The Dynamism of American Culture
At less than 200 years old, American society is the youngest community that has been established so far. Like a living being that has been mutated and screened by natural selection, American society has been evolving from its preliminary form. In fact, American society has certain sociological elements, such as equality of opportunity, classlessness, tolerance, individualism and equality under the law that keep it dynamic. However, although this dynamism keeps American culture alive, it stifles other cultures, an. and which has anchored to the solid tradition.
Tradition is one of the main components that stabilize a culture. Every country has its own background, which creates its culture. Generally the first purpose of any tradition is to found a strong and long-lived relationship between the members; after a complete form of a tradition emerges it may prevent any regeneration. Based on solidity of a tradition, a society can be classified to: a solid society, which nourishes merely from tradition, a semi solid society, which is on the way to obtain a new attitude to tradition and straggles to find the alternative nourishment sources and finally a dynamic society, which is not restricted by any overwhelming tradition, even thought it is able to take the advantage of tradition by the way it can redefine it. In a dynamic society, tradition is more like a small island, which can be governed locally independent to that extend that not undermined the general rule of government.
Not until a society possesses the second key element, opposition component, can it survive forever as a dynamic society. In other word, establishment of opposite components is so crucial for a dynamic society that in the absence of those, a dynamic society is at stake to retreat back to its semi- solid version, permitting the mentioned traditionally governed small Island to become as bigger as it can. What are the opposite elements and where are indeed those originate from? By definition, opposite components are dipole elements with two opposite ends that each end attracts the similar supporters. The rule in a dynamic society governs the arrangement of these dipoles instead of dealing with supporters, which is in clear contrast with governing of a traditional based society. American movies are the best medium to evaluate these dipoles. For example, how to reflect to a war could be one dipole element. Review of the history of Hollywood movies around the Vietnam War reveals the opposite commitment of American to the war. While Apocalypse now, Platoon and Full jacket metal showed brutality and futility of war, other movie such as Patton, Top gun and Pearl Harbor appreciated war as a solution. Without resting to an especific answer, after decade’s war is still a controversial subject in American society, which finds it’s pro and con every time, and release its energy to let the society to change.
Tradition is one of the main components that stabilize a culture. Every country has its own background, which creates its culture. Generally the first purpose of any tradition is to found a strong and long-lived relationship between the members; after a complete form of a tradition emerges it may prevent any regeneration. Based on solidity of a tradition, a society can be classified to: a solid society, which nourishes merely from tradition, a semi solid society, which is on the way to obtain a new attitude to tradition and straggles to find the alternative nourishment sources and finally a dynamic society, which is not restricted by any overwhelming tradition, even thought it is able to take the advantage of tradition by the way it can redefine it. In a dynamic society, tradition is more like a small island, which can be governed locally independent to that extend that not undermined the general rule of government.
Not until a society possesses the second key element, opposition component, can it survive forever as a dynamic society. In other word, establishment of opposite components is so crucial for a dynamic society that in the absence of those, a dynamic society is at stake to retreat back to its semi- solid version, permitting the mentioned traditionally governed small Island to become as bigger as it can. What are the opposite elements and where are indeed those originate from? By definition, opposite components are dipole elements with two opposite ends that each end attracts the similar supporters. The rule in a dynamic society governs the arrangement of these dipoles instead of dealing with supporters, which is in clear contrast with governing of a traditional based society. American movies are the best medium to evaluate these dipoles. For example, how to reflect to a war could be one dipole element. Review of the history of Hollywood movies around the Vietnam War reveals the opposite commitment of American to the war. While Apocalypse now, Platoon and Full jacket metal showed brutality and futility of war, other movie such as Patton, Top gun and Pearl Harbor appreciated war as a solution. Without resting to an especific answer, after decade’s war is still a controversial subject in American society, which finds it’s pro and con every time, and release its energy to let the society to change.
It seems that the mystic element in the core of American culture that invades other conservative societies lies in saying that those tradition based on a rigid society lose their confidence , when in contact with dynamic American society and accepting all American components. Accordingly, the dynamism of American society, which enables it to evolve continusly, threatens othe societies.
posted by massod @ 7:17 AM
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