient life. This paper aims to discuss and describe a few of the many aspects that are being influenced by the American culture. Dress One feature that has been greatly influenced is how people have changed the way they dress. American style of dressing was distinctly known for its informality and casualness. Now we see the whole world dressing up like that. People, all across the world, now prefer to wear American brands. For example, Nike, which is an American brand, now has its market all over the world. People now dress for convenience. They wear traditional clothes and costumes on rituals but on normal days, they go for jeans and western wear which is again American way of dressing. Levi Strauss, a San Francisco based producer of jeans, introduced the idea of jeans as durable clothing, and now there is hardly anyone in this world who does not have a blue jean in their wardrobe. In 1993 Levi Strauss operated 700 plants in 60 countries making 200 different styles of blue jeans alone (New Internationalist, 1998). American designers such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne and many more are now gaining popularity in the world market. Television Another way how American Culture has influenced the world is through television. American channels are broadcasted all over the world either in English or translated. Every house, all over the world, now has easy access to these channels which promotes American culture. American television shows are watched all over the world and people become fans of the actors. Hollywood is often called the Movie Capital of the world. Hollywood movies are now being shown in cinemas globally. These movies are greatly enjoyed by people of all ages in almost all the countries. However this is not where it ends. These channels and movies have influenced countries all over the world. Soaps, late night television shows and reality shows which were once what America's television was known for is now a part of television channels all over the world. Americas Next Top Model, American Idol, Deal or No Deal, So You think You can Dance and Who Wants to be a Millionaire are some shows which have influenced the world to such an extent that similar shows are being produced in countries all over the world. Food Fast food was a definite feature of American Food. McDonalds, Burger King, TGIF. All of these once used to be what only the Americans used to eat. But this has also changed. All the names mentioned above now have franchises globally. Antarctica is the only continent without McDonald and it has over 30,000 locations all over the world. (Associated Content, 2006). People all over the world now think of fast food as cheap and convenient which is why it is getting so popular. However, lately, the Americans have realized the importance of diet and healthy food. People all over the world are now following them by understanding the importance of organic food and changing their eating habits. Starbucks Coffee which was one a distinct characteristic of the American lifestyle is now recognized and is gaining popularity at a global level. Lastly, because of how time is changing, people from all over the world are learning from Americans and Microwave Food is gaining popularity throughout the world. Language English was basically the language for the British but since the American culture is a mix of a lot of cultures from all over the world, it became the language for Americans as well. Now we see that the world has started to adopt the American style of English in business, education and daily life. People now commonly use American jargons and slangs such as 'pal', 'bro', 'dork', 'nerd' and 'hot' etc. Sports Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey and American Football are sports that are distinctly American. The people of America enjoyed these sports. However, these sports have now transformed into sports that are enjoyed worldwide. Sports figures like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Venus Williams, Roger Federer, etc. are now not only recognized but they also have fans on international level. Education The twelve years of primary and secondary school which is the American education system has recently gained popularity universally. People now realize the importance of the four year bachelor program which is also American. All international level universities have in result changed their practices according to this. Music The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Guns N Roses,. This is a list of the never ending musicians who have managed to influence the world with their music. American music ranges from rock, hip-hop, R&B, pop, country, jazz, to trance. Every genre is enjoyed greatly by people all over the world. Teenagers all across the world are now taking American musicians as their role models. They follow what the music projects. But sadly, nowadays children are learning all sorts of bad things, like drugs, sex and violence, from genres like rap and R&B. Literature American authors such as Mark Twain Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickenson, Ralph Waldo, Henry David Thoreau, etc. established American literature on the world scene. At present Dan Brown, John Grisham, Stephen King, Anne Tyler Thomas Punchon, Toni Morrison, John Cheever Danielle Steel, Sydney Sheldon are some of the many writers who are popular all over the world and are all highly regarded in world literary circles. Their work has been appreciated and read globally. (Essman, 2007) Family System The way families used to be is also changing because of constant exposure of how American families form. Joint Family System which was a very popular Family system in Asia is not being changed to Independent Family System. Marriages are now fixed on the basis of love. Not by a third party that is how it used to be in Asian Countries before. Architecture Tall Buildings and Skyscrapers were originally American structures. Now we see that countries, like United Arab Emirates, are all influenced by the American architecture. Besides this, American architects like Peter Eisenman and Frank O. Gehry have become world famous because of their work. Magazines showcasing new ideas and technologies are also circulated throughout the world. Deigners like Herman Miller have become world known because of his work on furnishings. Art American artists have influenced and inspired artists all over the world. Andy Warhol, a leading name in pop art.At this time, other forms of art that came out in the open and were accepted included the assemblage art, optical art, environmental art and pop art. (Goodwin, 1999) Etiquettes It is common in America to call people by their first name once they are introduced to someone no matter what the other person's age or status is. This has started to become very common because of American influence. Conclusion Since the 80's the world started to become a global village because of improvements in Information technology, communications and transportation. This has enabled people to know what goes on in the world and change themselves for the best. The American Culture is a mix of a lot of cultures. So when we see the world acting like the Americans, we think it is the American influence which is changing the world. But a lot of these characteristics are what America has adopted from other cultures. On the other hand, America has influenced countries which were totally different from it at one point or the other including countries like China and India. WORK CITED 1. The Metaverse. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from Zompist: http://www.zompist.com/amercult.html 2. Elliot Essman (2007). Life in the USA. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://www.lifeintheusa.com/culture/index.html. The Herman Trend Alert (2006). Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://www.net-temps.com/recruiters/hermantrend/index.htmid=101 New Internationalist (1998). Retrieved April 5, 2008 from http://www.newint.org/issue302/facts.html 3. Associated Content (2007). Retrieved April 5, 2008 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/306778/fun_facts_about_mcdonalds.html 4. MSN Encarta (2007). Retrieved April 5, 2008 from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_1741500820_2/united_states_culture.html 5. Susan Goodwin (1999). AMERICAN CULTURAL HISTORY. Kingwood College Library. Retrieved April 5, 2008 from http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade60.html Read More