Next week's tutorial - Monday, 5th November...

Thank you all for your posts and comments this week. Some interesting views - but some predictable choice of themes! Make sure that your selections of artwork/paintings avoid ...... well, you can guess.
The 19th century images of Native Americans, frontier and 'manifest destiny' should give plenty of choice - from political cartoons and photographs to classic landscapes of the American West.  
Main reason for this post, however, is that next week, Monday 5th November, we shall have to start the tutorial at 9.30am - sorry about this! Remember to set your alarm or request an early call....

Finally, here's another view of American enterprise and search for the 'new'.....
http://www.slideshare.net/astrulik/ameircan-inventions-which-changed-the-world
American inventions!
See you Wednesday - goodwishes,
John

De Crevecoeur letters from an american farmer

I have chosen the Quotation, 'the rich and the poor are not so far removed from each other as they are in Europe'. I feel this quote suggests America as 'fresh' because it suggests that there is no class divide like Europe. It appears in this passage the writer feels class divide is a negative thing and should be left in Europe.The new way of living is farming which he describes in a more positive way, he uses the words 'respectable', 'humble', 'dignity' and 'honor'.  In today's America there is the Amish community which i believe still reflect these views and share the writers vision of America. 'The faith group has attempted to preserve the elements of late 17th century European rural culture. They try to avoid many of the features of modern society, by developing practices and behaviors which isolate themselves from American culture'.This quote from a website religoustolerance.org says that the Amish community 'isolate themselves from American culture' however I feel that the writer of this letter would see them as a reflection on how America should be; 'respectable farmers and their wives, all clad in neat homespun, well mounted, or riding in their own humble wagons'. It appears that this writers 'fresh view' of America is not how most of today's America is, it is almost the epitome of the negative things mentioned in this text such as the class divide 'great lords who possess everything, and of a herd of people who have nothing'. 
Below is four pictures the first two show a rich American street in compassion with a poor american street; the class divide that was not present in the writers time, what he seemed to feel made America 'fresh'. The second to are a 17th century farm in comparison with an Amish farmer today. Little has changed and this is how I feel the writer would imagine the idea of  a 'fresh' America being.    

De Crèvecœur - Americans Re-made and Renewed

"Here the rewards of his industry follow, with equal steps, the progress of his labour."

An American Re-Made - Isiah Thomas

In this quotation de Crèvecœur is expressing the ideal that is so intrinsic with the myth of America and the American Dream it could arguably be considered the foundation block, that with hard work one can achieve social mobility and success. In the picture above you find Isiah Thomas, a 12-time NBA All-Star and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a man considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time, who long before his sporting success was born into relative poverty in one of Chicago's poorest neighbourhoods, who famously earned a scholarship to St. Josephs High School that required him to travel more than 90 minutes each way. Who through "the progress of his labour" in basketball managed to re-make himself and achieve the success many can only dream of. Although this is an extreme example, it is a great example of an American achieving the "rewards of his industry" through the "progress of his labour," albeit I highly doubt de Crèvecœur was talking about basketball when he wrote the letter. 

Americans Renewed - Curse of the Bambino

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnqbf2Vpv0

While hard work and "progress of... labour," can lead to success, the nature of sport being the way it is, there are always going to be winners and losers and when the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth (known as "The Bambino") to the New York Yankees on January 3rd 1920 they embarked on one of the worst championship droughts in sporting history going 84 years without winning the World Series. "How can it pervade every corner , as they were driven there by misfortunes," and while de Crèvecœur may have been talking about the "Last inhabited districts" when he wrote the letter it fits the Red Sox perfectly, as this idea of a curse seemed to forever relegate them to perpetual failure, leading to wacky attempts to break the curse - including attempted exorcisms and the rescuing of a piano supposedly owned by Ruth - however it was finally broken with the "progress of... labour" when the Sox came from 3-0 down to beat the Yankees in the ALCS and reach the 2004 World Series, in which they swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win for the first time in 84 years, finally receiving the "rewards of... industry," and finally renewing the Red Sox's and their fans with success - the result of hard work throughout the 2004 season - see youtube link. 

De Crèvecœur and America - Where the impossible is possible.

“Instead of starving he will be fed, instead of being idle he will have employment; and these are riches enough for such men as come over here.”

“Whatever his talents or inclinations, if they are moderate, he may satisfy them.”

-         De Crèvecœur, Letters from an American Farmer, Letter III

‘What is an American?’

In these extracts, De Crèvecœur is demonstrating the freedom and idealism of America. The country of America is renowned for being a land of freedom and heroicness, as stated in their national anthem: “O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave”. Following on from this is the idea of the ‘American Dream’ which also conveys the goal of an idealistic life and beating ambitions. Firstly, the sense of a land that offers so much at such little cost is still thought of as one of America’s most positive traits and this is thought of throughout the world. An example of this could be the 2006 ‘mockumentary’ film, starring Sacha Baron Cohan, Borat. The film follows Kazakh television personality, Borat Sagdiyev in his pursuit to document ‘The greatest country in the world’ (America). He believes that in America, everything is supposed to be easy and he believes it has no flaws. This is a good example of how some believe that America is an amazing country and that it truly is ’the land of the free’.

On the other hand, on the subject of the ‘American dream’, the 1994 Robert Zemeckis film starring Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump is an example of how as long as you work hard, anyone can achieve that all-American dream. The character of Forrest Gump is constantly undermined for mental state and for the beginning years of his life, his physical state. However, he produces talents to the world that no one would ever have thought he were capable of, the classic line “Run, Forrest, run!” is an example of his soon to be talent as he tries to fight his own disabilities.

De Crèvecœr 'New' American - Now and Then

In Letter III, De Crèvecœr discusses what it means to be an American. He discusses how the people who came before shape and determine the idea of the American. For De Crèvecœr the American identity is earned not solely through birth or heritage but by accepting the land and the way of life it offers, '...from the new mode of life he has embraced.' This idea of American identity being adopted by leaving your old life and moving to a new and better one is still evident today. A modern representation of this is Sam Mendes' 2009 film Away We Go. The film follows a young couple who are expecting a baby, as they travel across the states to find a new place to start their life. The film's narrative mirrors De Crèvecœr's ideal that where you come from doesn't define you, in America the land is yours. De Crèvecœr's idea of following the footsteps of others is evident in Away We Go, as the young couple seek out old friends to learn from them and discover if they too can settle in these places. By studying Away We Go as a modern understanding of Crèvecœr's ideals, it is evident that a sense of conquer and own still permeates American culture. In order to prosper and thrive one needs only choose a place on the map to make your home.

De Crevecoeur and the concept of the "New" in Modern America. Example: The NFL Draft

Every year, the National Football League holds its Collegiate Draft, where all 32 teams over 7 rounds "draft" college athletes in their Junior and Senior years (that have made themselves eligible) to join their team and become part of their future as Rookies. In my opinion the NFL draft is a modern symbol of De Crevecoeur's concept of the "New" because it is at its most basic, the bringing in of the new generation who will hopefully survive and flourish at the professional level.
However, the symbolism that the NFL draft provides is not just in the obvious aspects of it as an event, you can also see that the college students who are drafted have been re-made almost "re-born" and are given a clean slate, where their college achievements, although used as a projection of talent are completely worthless and that they now have to produce the "goods" to survive in the "survival of the fittest" that is competitive sports, in the same way that the settlers in America had been re-born into a strange land in which they now had to survive in.
This aspect of the NFL draft fits in well with De Crevecoeur's concept of the "new" because you can compare the idea that the top college athletes that were treated almost like Gods in their respective Universities that have been suddenly entered into a world where they are at the bottom and have to fight their way up the ladder, to the Nobles and Aristocrats that ventured to America who had to learn who to survive in a new world, whereas before everything in their lives were given to them, and the penalty for not adapting would be death, a situation similar to the NFL Rookies who failed to take their successes at college and translate that as success at the next level such as Ryan Leaf and JaMarcuss Russell, who are considered as some of the greatest Draft "Busts (Failures)" in NFL history.

The Journey of Coronado (1540-42)

   Document:  http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/aj/id/5363/show/5175/rec/3

Coronado (Francisco Vásquez de Coronado) was Spanish explorer who visited states that are now known as southwestern states of America (e.g. New Mexico, Arizona and Texas) between 1540-1542. I chose this account because I was particularly interested to see how Coronado and his army responded or what they witnessed upon contact with one of the native tribes. When venturing across northern Texas, they came to the settlement of the Querechos (Apache Indians). 

"They did nothing unusual when they saw our army, after which they came to talk to us with the advance guard, and asked who we were..." 

"...That they were intelligent is evident from the fact that although they conversed by means of signs they made themselves understood so well that there was no need for an interpreter."

Personally, I found this extract rather satisfying as it depicted the natives as the complete opposite of what, in history, some have portrayed them as. The native Americans were referred to quite frequently as 'savages' and by this it means unintelligent, careless and reckless, possible even animalistic. I have always been strongly against that stereotype and I feel that this extract almost proves my point. Here, the natives seem to be almost like deer in terms of nature. They appear to have a very fragile yet unaggressive approach towards Coronado and his army which definitely goes against their label as 'savages'. Also, how he says that they commence through "signs" is also quite interesting as it shows how unique and suggests just how rich their culture actually was (is).  

 

John Cabot's 1st voyage to north America

Fra Soncino: Letter to Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, Regarding John Cabot's First Voyage to north America, 1497

[Colby Introduction]: Fra Soncino was the representative in England of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, and the information with which he supplied his master concerning John Cabot's voyage was sent off shortly after the latter's return to Bristol. Cabot himself was an Italian. . . His landfall on the coast of North America disclosed a new sphere of English influence, and opened a new era in English history.

What strikes me about this source is the assumption that this new land is there for the taking despite the native people already there.'he came at last to main land, where he planted the royal banner, took possession for his Highness, made certain marks and returned'.This is an incredibly arrogant assumption of the European people. There is also a emphasis on the resources this new land has to offer, and again the idea that these new resources are now owned by the English king (Henry VII) 'they affirm that there the sea is full of fish that can be taken'. This seems rather absurd to claim a place and its resources are now property of a king who is thousands of miles away who never even saw America! Fra Soncino also says that the kings plan is 'his Majesty will arm some ships, and will give him all the criminals, so that he may go to this country and plant a colony there'.To be able to establish a colony you need people, the idea they were going to send criminals as numbers for the colony suggests they perhaps couldn't find enough people to go over and willingly live in america.

Letters of Thomas Newe

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6384

The account I have chosen is a series of letters from an young English nobleman - according to the information that preludes the letters he was Oxford Educated, suggesting he came from wealth - who has just arrived at Charles Town, in the Carolina Colonies. His account is useful because it highlights one of the major problems that first plagued the colonies, using people with barely any prior knowledge of husbandry to try and cultivate the land - "Especially if we consider the first Planters which were most of them tradesman, poor and wholly ignorant of husbandry." Suggesting the work was hard and labor intensive, if they had to resort to using poor tradesmen, and complex too. 

Newe's letters also highlight the complex relations with the Indians, as he says that beside one "kingdom" whom he calls the "Westos" the colonists were at peace with the Indians, who they traded with and communicated with - "there are above 40 kingdoms, the strength and names of which are known to our Governor who upon occasions summons their kings in." They also worked with the Indians in their "war" with the "man eaters" whom he calls "Westos." But then he also shows that the colonists looked down on the Indians, for he ridicules them when they exaggerate the numbers of the Spanish - "reported that they were 800 men, whereas some of the Privateers have been there, and say that they are not able to raise above 300 men." 

Finally Newe's letters also provide inside into Spanish - British relations, (which in the southern colonies would have been frequent as Spain controlled Florida at this point) suggesting that they are not very good - "Our people were so far from being afraid that they mightily rejoiced at the news of it, wishing that they might have some just cause for War with the Spaniards." 

The Settlement of Jamestown-1607 by Captain John Smith

http://www.nationalcenter.org/SettlementofJamestown.html

This is an account ("taken from the third book of the five volume "The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles: Together with The True Travels, Adventures and Observations, and a Sea Grammar" (London, 1624).") of the settlement of Jamestown in 1607, what is interesting about this account is that it not only goes in depth into the formation and settlement of Jamestown, but it also gives accounts of interactions/confrontations between the settlers and the Native people, who in the account are referred to as "savages". One reference towards the native people is made during the actual landing on American shores as depicted by this quote, "The first land they made they called Cape Henry; where thirty of them recreating themselves on shore, were assaulted by five savages, who hurt two of the English very dangerously." This quote depicts the natives as vicious, deadly savages, who's only method was war. The account then leads into the eventual peace between the settlers and the natives, and how the assistance of the natives, including one Pocahontas, were vital to the survival of the Jamestown settlers, as many of the settlers were dying from starvation due to failures in crops and supplies. What this account shows, apart from the in depth social and political construction of Jamestown, is the evolution of the relationship between the native people and the settlers, from one of intense hostility and fighting to a relationship where kindness and even love (between Captain John Smith and Pocahontas) could form.    

Account of an Early Settler

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/colonial/jamestwn/problems.html

The account I selected is dated from 1609 to 1612, written by John Smith the Governor of Virginia; it expresses the way of life in Jamestown during this time and illustrates the difficulties early settlers had in establishing colonies. The extract I selected is a personal account, meaning whilst being a historical account is it undoubtedly the biased views of Smith. This is evident in the often extremely negative language that Smith uses; implying a sense of resentment at the less then idyllic way of life in the colonies; a reality those who sailed to the 'new world' had not expected. "(they) ...had little or no care of any thing, but to pamper their bellies, to fly away with our Pinnaces, or procure their meanes to returne for England." This admission that the settlers wished to "returne" indicates that the 'new world' was not everything that the Europeans had hoped it to be. Jamestown was a settlement plagued by misfortune in its early years, starvation, Native American animosity and settlers who had no skill in faming or cultivation meant that the settlement struggled to survive. Smith's account also conveys the class of people who seeked a new life in America, "though they never adventured to know any thing; nor ever did any thing but devoure the fruits of other mens labours." this quote although Smith's opinion, none the less indicates the ill-preparedness of those who travelled to America; those from the middle classes used to a life above the labourers who sought wealth in the 'new world' but were devoid of the skills to establish it. Consequently, Jamestown was a settlement that experienced the harsh realities of early colonial life. 

Why does everyone hate America?

I have found an article in the Daily Telegraph which is titled 'Hatred of America unites the world'. This article suggests America is a country that many others see in a negative way. The article suggests the main reason America is 'hated' is because of its dominance 'Being hated is what happens to dominant empires'. The article also suggests America is 'hated' by not those they see as enemies but allies such as Jordan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as well as European countries for which they give italy as an example '  Anti-Americanism is nothing new in European politics'. The article caught my attention as although it gave statics it never really said why these countries 'hated' America. It touched on Americas foreign policy and its world dominance however i didn't feel it gave enough evidence. In Wednesdays lecture we were given a sheet which gave percentages of many other things about america which other countries viewed as positive or negative, such as literature and food. I therefore feel this article would create an interesting discussion in our group as i feel it generates the asking of questions such as can countries hatred of america be generalized to one thing such as foreign policy? and is America really 'hated'?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3637925/Hatred-of-America-unites-the-world.html

Japan's view of the 'Two-faced America'

Over the past century, America has done it's fair share of upsetting other countries. This ranges from more recent decisions like America's war with Iraq - which angered not only Iraq but other countries as well for the thousands of lives lost for the sake of revenge. Other historical events also include conflicts with Japan e.g. Pearl Harbor (1941) and the Hiroshima bombing (1945). For these reasons, the feud between America and Japan is more famous than their modern day relationship which is quite the opposite. In all honesty, Japan and America's relationship is quite a positive one, the past has become the past and they have finally seen eye to eye. However, upon reading an article from 'The Guardian' (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/15/uselections2004.usa7) I have come to realize that, yes, although the countries have put their bloody past behind them, to Japan, there is still a lingering frustration with the USA.

What does U.S.A stand for?

United States of America. 

It is this idea of 'United' that the Japanese admire most about America, though in recent years, more specifically the 'George.W.Bush years', Japan felt that America was going against it's own title. Even more specifically, the war in Iraq. America's goal to fight against terrorism and to bring peace is something that Japan couldn't argue with, however they were struggling to support such an act where many civilians (innocent civilians) were being killed. However, they find a more positive figure of the states to be John. F. Kennedy (President of the US from 1961-63) as he represented a more united America than what it is today.

I also found this image interesting. As opposed to the more typical American's view of America which tends to have the states in the wrong places or be excessively large, this map has some of the more famous states in the right places. However, the small illustrations in the states are representations of games, possibly Japanese games set in those states. But it made me wonder - is that how Japan sees America?.. Do they see America as being a game? Not real or like no matter how many times they do something wrong or how many lives they lose, they can just simply 'restart'. And then another question arises - Japan feels that America is two-faced, which may very well be true. But after seeing this game map of America, it makes me wonder if perhaps the US are not the only ones that are two-faced.

What If The World Could Vote?

US Election 2012: What If The World Could Vote?

While trawling the vastness of the internet looking for (a decent and reliable) world view on the United States, I stumbled upon an article on the website GlobalPost, which according to it's tagline is America's World News Site, and the article What If The World Could Vote? in which a global poll from Gallup International (for those of you who do not know, Gallup are one of the oldest and well respected polling companies) is featured. The poll shows that if the world could vote in the forthcoming November election 81 per cent of the worlds people polled would vote for Obama, and considering that back in America he leads by 3 points at the moment, it goes to show how negatively the world looks at the GOP and its candidate. Perhaps though one needs to consider as well the more socialist leanings of modern politics, in Europe especially as well as in South America, which perhaps goes part of the way to explaining the unpopularity of the GOP, well that and the fact the anti-Bush sentiment that spread across the world following Iraq, could still be fresh in the mind. Other interesting findings from the poll are 63 per cent would actually vote, that 46 per cent of the worlds youth wanted to vote in the election, and that 59 per cent said the election would affect them. All three of which help to show that America's role in world affairs is still perceived as paramount, after all would people in Myanmar have had cared about France's election earlier this year, and more importantly worried how it would affect them? It also shows how important the influence of American culture around the world still is, if 46 per cent of the world youth polled are, firstly interested in the US election, and secondly actually want to vote and have a say in the politics of the world's premier power, suggesting that America is most defiantly still seen as the leader of the world in this post-Cold War and post-9/11 world. 

How Chinese People View America

In my search for world views on America, I found a speech on the Chinese Embassy website entitled, "How Chinese People View America" delivered by Zhao Qizheng (who at the time of the speech was the Minister of the State Council Information Office) dated 08/30/2000. Now although the speech is twelve years old, it provides a fascinating insight into the history of the relationship between America and China, and shows the evolution of the relationship, and the tensions and "falsities" (according to China, the American media overestimating the strength of China facilitating and justifying a "China-threat" theory) that have impacted current relations. The speech goes on further to talk about the future of Chinese - American relations such as having larger amounts of American students visit China as part of exchange programs  to better understand the Chinese people and culture. All in all, this speech shows that the view of Americans through Chinese eyes, is ever developing, with Zhao Qizheng stating that he, "wants to let you know what ordinary Chinese people are thinking about America and Americans, because their perceptions are rich but complex. They're contradictory and they're constantly changing."  

The link to the speech: http://bg.chineseembassy.org/eng/dtxw/t131518.htm

The World's Opinion on America. 

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/going-solo-how-obamas-reluctance-to-rely-on-others-hurts-only-himself-20121013-27jum.html?rand=1350133452498

The article I've chosen came from an Australian national newspaper based in Melbourne. When searching for my article I decided I wanted the subject to be as topical of the current political climate as possible, as a result I chose the much talked about debate between the two presidential candidates. What struck me most when reading this article was the way it discussed the topic. It was as though I was reading the review for a TV show, not an article about one of the most important televised events of the year. The journalist Maureen Dowd, presents the debate as a facade of modern politics, truth and honestly is no longer important "people prefer a good liar to a bad performer."(Carter White House Advisor Gerry Rafshoon). This presentation of American politics illustrated to me how the world views America. The article conveys very little respect for the institution; the entire debate is viewed as little more than a practice is "salesmanship". In America the views expressed are of critical importance, the debate marks a huge effect of the voting public and yet the very same event in other countries brought down to become an opportunity to critique the American government. However the article can also be read as a gentle appraisal of Obama; this is because in Dowd's concluding paragraphs the article expresses a sense of appreciation for Obama's apparent bad performance. Dowd interprets this performance as reproach upon the campaign strategy, casting the current President in the light of a man who does not condone the pantomime American politics has become. 

Monday, 8th October - our next tutorial!

Great - here I am on Sunday morning just checking the blogs - and all complete. Very pleasing! -  and I've much enjoyed your selection of maps. Good commentaries, too. Enjoy a relaxing Sunday.
And, to help you while away the time, have a look at the maps of "past and soon to be elections" in the US - what have been the significant changes in voting patterns since the 1990s?

  http://www.270towin.com/ 
Good wishes,
John

Supernatural America

Monsters of America

This map shows various states of the USA being linked to their own predicted apocalypse inspired by famous American films and literature based in those states. I found this view of America particularly interesting as it shows how not only can the states be stereotyped by their individual cultures but by how others depict them through the world of fiction. Some of the supernatural links between each state are more obvious than others, for example: Stephen King -a world famous author who specializes in horror- sets most of his work in Maine, hence why he (his work) is selected for being the disaster to strike there. 

However, going off the subject of the supernatural, some states' tragedies are far more real. In Mississippi, it reads 'Racism'... This can be based off both historical events and how the world portrays it. In 1988, 'Mississippi Burning', a film based on the real life death of three civil rights activists in 1964, was released. This is a more concerning side of this map above as racism is still an issue in the USA, particularly in 'The South' i.e. Mississippi. On the topic of 'The South', another part of this map that I thought was quite intriguing was how Texas linked to 'Cannibalism'. Many people (including Americans) class it as being a part of 'The South' which is geographically correct, but culturally wrong and so therefore, Texas becomes a victim to the strongly stereotypical impression of southern culture (Mississippi, Louisiana etc.). 'Hillbillies' are a particularly common link to southern America and I found that the idea of linking Cannibalism to Texas only amplified this stereotype. Traditionally, hillbillies are portrayed as scum or inbred and mentally unstable - cannibals share these exact characteristics. 

Map of Native American Lands from 1784 to Present

This map shows the mass reduction, in the lands that were claimed by the Native American people from 1784, to the current "Indian" reservation that they are left with today. I personally find this map interesting because not only does it show how much of America was inhabited by the numerous Native American tribes, but it also shows how much was taken from them and the pitiful amount they are left with to try and survive and thrive on in these so called "Reservations". Furthermore this map continues to pose the question about the colonization of America in whether or not it was merely the genocide of the Native American people.

This map provides a tongue-in-cheek satirical commentary on the mindless consumerism of modern America by portraying America itself as one giant mall, complete with store directory. Suggesting that Americans simply are interested in spending all their free time (and perhaps not so free cash) shopping at giant malls, for things they mostly likely don't need/ won't really use, a fact often portrayed in American television shows. You could in-fact compare this map to George A. Romero's classic horror movie Dawn of the Dead, both of which take a tongue-in-cheek look at the mindlessness of consumerism, which sadly plagues Britain too, not perhaps nearly as much, albeit this map doesn't feature any flesh-eating zombies (such a shame), it still is a spiritual relation in the fact they both attack the ever spreading plague of mindless consumerism - see the hordes of zombies queuing for the latest Apple product even if it isn't much different to the one they bought a few months before.

obesity in america map.

This map shows the obesity rates for each state of america. I noticed that Mississippi, the poorest state in america has the highest rate of obesity. It appears that fast food places such as McDonalds and KFC may not offer the healthiest option but are easily affordable for example, a large meal from Mcdonalds cost around $5-$6 dollars (about £3.70).  However is it because unhealthy food is cheap really the reason for such high levels of obesity? Many on a low income do not go to fast food restaurants and can make meals to feed a family for less than a McDonalds meal. So is it really the cheap fast food outlets to blame or perhaps the lack of education "Mississippi is among the states with the worst education systems"

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/342884/poorest-state-is-mississippi-also-the-fattest/#2OgbIzYcDRbQH6il.99 ". For example, I recently watched a documentary called "Food inc", and in it a family from Mississippi where saying how they have to buy junk food because the healthy alternatives

are to expensive and they need to save the money for the husbands medication as he suffers from diabetes! This to me seems odd as surely if they could eat healthy the husbands diabetes could be controlled and perhaps in the long run save them money on medical bills? 

Alternate Map of America

This map is a parody that shows a fabricated view of how Ronald Reagan (President 1980-1988) saw the world. I chose this map as even though it's fictional it presents an interesting view on how Americans stereotype and view the world. Whilst some elements are no longer relevant (Thatcher, Cold War, USSR), the general opinion and divides have stayed the same. The map is a generalised and simplistic outline of the divisions within the world and it not only signifies the stereotyping within American society, it also illustrates how the rest of the world mockingly views America. These prejudiced perceptions include the arrogance of American dominance shown in the ridiculously disproportionate size of the countries and continents. The way in which America has been presented indicates that stereotyping is not just an outward view on the world. The criticism also affects those in the States, that supposedly do not conform to the American ideal, 'Democrats and Welfare Bums', 'Ecotpia' compared to 'Republicans and other Real Americans.' Highlighting the vast diversity within the US. The map is overall an expression of universal prejudice, the supposed America superiority and the mocking condemnation from the rest of the world.

Monday, 1st October.

Dear Zoe, Amy, Mark and Gina,

Thanks for such an enjoyable first session! Your posts and commentaries - and views - provided plenty to reflect upon and begin the great debate about America and Americans. I'm looking forward to our weekly reflections. If, at any time, you need to contact me then send an email.
Good wishes for Week 2!

John.


PS ....... and for all you film buffs, here's another  view of America.