Review for Midterm, American Culture 1. Individualism and civic or community involvement. What does individualism mean in American culture, how it relates to concepts and values such as freedom, democracy, civic responsibility, community involvement. Be able to discuss how all this is related. Be able to discuss the concept of social capital and its decline. Understand and be able to explain the difference between utilitarian liberalism and moral liberalism. How do Americans connect their own fulfillment to that of other people, despite (or because of) individualism? 2. America as a land apart. This examines how Americans have always thought of America as somehow different, special, set apart from other people, cultures, or countries. It applies to questions like whether America is seen as a haven for the world’s oppressed, as a power in the world, etc. It refers to how many generations of immigrants have seen America and why they came here. It also refers to several opposing or conflicting attitudes and values, such as isolationism (America should not get involved with the rest of the world), nativism (foreign immigrants are the problem), extreme patriotism? What are the positive and negative sides to American exceptionalism? 3. Equality and inequality. This includes the tensions between our cultural ideals and values of equality and the reality of inequality in America—poverty, racism, the heritage of slavery and relations to Native Americans, etc. You should be able to explain how/why social categories such as race, social class, and even gender, as socially constructed, not biological or inherent--how racial and class categories are socially constructed and negotiated and “man-made,” rather than biologically inherent and “God-given.” Basically: our physical and genetic traits are inherent and given, but how we and others choose to perceive, emphasize, or ignore various physical and genetic traits, how we place people into arbitrary categories based on these traits, and how we set one category as “higher” or better than another are all socially constructed and learned. We can look at inequality as giving different groups of people different access to wealth, power, and prestige, and how the same social categories that define our identity (race, ethnicity, gender, etc.) also place us somewhere in a social hierarchy. We can always “negotiate” and try to change this. How can inequality be seen on the level of individuals and images (personal attitudes of prejudice, etc.), institutions discrimination, (policies and practices of institutions that perpetuate racism or inequality), and ideology (systems of attitudes, beliefs, ideas, and symbols that rationalize and support or challenge the “rightness” of a situation of inequality).We can change individuals on the level interpersonal relationships, but if we do not change institutional policies and practices and develop an alternative ideology, we won’t change inequality. Cla ...

1. Review for Midterm, American Culture
1. Individualism and civic or community involvement.
What does individualism mean in American culture, how it
relates to concepts and values such as freedom, democracy,
civic responsibility, community involvement. Be able to
discuss how all this is related. Be able to discuss the concept of
social capital and its decline. Understand and be able to explain
the difference between utilitarian liberalism and moral
liberalism. How do Americans connect their own fulfillment to
that of other people, despite (or because of) individualism?
2. America as a land apart. This examines how Americans have
always thought of America as somehow different, special, set
apart from other people, cultures, or countries. It applies to
questions like whether America is seen as a haven for the
world’s oppressed, as a power in the world, etc. It refers to
how many generations of immigrants have seen America and
why they came here. It also refers to several opposing or
conflicting attitudes and values, such as isolationism (America
should not get involved with the rest of the world), nativism
(foreign immigrants are the problem), extreme patriotism?
What are the positive and negative sides to American
exceptionalism?
3. Equality and inequality. This includes the tensions between
our cultural ideals and values of equality and the reality of
inequality in America—poverty, racism, the heritage of slavery
and relations to Native Americans, etc. You should be able to
explain how/why social categories such as race, social class,
and even gender, as socially constructed, not biological or
inherent--how racial and class categories are socially
constructed and negotiated and “man-made,” rather than
biologically inherent and “God-given.” Basically: our physical

2. and genetic traits are inherent and given, but how we and others
choose to perceive, emphasize, or ignore various physical and
genetic traits, how we place people into arbitrary categories
based on these traits, and how we set one category as “higher”
or better than another are all socially constructed and learned.
We can look at inequality as giving different groups of people
different access to wealth, power, and prestige, and how the
same social categories that define our identity (race, ethnicity,
gender, etc.) also place us somewhere in a social hierarchy. We
can always “negotiate” and try to change this. How can
inequality be seen on the level of individuals and images
(personal attitudes of prejudice, etc.), institutions
discrimination, (policies and practices of institutions that
perpetuate racism or inequality), and ideology (systems of
attitudes, beliefs, ideas, and symbols that rationalize and
support or challenge the “rightness” of a situation of
inequality).We can change individuals on the level interpersonal
relationships, but if we do not change institutional policies and
practices and develop an alternative ideology, we won’t change
inequality. Class discussion and powerpoints and the films,
Ethnic Notions and Forgotten Fires, are all sources for
discussion.
4. Culture. In addition to the above, we discussed the idea of
culture in the first class session—culture as
· collection of traits, customs, beliefs,
· mental framework for seeing the world, categorizing things,
etc.
· processes we are constantly engaged in as individuals and as a
society—adaptation to environment, construction of meaning,
construction of identity.
The following topic will not be on the Midterm Exam. It will
be the topic for class next week.

3. 5. Unity and Diversity. This includes discussion of America as
an immigrant nation that also seems to have an ambivalent
feeling about immigrants. You should be able to discuss topics
such as nativism, assimilation, ethnicity and the construction of
ethnic identity, the practice of “ethnic politics,” conflicts
between ethnic groups and the reasons, reasons why immigrants
come to the U.S., the way our society negotiates our individual
and national cultural identity (from WASP to “the browning of
America”), problems immigrants face, the difference between
immigrants and refugees.
To summarize the material for the Midterm…
Readings: everything listed on Syllabus for Weeks 1-4:
PowerPoints on Moodle (or will be)
· Individualism
· Equality and Inequality
· Inequality
5. Films.
· Bum’s Paridise
· Forgotten Fires (if we view it in class).
· Ethnic Notions (if we get to it in class)
Format and Evaluation.
The midterm exam will be primarily an essay-type exam. Do
not expect all questions to be given in exactly the same wording
or form as above or as in the readings. Some questions may be
given in the form of asking you to discuss or analyze a quote or
news item using concepts, ideas, insights discussed in class or
in readings. You should be able to address each question with a
solid paragraph or two (or three) response that is well thought
out ahead of time. This means coming to class already knowing

4. how you would answer or discuss the sorts of questions and
topics posed above. Answers are evaluated according to:(1)
accuracy in depicting ideas from readings, (2) depth, breadth
and originality of thought, (3) ability to synthesize or connect
different ideas, topics, readings, etc. (4) clarity of expression (if
I cannot understand what you are writing, I cannot grade it well,
and I may suspect that your ideas are fuzzy). Please avoid
sermonizing, ranting, or polemics in favor or against something.
Stay with good, reasoned discussion and analysis. If you state a
conclusion or opinion, it should become out of reasoned
discussion based on fact, as much as possible, with evidence for
your opinion.
Logistics.
Midterm will be 60 minutes. I’ll give it at start of class. After
the midterm, we’ll have a regular class session. If you finish
the exam early, you take a break until class starts. You will
NOT be able to use books or notes. Paper will be supplied with
the exam. Any major problems or questions, best thing is to e-
mail me: [email protected].
This Midterm Exam Review is (or will be) posted on Moodle
3. Urban-rural. We discussed this in class -- how the rural,
small-farm, small-town life was once considered the ideal, and
the city was seen as dirty, evil, dangerous, corrupt, etc.; and
how these attitudes and values have almost reversed in recent
decades. Now, rural areas are in economic and social decline,
and are seen as backward, poor, boring, dead-end, while urban
life is where the action is and the majority of Americans now
live in cities. What are some of the implications if this? The
decline of rural life is connected to a complex set of changes in
American life (economic, social, etc.)
Name__________________________________

5. American Culture
Midterm Exam
Answer FIVE (5) of the following questions. Number your
answers the same as the question you are answering. Be
specific, explore the question, avoid short, superficial answers.
Be sure you address the question.
1. What does individualism mean in American culture? How
does individualism affect other cultural values of freedom,
success, democracy, civic participation? How does
individualism affect the formation of social capital in American
society?
2. What is American exceptionalism? How is this cultural belief
presented or reinforced in different aspects of American culture
and society? How does exceptionalism affect the lives of
ordinary Americans, if at all? How does exceptionalism affect
values such as diversity or multiculturalism? How would you
assess the positive and negative aspects of exceptionalism?
Examples?
3. Identify five important historical roots of American culture
or cultural values. Describe or explain how each of these shaped
American culture – that is, what are some aspects of American
culture or society that can be traced back to these roots?
4. What is the major point or realization that you derived from
Paul Durrenberger’s article, “Explorations of Class and
Consciousness in the United States” that was assigned reading
in your text/reader? If what he presents is correct, what
implications might it have for equality or inequality in
American society?
5. What forces—historical, economic, etc.—have made race

6. such an important and conflictive aspect of American society?
How does an ideology of racism (such as in Ethnic Notions)
shape our discussions and attitudes toward race today in
America? If racial categories are essentially arbitrary cultural
constructions and not inherent biological facts, why does race
continue to be so important?
6. In the film, Forgotten Fires, what were the reasons White
people were attracted to the Ku Klux Klan? What was Lester
Haley’s attitude toward racial minorities and social class? Why
do you think Pastor Mouzon and the congregation of Macedonia
Baptist Church sent a letter of forgiveness and support to
Timothy Welch in jail? Why did the NAACP agree to support
the Haleys in trying to get one of their family out of jail? For
you, what is the most important “lesson” or realization of this
film, and why?
7. How did ideas and values of libertarianism, populism, and
nativism affected American attitudes and actions toward ethnic
minorities in, for example, southern Oregon? (cf. “Some of the
Best Citizens”).
8. Can American have political democracy or equality if a large
gap exists between social classes? Explain your answer or
understanding of this issue, with reference to our class readings
and/or discussions.
Bonus question, extra point. What is the most important thing
you have learned or realized about American culture or society
so far in this course? Exactly why is it important?