Culture of the United States
A melting pot of cultures with global influence.
The culture of the United States encompasses various social behaviors, institutions, and norms, including forms of speech, literature, music, visual arts, performing arts, cinema, food, sports, religion, law, technology, as well as other customs, beliefs, and forms of knowledge. American culture has been shaped by the history of the United States, its geography, various internal and external forces, and immigration. The United States exerts major cultural influence on a global scale and is considered a cultural superpower.
- field
- Culture
- nationality
- United States
- known_for
- Melting pot of cultures, global cultural influence, major musical genres, big four sports, strong free speech protections
- foundational_influences
- English, African, Indigenous, German, Irish, Italian, Spanish, French, and others
- dominant_religions
- Protestant, Catholic, growing irreligious population
Lore & Background
America's foundations were initially Western-based and primarily English-derived, but also with prominent French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Scottish, Welsh, Jewish, Polish, Scandinavian, and Spanish regional influences. Non-Western influences, including African and Indigenous cultures, and more recently, Asian cultures and Hispanic culture, have firmly established themselves in the fabric of American culture. The English ethnic group contributed to the major cultural and social mindset and attitudes that evolved into the American character. African culture, often transferred through the enslavement of the African diaspora, and contributions from African Americans, are also foundational to the culture of the United States. Jeffersonian democracy was a foundational American cultural innovation, which is still a core part of the country's identity.
Reader's Guide
The culture of the United States is significant for its role as a global cultural superpower, shaping and being shaped by a vast array of internal and external forces. Its distinguishing feature is the 'melting pot' of cultures resulting from successive waves of immigration, which has produced a unique blend of Western and non-Western influences. Americans pioneered or made great strides in musical genres such as heavy metal, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country, hip hop, and rock 'n' roll. The 'big four sports' are American football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey. Politically, the country takes its values from the American Revolution and American Enlightenment, with an emphasis on liberty, individualism, and limited government, as well as the Bill of Rights and Reconstruction Amendments. Under the First Amendment, the United States has strong protections of free speech. According to the Inglehart–Welzel cultural map, it leans greatly towards 'self-expression values', while also uniquely blending aspects of 'secular-rational' and 'traditional' values. Its culture can vary by factors such as region, race and ethnicity, age, religion, socio-economic status, or population density, among others.
Did You Know?
- Americans pioneered or made great strides in musical genres such as heavy metal, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country, hip hop, and rock 'n' roll.
- The 'big four sports' in the United States are American football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey.
- According to the Inglehart–Welzel cultural map, the United States leans greatly towards 'self-expression values' while blending aspects of 'secular-rational' and 'traditional' values.
More in National Cultures And Ethnic Groups 1-24
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