Ancla

The American culture , born mainly of the cultures coming from the British Isles (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales), from Germany and the slaves African S, quickly developed during the two centuries which followed its independence. Currently, it is an influential culture almost everywhere in the world. Its fast extension is often associated with the Mondialisation ( to see Américanisation). According to its criticisms, the American culture is either a subculture, or a too young culture or a culture Impérialiste. According to its defenders (including the majority of the Americans), she affirms the values of the Liberté and personal liabilities. Almost nobody disputes the fact that the American culture had great impact on the modern world.

History

See also: History of the American culture

Towards an American culture

At the time colonial, the culture of the Thirteen colonies is strongly influenced by England. The universities, architecture, painting are often the fact of English artists. Works answer the British guns. The realization artistic are less abundant than in Europe. The puritan which settle in New England banish the superfluous ornaments of the churches. The pragmatic mentality of the pioneers and the merchants, which perdure until the XXe century, holds art for an useless and futile activity. For many patriots, the culture is the prerogative of the aristocrats and the kings, far from any democratic aspiration .

At the end of the 18th century, with the birth of the United States, the artists start to think of the ways of a specifically American culture. The political rupture with England, brought by the construction of a singularly American spirit, involves a slow change of the culture. Nevertheless, American works remain very close to the European model until the XXe century. The training of any American painter passes by a stay to Europe. The architecture regains the shapes of the ancient Greece and the Style géorgien, while introducing some American gasoline elements. This search for a national culture passes by the definition of the American exceptionnalism.

At the end of the XIXe century, the culture is monopolized by an educated and rich elite. It is financed by the Philanthropie Magnat S (Andrew Carnegie) and by the Mécénat, whereas the public authorities practically do not intervene, in accordance with the liberal ideas.

Inter-war period

As of first half of the XXe century, the culture is democratized in the United States: progress of education, the appearance of new media (radio, television), the progressive emancipation of the women and the Afro-Americans upsets the American cultural landscape. In New York, the Renaissance of Harlem announces the revival of the Culture Afro-American, in particular in the literature. The appearance of the Phonographe S allowed the diffusion of a new music, the Jazz.

The Grande Depression causes a mass unemployment among the artists and the writers of the years 1930. The New Deal set up by the president Franklin D. Roosevelt comprises a cultural shutter aiming at helping the artists in difficulty. The Works Projects Administration (1935) pulse of many projects in the fields of arts and the literature, in particular the five programs of the famous Federal One. At the end of New Deal, the assessment is mitigated: if the American artists were supported by public funds and acquired a national recognition, this cultural policy is stopped by the Second world war and the death of Roosevelt.

Cultural transformations at the XXe century

It is necessary to await second half of the 20th century to see consolidating a properly American literature and an art, as well as attempts at federal cultural policy. These changes intervene in the context of the Cold war which opposes the Soviet Union to the United States: the competition is ideological, soldier and technological, but it also affects the cultural field. The USSR sends the first man in space and autoproclame fatherland of the intellectuals and the artists. Art becomes a means of Propagande in the two camps. The federal government takes the opposite course to the Soviet model: there will be no centralized Ministère of the culture and American art will be encouraged to develop and to diffuse themselves in the world, in particular via Voice off America and of the Marshall plan. To mitigate the financial crisis that cross of many museums and theaters, the subsidies nevertheless will be distributed.

The shortly after the Second world war see the emergence and the success of an artistic current, the abstract Expressionnisme. This art which wanted to be avant-gardist, Cosmopolite and apolitical made move the heart of the modern art of Paris with New York. However, the abstract expressionnism causes debates within the American political community. The Républicains violently attack this current and show it to be communist. With the Congress, they denounce moreover the federal financings which are allotted to the painters expressionnists. But the latter receive the support of the MoMA of New York, itself financed by the Fondation Rockefeller. In 1952, the museum organizes even an international programme of world diffusion of the abstract expressionnism.

The beginning of the Années 1950 is shaken by the Maccarthisme: the artists suspected of communist sympathies become the object of investigations (“Chasse for the witches”). On the black list comprising the names of: 15000 people appeared inter alia George Gerschwin, Léonard Bernstein, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ernest Hemingway. Several writers rose against the maccarthism. Thus in 1953, one played the part the Witches of Salem of Arthur Miller, a skew to stigmatize the policy in progress.

The National Endowment for the Arts is created in 1964. This federal cultural agency subsidizes the artists as well as the cultural institutions in all the country. After an apogee in the Years 1970, the NEA is then weakened by budgetary cuts and the Culture wars .

Years 1960 are also remembered by an intense cultural boiling in the United States: the Americans who continue studies are increasingly numerous. The generations of the Baby-boom form a youth which consumes new cultural products. The students and the artists engage against the Guerre of Vietnam.

As from the years 1970, the ethnic composition of the American population changes radically, which involves also a change of the culture. The president Jimmy Carter tries to solve the social problems in the Ghetto S thanks to the communities of district and by the culture. This policy allows the opening of cultural institutions and museums in the underprivileged sectors. In the remainder of the country, the stress is laid on the access of the culture to all the areas and the actions towards the ethnic minorities.

In the years 1980, the come to power of the conservatives, the reactivation of the Cold war and the alarm clock of the evangelism accompany the Culture wars : these polemics and these tensions start following exposures of photographs discussed and financed by the NEA. The photographs have as a subject the Homosexualité and represent erotic, pornographic and sadomasochistic scenes (Robert Mapplethorpe). Preserving associations fight works such as Piss Christ of Andres Serrano, a photograph representing a Crucifix plunged in the urine of the artist. The part of Terrence MacNally Corpus Christi makes polemic because she proposes a Jesus having homosexual relations with her disciples. The culture wars cause the censure of works financed by the NEA. A clause anti-obscenity is installation for any artist wishing to receive federal assistances.

General characteristics

American food-growing actors and policies

The American culture is decentralized: the federal government intervenes little in the culture, except via the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). There is no Ministère of the culture to Washington DC, in order to avoid all Centralisation and any official art. Also, the American cultural policy can it seem extremely fragmented between thousands of actors.

The cultural affairs are generally spring of the local agencies, at the level of the federate States, counties, Municipalités:

  • on the level of the 50 States, the budget envisages a post office culture: in the State of New York, the cultural budget rises to approximately 50 million dollars per annum. If one adds the whole of the cultural expenditure of the States, one obtains the total sum of 330 million dollars. This money is spent by agencies (State Art Agency) like the New York State Arts Council, is created in 1960 or Department off Farming Affairs with the New Mexico. They support very diverse artists and projects, energy of the festivals, with the inheritance, while passing by the Folk art. The culture is also financed by other public agencies which work for the States: State Historic Preservation Offices deal with the inheritance, Humanities Councils help the researchers and the writers, State Library Services subsidize the Bibliothèque S which are also places of conservation and exposure. With Chicago, it is within this framework that a sculpture of Picasso in front of the hotel-of-city was installed and that was launched the exposure of the cows (CowParade) which attracted a million visitors.

  • the municipalities also intervene in the culture: there exists on the whole: 4000 cultural agencies in all the country. They deal primarily of the cinema, the festivals, the museums and the libraries. The department of the cultural affairs of the town of New York has an annual budget of 131 million dollars per annum and manages 34 cultural institutions in city (museums, academies, theaters, etc).

  • the communities of district take artistic and educational matter initiatives. They are at the base of the policy of the Art district S which consists in revitalizing the central districts or difficult by the culture. The culture is generally the fact of “private” institutions (with funds not coming from public budget and which are not directed by civils servant) but having a statute of non-profit organization and missions of general interest. The cultural institutions such as the museums, the theaters, the symphony orchestras, the libraries are able to escape the constraints of the market. The communities are privileged places of creation of independent subcultures; they are organized in the Community Development Corporations created under Jimmy Carter and which receive assistances (in particular Fondation S) and are given tax exemptions. By their cultural and educational programs, their choral societies, the Churches animate the difficult districts. One estimates that 2,5 million people left the ghettos between 1990 and 2000, partly thanks to the communities of districts.

  • the cultural loobies and trade unions defend the interests of the artists and make pressure on the American Congrès. The Actor' S Equity Association protects the rights of the actors. The Americans for the Arts, directed by Robert Lynch, is currently the principal cultural lobby in the United States.

  • Lastly, the Civil society and the individuals constitute other essential actors of the American culture. The Philanthropie is an American tradition which goes back at least to the XIXe century and which finances the culture mainly. The two most famous philanthropists are Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) and John Davison Rockefeller (1839-1937) and their Fondation S continues to help the American culture.

The United States is the first country of the world for the voluntary help: 93 million Americans. The missions of voluntary are varied: to ensure the promotion of the cultural institution in the city, to deal with the counters, to guide the visitors in the museums, etc

Budgets of the culture

The public allocations, granted by the American public agencies, are estimated between 20 and 39 billion euros in 2005. The private financings, evaluated to at least 12 billion euros in 2005, come from gifts, the Mécénat, the foundation S.

At the level of the federate States

The budget of the cultural agencies of the States (State Art Agencies) depends on the Congress of each State. They receive assistances of the NEA, collect private funds ( fundraising and recourse to philanthropy), establish endowments , make lobbying in the local parliaments. In certain cases, the States raise taxation of the registration of the cars (Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Colorado, etc). The owner can personalize the plate of his car in exchange of a tax. The taxation of the hotels, as the restaurants and the rented cars also serves to finance the culture in the municipalities. The other receipts come from the sales related to the tourism (guides, CD, etc) or from the lotteries managed by the States (for example those of the New England): the American culture is thus helped in an indirect way. The cultural institutions in addition receive direct subsidies on behalf of the federate States ( line items ). The Americans give each year 250 billion dollars. Two more important in this field are the Fondation Ford (approximately 80 million dollars per annum) and the Fondation Reynolds (58 million dollars per annum). It is used by the companies anxious to improve their brand image.

An example of financing: museums

Since the Years 1970, the American museums diversify their sources of revenue. The receipts of the museums, like those of other associations with nonlucrative goal, come from the entries of the visitors, the endowment (10%), of the patronage of company and the gifts (35%), but also of public funds and governmental (approximately 25%). If the temporary exhibitions are paying, the access to the permanent collections remains as for him free. The Institute off Museum and Library Services, created in 1976, distributes public allocations to the museums and the libraries of the country.

In the years 1970, the director of the Metropolitan Museum off Art (New York) Thomas Hoving was one of the first to insert the museum in the Mass culture, with the creation of great exposures “blockbusters”, intended to attract the maximum of people. It is as at that time as the “MET” obtains with libraries, restaurants and coffees of which the concession brings back much money. The large American museums receive many donations and also rent their works abroad.

Cultural practices

The cultural practices of the Americans of more than 18 years in 2002 are very close to those of Europeans: 40% made a cultural exit in the year. The Americans more will listen to jazz and will see musical comedies and films that Europeans. The South is more underprivileged. The inhabitants of the distant suburbs have less access to the culture than the other Americans. The not very graduate people, Latinos and the Blacks are in withdrawal for the culture of elite. However, their situation improves slowly: whereas 5,8% of the Blacks went to the theater at least once in the year in 1982, they are 12% in 1992.

Some sociocultural statistics and indicators

Figures resulting from the state of the world 2006 and the work Of the Culture in America of Frederic Martel:

  • Many artists (2002): 2 million, that is to say more than in Europe. According to a study undertaken by Lake, Snell & Perry, the museums, the zoos and the botanical gardens of the country received 865 million visitors in 1999. The libraries are free; they are managed by the municipalities and the counties. Several libraries have more than 10 million books and are among the first of the world: the Library of the Congress (1800, Washington DC, 29 million books), the Public New York Library (1848, 17 million volumes), the library of the University Harvard (1638,

15 million books).

Culture of the elites


It is necessary to distinguish two types of culture in the United States: erudite and élitiste culture ( high culture ), ignored in Europe, and the popular culture ( mainstream , lowbrow culture ) which conquered the whole world.

The United States constitutes one of the important hearths of the artistic creation and the renewal of human knowledge. The country counts 1700 symphony orchestras; each year, the opera attracts 7,5 million Americans and the museums record 500 million entries, often free. The cultural practices are very close, moreover, of those of the French: 3% of the Americans went to the opera in the past year, against 2% of the French. The Ministry of Labor counts 2,1 million people who follow an artistic occupation

Visual arts

* See the article American Painters, alphabetically

* See the detailed article Pop art

During the colonial time, the culture of the United States was completely European. The American rich person (i.e., Europeans which lived with the colonies) imported their furniture and their works of art of their metropolis in Europe. Even at the 19th century, the rich person tycoons are made build palates by borrowing the European architectural styles (neo-classic, neogothic buildings or néorenaissances). It is naturally, therefore, which the first American artists followed the style to the mode to Europe during this era - the Néoclassicisme. The artists such as Copley, West and Leutze painted the large scenes of the history of the United States ( the Death of the General Wolfe , Washington Crossing Deleware ) in this dramatic style.

Many American artists reside in Europe: West, Whistler, Sargent. The Impressionnisme makes followers on the other side of the Atlantic.

  • Amerindian art
  • painters of the 19th century
  • painters of the 20th century
  • Sculptors of the 19th century
  • : Category: American painter

American literature

See also: American Literature, Theater in the United States

    • List of American writers by chronological order

    • List of American writers alphabetically

History

The success of many exposures reveals the interest of the Americans for the Histoire: at the end of the years 1970, the road show on Toutankhamon had attracted nearly 8 million visitors. As from June 2005 and for 27 months, a new exposure on same the Pharaon will be presented in several American museums.

The historical heritage is protected by the law known as National Historic Preservation Act promulgated in 1966 and intended to inventory the interesting places. Today, of tens of thousands of places are classified in the United States. There exist three levels of classification:

  1. simple Inscription with the National Register off Historic Places which prohibits the destruction of the building and offers local subsidies for the maintenance of the building;
  2. the recognized inheritance of importance national is also registered with the National Register off Historic Places; it profits from federal subsidies;
  3. the National Historic Landmark relates to 2.500 important buildings like the capitoles, the museums, the residences of the governors, etc

The restoration of the historical buildings is decided at the level of the federated States, by State Historic Preservation Office. The safeguarding of the historical heritage also takes place within the framework of the municipalities: for example, the town of New York takes care of the conservation of: 23000 buildings and 82 sectors, subjected to a Draconian regulation.

  • American historians:

  • American institutes of archeology
    • the American institute in Italy, founded in 1894
    • the American school of traditional studies, in Greece, founded in 1882

The largest library of the world is in Washington D.C: it is about the Bibliothèque of the Congress which preserves 29 million works is three times the collections of the National library of France. One finds there manuscripts of the Middle Ages and a great number of Incunable S.

The founded American Folklore Society in 1888 collects the traditions of the ethnicities and immigrants.

The Architecture in the United States

See also: Architecture in the United States

The concern of preserving and of maintaining the historical heritage exists indeed in the United States. The old districts of the cities are rehabilitated with Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Mobile, La Nouvelle-Orléans, Philadelphia, Providence, San Francisco, Santa Fe and Savannah. One can quote:

Teaching

See also: Universities in the United States, Education system of the United States of America

  • Secondary education: the quality of artistic education is particularly low, in particular in the public schools (which are very majority in the United States).

  • Higher education (4000 establishments of higher education, 3500 " colleges/campus" , 1400 universities): on the other hand, one of the characteristics of the United States it is that the cultural life is very developed on the university campuses which count 3527 libraries, 2300 performing arts center (theater/music/dance), 700 museums, 345 concert halls rock'n'roll and pop, 300 university radios free, 320 independent labels and 110 publishers to nonlucrative goal. “The University holds a central place in the American cultural system and is the first employer of artists in the United States. ”

Popular culture

American Way off Life

See also: American way off life

  • a culture which was exported thanks to the English language and with the media
  • a standardization of the products

Festivals

Each year millers of Festival S through the country are organized: what take place in the open air, on the places of the cities or in the parks, are generally free. They consist of film projections, plays, concerts.

Among the festivals of the summer the most known, one finds the New York Shakespeare Festival, which takes place with Central Park.

Sports

See also: Sport in the United States


Music

See also: American Music

* See also American Singer/American Singer

Cinema

See also: American Cinema, List of American realizers by chronological order

Leisures

  • the Bowling was invented in the United States at the 19th century.

  • Several board games were invented with the the United States:

  • festival of country

Cartoon

In English, the cartoons are called Comic S. many men and women are in the USA true fans of these " comics" who represent much more than of simple figurines. it is another reality, a fantastic world in the real-world.

Material civilization and of the leisures

Dietary habits

True a American Cuisine always existed. Very marked by German immigration during the XIXe century, it is perhaps the Anglo-Saxon kitchen of the anglophone countries. The kitchen of the United States has also its regionalisms: simple dishes of the New England, the specialities creole S of La Nouvelle-Orléans, the light and natural kitchen known as California, and especially the kitchen Southerner (“ southern cooking ” or “ country cooking ”) of the States of the Old South, cooks authentic and country. The diversity of the products in the United States creates interesting possibilities. Many American productions are consumed each day on all the continents. Some food products of great consumption are discussed. See:

Modes and clothing

Religion in the United States

See also: Religion in the United States

Descriptions of the American culture

Literature, Tests, Documents

Films

DEBATEs around the American culture

  • Not culture in the United States?
At the XXe century, the French intellectuals stigmatized the alleged cultural vacuum with the United States; at the next century, they rise against cultural invasion by forging Néologisme S such as “macdonalisation” or “cocacolaisation”. The American culture, thanks to the cosmopolitanism of the country, is not a fixed and uniform culture. The children and the grandchildren of the immigrants are inventing a culture hybrid and métissée already visible in the language (Spanglish), the kitchen (Tex-Mex kitchen), etc Certains think besides that this mixture of the cultures makes it possible to explain the planetary success of the American cultural productions. The American culture also evolves/moves and is diffused under the effect of new technologies, in particular of the Internet.

  • a mondialized culture and imperialist?

The American culture is however the fruit of the European influences (academy of the Art schools, Impressionnisme) then world. The American culture was partly diffused thanks to capitalism, with universalization and liberalism, but they are not the only factors of explanation: the use of English, the dynamism of the American universities, the promptness of subcultures, the support of the foundations and the philathropie, the action of the local cultural agencies and communities are as many strong points. But it is not essential by the force, as recalled by the political economist Joseph Nye with the strategy of the “Soft power”. Adrien Lherm takes up this idea that the Americans benefit from universalization without imposing it by the constraint:

The export of the American model answers one program imperialist less than “pure” and simple logic of the profit - greedy, yes, but not conquering with the military and political direction. What they get busy today to do, on the scale of planet, it is less to force an example to be ensured of the outlets on their powerful cultural sector.

The mass culture in the United States has a very important radiation, but the country also has a big number of galleries and museums of art (the Metropolitan Museum of New York, for example), libraries (the Bibliothèque of the Congress, largest of the world), etc the American literature exists, no matter what many European intellectuals say some, thanks to writers like Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Arthur Miller, Eugene O' Neill. Arts are not more in America that elsewhere goods, nor a product like another; a vast system was imagined to protect them from the market in a logic of general interest. At the bottom, l'" exception culturelle" understood like the fact that the works of art must be separate market, is paradoxically as much a reality in the United States that in Europe.

But the culture of elite and the counter-cultures are also dominant in the whole world: the feminist and gay culture American are taken again in Europe. To criticize the American company or the policy, works of American scenario writers are voted by plebiscite (Gus Van Sant and Michael Moore recently received the Palme of gold to the Cannes festival).

Appendices

Sources

This article was written starting from the contained informations in:

Related detailed articles

Random links:621 | WarGames | Setques | Slovenska Obveščevalno-Varnostna Agencija | Railway controller of circulation | List frameworks Java