Spread Of American Culture example essay topic

It was the 1st of May 2003, my parents and I took a major decision. And we wondered if it was the right decision. A few months from then, their daughter would be on a jet plane flying thousands of miles away. Their lovely girl had secured admission in a prestigious American college. All the formalities were now complete, bags half packed and emotions on hold.

It was a crucial period for my small family. I was in a suspended state of emotion myself -half scared, half excited. From the time my application forms were dispatched to the frantic last minute shopping, it has been one big roller coaster ride. All this was the initial euphoria as I embarked on this new journey of life. It was a battle of sustenance that I had to fight all alone in a strange new land. Was all this for a slice of American culture?

I wonder? But what is American culture? Personally, it is something that makes me examine my own cultural roots and icons and forces me to go beyond my preconceived limitations in a sense to become something more than what I already am. My opinions on American culture are focused on the spread of influence on my sub continental culture. Over the years, I have come to realize that my culture has been redefined due to the similarities with American culture. We have common political and economic policies, we speak a common language and now there is a common battle against terrorism.

Like many Indians, I consider myself fortunate to have been born in the era of economic reforms. Even while being witness to the India and Pakistan skirmishes, we are more concerned with the mighty wars on the economic liberalization front like the one between local Thus Up and the imported Coke! This war has divided my nation even more than the controversial Kashmir issue. Life in the pre-globalization era was when Indians had no trade links with America and it was the "dark age". At this time, India had no fancy supermarkets and had to rely on family grocers who supplied my grandparents with mediocre ill packaged goods. There was no beauty or detergent revolution either.

People had to limit their choice to couple of soaps as against a wise array of 160 soap varieties today. Let us admit, India is now a cleaner country, people wise due to our connection with America. Hollywood movies that took their own time to reach India are now released in double quick time. This is indeed a great step forward in thinking global.

Another strong influence of American culture that has had a "trickle down effect" to other cultures is the "work culture". With economic ties, globalization and interdependence of economies, we are bound by the flow of products, services, investments, export and import. We have millions of American businessmen investing huge amounts in the burgeoning economy. These inputs have fuelled domestic growth, modernity, progress and more importantly instilled an initiative for the local people to work. And the most fruitful lesson that we have learnt is to have "dignity of labor". This is something that has evolved over the years in the subcontinent.

This has helped everyone take greater pride in doing their job and this has had an encouraging effect on their productivity. The biggest turn over in the domestic market has come from the increasing spread of the American idea of "call centers". I would like to elucidate with an example from personal experience. The clock struck midnight and the phone rings. A young lady picks up the phone to say, "Hi, this is Betty Coulter and I am calling because I have a great deal for you today. I am going to offer you a credit card at a low 2.9 percent with a whole bunch of free gifts".

The American listener on the other end is trying to place her accent-whether she's from Iowa or Kansas City. But little does the listener know that the caller is an Indian by name Savitri and her perfect American accent is the result of rigorous training and an employer-encouraged addiction to Ally McBeal. My cousin says that the agents of various Americans companies who have chosen India to fulfill their outsourcing needs are taught to enunciate the American way, and introduced to American culture, encouraged to watch Friends, Will and Grace and MTV. They are given geography lessons on the United States and are introduced to sports like baseball, basketball and American football. "Americanism" is propagated in a very strong manner through the media.

This strong medium has enlightened the previously ignorant masses. The Multi National Companies have rightly tapped their resources in this country and have powered their domination by using countless American brand ambassadors. The products range from commodities as simple as a chocolate candy to an aromatic perfume. This has trapped the Indian consumer is a whirlpool of American commodities that he has been lured to buy due to the power of advertising and the hype of "America".

Spread of American culture is synonymous with intellectual freedom. This is restricted in several other cultures as they are tied down by traditions, religious implications and the contrived academic systems. This is one of the prime reasons why several students from the sub-continent seek higher education in USA. They wish to broaden their horizons of knowledge, wisdom and acceptance.

I think people are striving hard to make sense of the world based on their own observations and experiences rather than just depending on the word of others. With their own set of morals, virtues and ideas, they have been able to be intellectual and independent thinkers due to the liberal and broadminded setup they live in. And with "subcontineters" realizing this, we have been motivated to weave the same mental fabric. This culture is a revolutionary force and it is so forceful that all the other subcultures tried to cope with it.

It is definitely myriad in forms. We are indeed amazed by what Hollywood has to offer with refined American beauties and the strong story lines and effective implementation of ideas have captivated their foreign audience. But people like to see movies in tune with their own culture, in regional languages and with local star cast from the "tinsel town". This has made American culture more elastic in such a way that they are sensitive to cultural demands and thus has been successful in merging the two cultures with Asian-American films or by casting local professionals in depicting certain issues relevant to either of the cultures. Thus, it is having a broader and more emphatic impact as it has helped us become more accepting of American culture rather than demeaning it because of the first hand experience of culture through films.

But may it be MTV, hip-hop music, the American portals on the internet or the Hollywood movies, several individuals feel that the impact of this culture is engulfing the subculture and therefore poses as a big blockade. By flipping over to the other side of the coin, we know that cultures are like human entities. Neither are they stagnant, nor do they have borders. They are like gray area which involves continuous amalgamation and mixing. This amalgamation always has to take place naturally. Historically speaking, Christian culture was forced on African and South American cultures during the era of exploration and "civilization", on the other hand, amalgamation took place with the mixing of Persian, Islamic and Hindu cultures during the Mogul period that lead to better reformed entities which are the order of the day, as in they fit within the paradigms of the dynamics of the society we are living in right now.

Similarly, if we logically reason our, what we are exposed to as "American popular culture" is a young two hundred year old culture and it has no clear identity of itself and hence it tends to be "use and throw" and since we are in the time of speed, anything suits us fine. But South Asians have a deep-rooted culture and use and throw is not a part of our real living. Sometimes, I feel that Americans live life in a glass bubble. Apart from the literature readings, food and music, they do not venture to seek something out of their cultures and imbibe it in their own due to the previous sensational successes of their own culture. For example, certain ideas of different schools of thought and religion may have a positive impact that enhances their culture and mend loopholes of the same. This is something that makes them extremely hidebound in their approach to life.

Let us take for instance, something that is not native to our culture. Beauty pageants have been gaining tremendous importance these days owing to the hype of the issue and media. Our culture never was, is and will accept flaunting or exhibiting beauty and attractiveness. It was something that was to be appreciated by the woman's husband as she completed her daily chores at home. But beauty pageants is prominently about judging appearance even with the presence of other "side variables" like education, interviews etc but the main course is still all about judging beauty. Could the result of this contest say that the "firing" (Caucasian) look is what the people in South Asia defined as ideally beautiful?

Are the people judging this contest trying to imply that our participation is not only adoration but an idealization of the perfect Western appearance? Woman have never been encouraged to make bold physical statements by dressing provocatively or spreading several hours in a beauty saloon having a makeover or getting bright streaks of hair highlighted, or wear colored contact lenses to have those drop dead eyes. Superficiality in the American culture has percolated down to the other cultures where no one is ever satisfied and commercial trends are affecting the respect, pride and identity of what makes a certain country unique and different. I personally enjoy the change if its going to contribute to the nation being more of a world community but I would be saddened if the change arriving from the influences make people believe that a certain product or a set of people are better simply because they seem "foreign".

Sometimes it's really hard to wake up thinking of such realities and the powerful and piercing impact of something. My responses today might have raised sharp rebuke and our cultural differences may refuse to accommodate certain matters casually. Maybe I am unrealistic, maybe I am na " ive but I am moving one step closer to seeing things in a fair manner and this has crystallized my intentions. By being a quintessential Indian in a college that symbolizes the epitome of cultural diversity, I have been able to meet with several Americans and other students with different beliefs and values who are determined in overcoming cultural barriers and forming friendships...

I guess this is what instigated me to fly forty hours from home-a bite of the Big American Pie!