The American Way of Life

A Cultural History

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book The American Way of Life by Lawrence R. Samuel, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Lawrence R. Samuel ISBN: 9781683930839
Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press Publication: May 25, 2017
Imprint: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press Language: English
Author: Lawrence R. Samuel
ISBN: 9781683930839
Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
Publication: May 25, 2017
Imprint: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
Language: English

Telling the full story of the American Way of Life (or more simply the American Way) in the United States over the course of the last century reveals key insights that add to our understanding of American culture. Lawrence R. Samuel argues that since the term was popularized in the 1930s, the American Way has served as the primary guiding mythology or national ethos of the United States.

More than that, however, this work shows that the American Way has represented many things to many people, making the mythology a useful device for anyone wishing to promote a particular agenda that serves his or her interests. A consumerist lifestyle supported by a system based in free enterprise has been the ideological backbone of the American Way, but the term has been attached to everything from farming to baseball to barbecue. There really is no single, identifiable American Way and never has been—it becomes clear after tracing its history—making it a kind of Zelig of belief systems. If our underlying philosophy or set of values is amorphous and nebulous, then so is our national identity and character, Samuel concludes, implying that the meaning of America is elastic and accommodating to many interpretations. This unique thesis sets off this work from other books and helps establish it as a seminal resource within the fields of American history and American studies.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Telling the full story of the American Way of Life (or more simply the American Way) in the United States over the course of the last century reveals key insights that add to our understanding of American culture. Lawrence R. Samuel argues that since the term was popularized in the 1930s, the American Way has served as the primary guiding mythology or national ethos of the United States.

More than that, however, this work shows that the American Way has represented many things to many people, making the mythology a useful device for anyone wishing to promote a particular agenda that serves his or her interests. A consumerist lifestyle supported by a system based in free enterprise has been the ideological backbone of the American Way, but the term has been attached to everything from farming to baseball to barbecue. There really is no single, identifiable American Way and never has been—it becomes clear after tracing its history—making it a kind of Zelig of belief systems. If our underlying philosophy or set of values is amorphous and nebulous, then so is our national identity and character, Samuel concludes, implying that the meaning of America is elastic and accommodating to many interpretations. This unique thesis sets off this work from other books and helps establish it as a seminal resource within the fields of American history and American studies.

More books from Fairleigh Dickinson University Press

Cover of the book Crossing Borders by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book The First Great Awakening by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book Transnational Na(rra)tion by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book Ernst Toller and German Society by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book Engaging Strangers by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book From Ecclesiastes to Simone Weil by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book The Diary of a Civil War Marine by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book Norman B. Ream by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book The Riggs War, 1913 to 1916 by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book José Artigas and the Federal League in Uruguay’s War of Independence (1810–1820) by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book German POWs, Der Ruf, and the Genesis of Group 47 by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book The Importance of Place in Contemporary Italian Crime Fiction by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book Heterodox Shakespeare by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book The Drama in Shakespeare's Sonnets by Lawrence R. Samuel
Cover of the book The Poetry and Poetics of Michael Heller by Lawrence R. Samuel
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy