American Culture Imperialism

Words: 1081
Pages: 5
Open Document
Change can have a substantial effect on the things that are affected by it. In some cases, changing something can have a positive outcome while on the other hand, change may dramatically affect something in a negative way. The most influential form of change are the changes that result from cultural Imperialism. Cultural Imperialism is, “the imposition of a foreign viewpoint of civilization on a group of people” (American Heritage Dictionary). When this happens people from one culture will try to form an existing civilization into what they believe is “right” or “civilized”. However, changing the form or structure of an established culture can cause the foundation of that establishment to deteriorate; making their traditional cultures fall …show more content…
The clan’s structure was established through many years of tradition, culture, and religion. When the tradition of the clan was interrupted by the foreign customs of the Europeans, the clan’s society started to fail; dividing the society which was once based on brotherhood. The cultural clash between the Europeans and Umuofia brought significant conflict to Okonkwo’s clan due to the differences in tradition, structure, and culture.
Tradition is “the passing down of customs from a particular culture from one generation to another generation” (American Heritage Dictionary). Many different cultures have specific customs that are passed down which later become important morals to their society that should not be broken. After years of following a particular tradition the culture’s traditional morals become the foundational state of their society. Okonkwo’s society was based off on the tradition of their ancestors. The order and structure of their society evolved from the trial and error method where the clan would learn from the mistakes and success of others. After many years, Oknokwo’s …show more content…
The morals of the different religions were also a major part of what established order in there societies. For example, Christian morals required the Europeans to encounter their problems peacefully while the religious morals of the Umuofians encourages their men to fight out their disputes. The morals that were accustomed to those specific religions were basically like laws which allowed the societies to operate in an orderly fashion. Before the Europeans arrived in Umuofia, the people of Okonkwo’s clan had no reason to believe that there way of life was uncivilized. The religion they practiced worked well in their society which helped develop a strong structure. However, when the Europeans introduced Christianity to the Umuofians structure it fell due to the unfamiliar customs that were taking over their village. The structure that Christianity set for the Europeans worked well in Europe because a large number of other people practiced that same morals. When the Europeans began to force their religion on other societies it often caused the other societies to fail. These societies would fail because they structure that was already established would significantly be impacted. When the Europeans brought Christianity to Umuofia the structure of their society fell apart due to the difference in the two
Show More

Related Documents: American Culture Imperialism

What Is Cultural Imperialism In American Culture

“Cultural Imperialism: An American Tradition” The pro-passage of issue number 2: “Does the globalization threaten cultural diversity?” mostly mention the overwhelming of American culture to other parts of the world. Such culture can be seen not only in the products like fast food and MTV but also in the beliefs that are already wildly spread out to the world such as the belief of freedom or democracy. It is true to say that these beliefs are right and many countries realize that they need to preserve…

Words 364 - Pages 2

European Imperialism In Africa

European imperialism in Africa was Dominance, resources, and culture. These were the causes of European imperialism in Africa, this was a major event that took place in history. European imperialism meant that they had total control over the country, and the people living in it. The question is asking what caused Europe to take control of Africa, and make territory their own. The force behind European imperialism was Nationalism, resources, and culture. One of the causes of European imperialism was…

Words 341 - Pages 2

Why Did America Become Imperialist?

manufactures to show off their new inventions. The World Fair was were the Ferris wheel was first shown. These new inventions included the “Corliss Engine, electric light, airbrakes, refrigeration, the dynamo, X-Rays, and the telephone” (“Justifying American Imperialism,” P. 103). These inventions brought investor from all around the world. The biggest hit at the fair wasn’t the new automobile but…

Words 648 - Pages 3

Native American Imperialism Research Paper

Imperialism is a policy or strategy that countries use to gain power. Imperialism occurs when a country extends its power and influence or takes control of another country, which is typically considerably less developed and powerful. Imperialism is commonly used via colonialism or military superiority through exploitation. Examples of this include the Belgian invasion of the Congo, which was caused by the want and need for rubber in Europe for newly invented tires. And the British’s rule in India…

Words 1348 - Pages 6

Fourth Face Of Oppression Analysis

oppression is cultural imperialism. Young argues that this type of oppression is different than the previous three: the first three faces deal with oppression that results in a detriment of material resources, but the fourth face results in a detriment to a group’s perspective. Cultural imperialism is the idea that there is a dominant group whose perspective is superior to a submissive group. The viewpoints of the submissive group can become invisible. The dominant group’s culture is viewed as normal…

Words 482 - Pages 2

rationilizing the expansion of the united states Essay

largest fair that had ever been. Part of the purpose of the fair was to provide justification for expansion into the phillipines and other places. If we were to examine the different perceived purposes early Americans had for expansion of the United States during the time of the Spanish American war, you would find that there were a number of motives supporting expansion. After a series of economic depressions business men initially opposed to expansion were looking at new ideas of marketing their…

Words 1465 - Pages 6

American Imperialism Essay

American Imperialism in the 19th Century term paper In the late nineteenth century, the American Imperialism movement began. Imperialism is the "acquisition of control over the government and the economy of another nation, usually by conquest." (Davidson, Delay, Heyrman, Lytle & Stoff, 2008, p. G-4) During the late 1800's, Americans had visions of empire. Their sights were aimed toward Canada, Mexico and Cuba, as well as "more distant lands in Asia and Latin America...by opening the doors of trade…

Words 332 - Pages 2

American culture expansion Essay

American Culture Expansion With the rapid development of economic and remarkable progress of science and technology, economic globalization has become an inevitable in the development of society. Along with the cooperation of the countries in the economic field is the formation of the cultural globalization, which is marked by the fusion of different cultures. However, an common result of this kind of blending is that a strong culture will popularize as a standard culture of the world. As a global…

Words 2093 - Pages 9

African American Imperialism Research Paper

Imperialism has been responsible for the downfall of many indigenous and minority cultures. In many cases, the more powerful groups seem to suppress and destroy other cultures. This was seen among many types of people, such as African Americans, Filipinos, and Native Americans. This often led the minority group to feel suppressed and fight back for their human rights. Thus, imperialism greatly affected the cultural elements of many minority groups, as their culture was often destroyed or separated…

Words 1268 - Pages 6

Latino Identity

ethnicities. A man from Mexico and a man from Chile do not say when they are not citizens of America we are Latinos. They would both say I am a Mexican and I am a Chilean. In the US, Latinos all fall under the same sort of scrutiny and their similar culture helps them form a cohesive group in order to better prosper. However, the Cubans and especially…

Words 1616 - Pages 7