Understanding the Americans

Understanding the Americans

Author: Yale Richmond

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13:

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Presents a guide to the United States for the foreign visitor, discussing such aspects of American culture as individualism, informality, optimism, the work ethic, equality, privacy, and women's rights.


Understanding America

Understanding America

Author: Peter H Schuck

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 2009-04-07

Total Pages: 721

ISBN-13: 0786745487

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What is America? Is it a hegemonic superpower, composed of ruthlessly selfish capitalists? Or is it a land of hope and glory, a shelter for the huddled masses, and a beacon of freedom and enlightenment? The definition of this complex nation has been debated substantially, yet all seem to agree on one thing: it is unique. The idea of an exceptional America can be traced all the way back to Alexis de Tocqueville's nineteenth-century observations of a newly formed democracy that seemed determined to distinguish itself from the rest. Little, it seems, has changed. Building on de Tocqueville's concept of American exceptionalism, this collection of essays, contributed by some of the nation's top scholars and thinkers, takes on the weighty task of sizing up America in a way its people and others can comprehend. Far more than simple history, they outline the current state of American institutions and policies -- from the legal system to marriage to the military to the Drug War -- and anticipate where these are headed in the future.


Understanding Americans

Understanding Americans

Author: Nicholas Eftimiades

Publisher:

Published: 2016-05-19

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 9780997618808

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Newly revised and updated for 2016. A unique, insightful, and sometimes comical look into the behavior of the average American. Have you ever wondered who these Americans are? Why do they behave the way they do? What motivates them? How about their foreign policy? Perhaps you've overheard some Americans talking, or have business dealings with Americans. You may have even heard about America's social welfare policies, jobless rate, political elections, street crime, or the latest sex scandal and wondered just what these people are all about. Find your answers here. This book describes the behavior of Americans and explains the reasons for it. It is essential for business, travel, or just to know why the most powerful nation on Earth behaves in its own unique way.


Chasing the American Dream

Chasing the American Dream

Author: Mark Robert Rank PhD

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2014-03-01

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 0199703302

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The United States has been epitomized as a land of opportunity, where hard work and skill can bring personal success and economic well-being. The American Dream has captured the imagination of people from all walks of life, and to many, it represents the heart and soul of the country. But there is another, darker side to the bargain that America strikes with its people -- it is the price we pay for our individual pursuit of the American Dream. That price can be found in the economic hardship present in the lives of millions of Americans. In Chasing the American Dream, leading social scientists Mark Robert Rank, Thomas A. Hirschl, and Kirk A. Foster provide a new and innovative look into a curious dynamic -- the tension between the promise of economic opportunities and rewards and the amount of turmoil that Americans encounter in their quest for those rewards. The authors explore questions such as: -What percentage of Americans achieve affluence, and how much income mobility do we actually have? -Are most Americans able to own a home, and at what age? -How is it that nearly 80 percent of us will experience significant economic insecurity at some point between ages 25 and 60? -How can access to the American Dream be increased? Combining personal interviews with dozens of Americans and a longitudinal study covering 40 years of income data, the authors tell the story of the American Dream and reveal a number of surprises. The risk of economic vulnerability has increased substantially over the past four decades, and the American Dream is becoming harder to reach and harder to keep. Yet for most Americans, the Dream lies not in wealth, but in economic security, pursuing one's passions, and looking toward the future. Chasing the American Dream provides us with a new understanding into the dynamics that shape our fortunes and a deeper insight into the importance of the American Dream for the future of the country.


We Are All Americans

We Are All Americans

Author: Joy Masoff

Publisher:

Published: 2006-08

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 9780972715621

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A thoughtful, balanced, and timely book. The lively prose and vivid illustrations, capture the excitement of America's multicultural history in a way that is accessible and appealing to children.


American Islamophobia

American Islamophobia

Author: Khaled A. Beydoun

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2018-04-03

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0520970004

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On Forbes list of "10 Books To Help You Foster A More Diverse And Inclusive Workplace" How law, policy, and official state rhetoric have fueled the resurgence of Islamophobia—with a call to action on how to combat it. “I remember the four words that repeatedly scrolled across my mind after the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. ‘Please don’t be Muslims, please don’t be Muslims.’ The four words I whispered to myself on 9/11 reverberated through the mind of every Muslim American that day and every day after.… Our fear, and the collective breath or brace for the hateful backlash that ensued, symbolize the existential tightrope that defines Muslim American identity today.” The term “Islamophobia” may be fairly new, but irrational fear and hatred of Islam and Muslims is anything but. Though many speak of Islamophobia’s roots in racism, have we considered how anti-Muslim rhetoric is rooted in our legal system? Using his unique lens as a critical race theorist and law professor, Khaled A. Beydoun captures the many ways in which law, policy, and official state rhetoric have fueled the frightening resurgence of Islamophobia in the United States. Beydoun charts its long and terrible history, from the plight of enslaved African Muslims in the antebellum South and the laws prohibiting Muslim immigrants from becoming citizens to the ways the war on terror assigns blame for any terrorist act to Islam and the myriad trials Muslim Americans face in the Trump era. He passionately argues that by failing to frame Islamophobia as a system of bigotry endorsed and emboldened by law and carried out by government actors, U.S. society ignores the injury it inflicts on both Muslims and non-Muslims. Through the stories of Muslim Americans who have experienced Islamophobia across various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, Beydoun shares how U.S. laws shatter lives, whether directly or inadvertently. And with an eye toward benefiting society as a whole, he recommends ways for Muslim Americans and their allies to build coalitions with other groups. Like no book before it, American Islamophobia offers a robust and genuine portrait of Muslim America then and now.


Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act

Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act

Author: William D. Goren

Publisher: American Bar Association

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9781590317655

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This book, written from the perspective of a lawyer with a disability (the author is hearing impaired), demonstrates that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is not just a law, but a way of life. It also discusses preventive lawyering with regards to the ADA. Since the first edition was published, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided over a dozen cases on the ADA and there have also been many appellate decisions as well. In this second edition, the Supreme Court decisions not included in the first edition and some of the appellate opinions that have come down since then are analyzed to provide the reader with an understanding of the workings of the ADA as it exists today.


Understanding Latin American Politics

Understanding Latin American Politics

Author: Gregory Weeks

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780205648252

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Provides a comparative analysis of political and economic development in Latin America Understanding Latin American Politics assesses Latin American political and economic development. This title examines the relationships among political, economic, and social factors in Latin America. Reader engagement is increased through the use of contemporary case studies and primary documents.


Life in the USA

Life in the USA

Author: Planaria J. Price

Publisher: University of Michigan Press ELT

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780472033041

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Life in the USA is not quite like it is in the movies or on TV. For people who are unfamiliar with its culture, there is the potential for confusion and embarrassing situations. This book, Life in the USA, has been written to help those new to the United States. Nine broad topics (first impressions of America, body language, social customs and manners, relationships, celebrations and gifts, surviving the city, the workplace, schools, and health and personal matters) are covered through an engaging and easy-to-read question-and-answer format in form of letters from immigrant students to their teacher. Students are also advised to read comic strips, listen to popular music, and read classic American children’s stories in order to become familiar with the many the nuances of American culture and to better understand Americans. From tips for job interviews to garage sales and dating, Life in the USA offers immigrant students helpful hints and answers for becoming comfortable in the United States of America.