Response 6: Culture

Nealon and Giroux define culture as having two divisions. Culture is “a ‘whole way of
life’ and… ‘high culture’” (Nealon and Giroux 52), with high culture meaning objects that
show the achievements that humanity has created.

A culture that is pure American is not really existent. Since the country is so large, there
are variations between the population and the cultures they exhibit. Nealon and Giroux
write an example of this culture diversity where they compare the lives of a
“sixth-generation American who lives on a family farm in Kansas” and a “immigrant who
just became a citizen and lives in a tiny apartment in New York City” (Nealon and
Giroux 52).

I don’t think that there ever really was a culture exclusive to America. Since our country
is made of immigrants, cultural aspects are taken from numerous countries and ethnic
groups around the world. In their section on multiculturalism, Nealon and Giroux say
that in American culture, people are placed into groups which is what give our culture
a sense of ‘normality.’ The authors also bring up the cultural norms we have in America.
They use the example of the world being set up for the “white male ‘norm’” (Nealon and
Giroux 56) and how life is easier for that specific group of people compared to all other
groups of people living in America.

One may say that the ‘average American’ watches television, but Nealon and Giroux
bring forth the point that just because a lot of Americans have televisions does not
mean that all of them watch it, whether it be for monetary reasons or disinterest. The
‘average American’ seems to fall into place with popular culture. Our popular culture
and society as a whole change very rapidly, new music, fashion, and even words come
and go at a quick pace. The ‘average American’ would follow these popular culture
changes.

People hold onto the identity of Americaness because they like to be a part of something.
Being American is something that all Americans have in common, it is something that
connects the citizens in this country. I think Americans choose diverse choices with
entertainment, friends, and shopping because the unknown intrigues people. Since our
culture is one that is a multiculture, it makes sense that Americans would find interest in
other cultural aspects.

Nealon and Giroux say that “every culture is a multiculture.” A multiculture is the many
unique cultures that make up a large culture. This is important because one specific
culture cannot be pinned to a specific country, region, religion, or ethnic group when
many cultures feed off of one another.

Nealon and Giroux bring forth the criticism that multiculturalism is just a way of
distinguishing people into groups, for example, adding the “X-American” label on
someone possibly “decline[s] in the common identity of ‘Americanness’” (Nealon and
Giroux 56). Others have the opinion that the “X-American” label combines the identity
of American with another identity at the same time (Nealon and Giroux 56).

American culture is a melting pot of many other cultures brought forth by the vast
differences in those who make up America’s population.

Works Cited:

“Culture.” The Theory Toolbox: Critical Concepts for the Humanities, Arts, and Social
Sciences, by Jeffrey Nealon and Susan Searls Giroux, 2nd ed., Rowman & Littlefield,
2012, pp. 51–70.