Culture and Customs of the United States: [2 volumes]

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Description

American life and culture is truly unique in that it was born from many other cultures around the world. When immigrants migrated to the Land of Opportunity, they brought with them pieces of their own heritage: foods, religions, holidays, festivals, music, and art, just to name a few. Through time, these customs have developed into what we now know as American life. Explore how even within the US, various cultures and customs differ from New England to the Midwest to the Pacific. Discover how many religions are practiced all over the country, and how each sect differs in its celebration. Learn how gender plays an important role in American society, and how things have changed and progressed in the past century. Readers will learn about American holidays-religious, federal, and even those fabricated by Hallmark and television! Sports, leisure activities, and fashion also play a major role in American culture, as discussed in this all-encompassing work. Discover how American cuisine has evolved from other cultures, such as Italian, Greek, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, and West Africa, and how each region has its own indigenous dishes, including New England clam chowder, Southern jambalaya, and Mid-western lutefisk. Contemporary and classic literature is also discussed, along with the evolution of poetry. Readers will learn about the development of mass media, as well as the growth of cinema and films from the first silent film to today's popular blockbuster trilogy Pirates of the Caribbean. Music and dance are also discussed in detail, covering the New York Philharmonic to Woodstock. Contemporary art and architecture is discussed as well as types of housing across all the regions of the U.S. This unique two-volume addition to the Culture and Customs of the World series gives high school students, both national and international, the chance to examine the United States from the outside in. The mosaic of American culture comes to life in this expansive yet detailed study of what makes the United States a complex blend of customs and traditions. Each volume in this comprehensive two-volume study offers chapters that detail how American life was born and how it has grown, covering the history of customs as well as how traditions are now celebrated in New England, the South, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Narrative chapters include the following:

Reviews

Professional historian Shearer edits this brief, readable, impartial, yet celebratory two-volume reference. Part of the Culture and Customs of North America series, it could easily fit into the circulating collection. It provides a glimpse into . . . contemporary U.S. culture and the context through which to understand it. . . . Recommended. School, public and undergraduate libraries; lower-level undergraduates and general readers. * Choice *
This engaging set covers well-trodden ground, but its quick factual manner sets it apart from other works. It is an excellent addition to high school and community college libraries supporting lower-level classes in U.S. history. It could also be used to support international student programs at higher-level institutions. * Library Journal *
Since American life developed from a mix of cultures from around the world, this two-volume set examines the wide variety of practices and people in the United States. . . . This set is a welcome addition to most libraries. Recommended. * Library Media Connection *
[T]he articles in these two volumes take the reader on a historical as well as a present day overview of the shaping of American culture that goes beyond what appears to be a homogenous society. What becomes evident is the United States' regional and ethnic diversity in most things--from religion to cuisine, from art and architecutre to leisure practices. . . . Included in each volume are a chronology, appendixes listing important religious and traditional events, a bibliography, and an index. (Reviewed with Culture and Customs of Nicaragua). * Multicultural Review *
This wide-ranging, clearly written work covers religion, sociology, sports, domestic life, language arts, technology, architecture, and history. Each thematic chapter is further divided into topical areas, many of a geographical nature (performing arts in the Northwest, for example). This subdivision, along with the comprehensive index, will assist researchers. . . . While most students will initially use this set strictly for reports, it is likely that they will be intrigued enough to continue reading. * School Library Journal *

Author Bio

Benjamin F. Shearer received his PhD in the history of ideas from St. Louis University and his MSLS from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has written and edited several reference books, including Home Front Heroes (Greenwood, 2007), The Uniting States (Greenwood, 2004), and State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols (Third edition, Greenwood, 2002).