Land Of The Free Analysis
Land of the Free:
A reflection on what defines a 21st century American Americans- it seems the world has a love/hate relationship with them. Why could this be? It is the land of the free, the home of the brave- what could be the problem? Is it the American economy? The culture? The government? An educated guess as to why this fickle relationship exists between the U.S. and the rest of the world is the debate on the one factor that sets America apart from them: Freedom. The freedom to choose any life path as a citizen is what defines an American. Not all countries agree with the flexibility American citizens have to make life choices such as which car to buy or what job to apply for. The American way of life includes the ability …show more content…
Within the American culture, there is a wide variety of avenues to show how someone is feeling, what he or she is thinking, and his or her interests. These include, but are not limited to music, art, writing, and appearance. Primarily appearance is where Americans have much flexibility regarding self-expression. This is a very visual representation which provides opportunities for others to see what that person may be interested in. For example, if someone saw a tanned young man outside wearing a plaid shirt tucked into his blue jeans accented by a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, that person could make a quick judgment that he probably listens to country music, works on a farm, or drives a pick-up truck. Although it is at times frowned upon to be judgmental toward others, these assumptions are made simply because of the way that young man decided to express himself and fit a certain stereotype. The most important factor here is his ability to choose how he comes off to others. U.S. citizens are able to express themselves in any way they wish. Located in the Middle East, the country of Qatar has strict prohibitions on what is appropriate to wear in public. “The Qatari Penal Code law punishes and prohibits wearing revealing indecent clothing” (Obolsky, 2012). Although Figure 1 is geared more toward the country’s visitors, the law applies daily to the citizens of Qatar. Laws like this one are not so strict in America, which allows people numerous options to be expressive through appearance. Part of being an American is the immersion in a culture where diversity is the norm and self-expression contributes to the “melting pot” aspect of the
A reflection on what defines a 21st century American Americans- it seems the world has a love/hate relationship with them. Why could this be? It is the land of the free, the home of the brave- what could be the problem? Is it the American economy? The culture? The government? An educated guess as to why this fickle relationship exists between the U.S. and the rest of the world is the debate on the one factor that sets America apart from them: Freedom. The freedom to choose any life path as a citizen is what defines an American. Not all countries agree with the flexibility American citizens have to make life choices such as which car to buy or what job to apply for. The American way of life includes the ability …show more content…
Within the American culture, there is a wide variety of avenues to show how someone is feeling, what he or she is thinking, and his or her interests. These include, but are not limited to music, art, writing, and appearance. Primarily appearance is where Americans have much flexibility regarding self-expression. This is a very visual representation which provides opportunities for others to see what that person may be interested in. For example, if someone saw a tanned young man outside wearing a plaid shirt tucked into his blue jeans accented by a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, that person could make a quick judgment that he probably listens to country music, works on a farm, or drives a pick-up truck. Although it is at times frowned upon to be judgmental toward others, these assumptions are made simply because of the way that young man decided to express himself and fit a certain stereotype. The most important factor here is his ability to choose how he comes off to others. U.S. citizens are able to express themselves in any way they wish. Located in the Middle East, the country of Qatar has strict prohibitions on what is appropriate to wear in public. “The Qatari Penal Code law punishes and prohibits wearing revealing indecent clothing” (Obolsky, 2012). Although Figure 1 is geared more toward the country’s visitors, the law applies daily to the citizens of Qatar. Laws like this one are not so strict in America, which allows people numerous options to be expressive through appearance. Part of being an American is the immersion in a culture where diversity is the norm and self-expression contributes to the “melting pot” aspect of the