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Americanism, Americanization, Anti-Americanism. Transatlantic Relations in the Age of Globalization: course description

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Berndt Ostendorf, Ludwig Maximilians Universität

"Amerika, Du hast es besser."
Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe 1803

"We’re going to ruin your culture,
just like we ruined our own."
Jay Leno 1993

Since the end of the Cold War, but particularly since September 11th, 2001 the role of the USA as the "benevolent hegemon" is under global scrutiny. Classic Americanism or more precisely American exceptionalism have become controversial again, not only within America, but the world over. Even before these dates Anti-Americanism hovered like a shadow over the Americanization debate, fed by steady resentments caused by the not-yet-quite-understood effects of globalization. Globalization represents for many non-Americans a creeping form of Americanization, an estimate common in Europe or the Third World that Americans, even liberals, steadfastly oppose. Clearly, the forces of globalization have inspired new types of Anti-Americanisms, some of these bordering on conspiracy theories, around the globe. To sort out the political agendas contained in the political keywords Anti-Americanism, Americanization and Globalization and to identify the diverse processes so described we first need to clear away the historical habits of stereotype which have over the years fossilized in transatlantic narratives. Only after such an archeological anatomy of our political semantics we will be able to distinguish between knee-jerk Anti-Americanism and justified criticism of current US foreign or economic policies.
Finally, there are certain cognitive differences and transatlantic dissonances in key traditions, say religion, and therefore in the key concepts of the debate: concepts such as “liberalism” or “empire” may have different political resonances on either side of the Atlantic.
The following key questions need to be answered: 1) What has the term Anti-Americanism transported as a hidden agenda or as a tacit background assumption over the past two centuries on either side of the Atlantic (and why is nobody talking or worried about Pro-Americanism)? 2) Why has Americanization and its silent partner Anti-Americanism enjoyed a remarkable renaissance since the collapse of a bipolar world at all levels of the European and global public sphere? 3) Is globalization merely an expansion or intensification of a one-dimensional Americanization or is the „global supercapitalism“ (Robert Reich) a new ball game altogether? 4) Does the transatlantic flap boil down to an essential transatlantic difference between Venus vs. Mars? Or is that sort of hype part of the ongoing folie a deux?

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Americanism, Americanization, Anti-Americanism. Transatlantic Relations in the Age of Globalization: reading

Americanism, Americanization, Anti-Americanism. Transatlantic Relations in the Age of Globalization: evaluation

Americanism, Americanization, Anti-Americanism. Transatlantic Relations in the Age of Globalization: syllabus

Last modified 2008-02-08 15:24
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