The essay examines some central concepts of U.S. history and culture through the analysis of three volumes published in Italy in 2008. These are surveys that offer a complex reading of the United States also to non specialists. The author uses the concept of American Exceptionalism in order to provide a closer reading of the books and a better understanding of the image of the United States offered today, as well as the place of U.S. history in Italy. Together with Exceptionalism, Cultural Pluralism is an important framework in the historical and historiographical narratives. Touching upon other central ideals of American identity such as Manifest Destiny, the Frontier, and Internationalism, this essay deals with the issue of Imperialism and the reactions against it in the 19th and 20th centuries. Through the question of immigration, reference is made to multiculturalism and the processes that led toward a progressive integration of different minorities on the basis of models proposed by the dominant society. The essay thus recapitulates some of the most widespread stereotypes concerning ethnic groups and the construction of a new model of Cultural Pluralism.
Il saggio prende in esame alcuni concetti fondamentali della storia e della cultura degli Stati Uniti d’America attraverso tre volumi pubblicati in Italia nel corso del 2008. Si tratta di sintesi che offrono una lettura complessa degli Stati Uniti anche a lettori non specialisti. Il concetto di eccezionalismo americano viene usato per affrontare il discorso sviluppato da questi importanti saggi al fine di comprender meglio l’immagine degli Stati Uniti proposta oggi e il posto occupato dalla storia americana in Italia. Con l’eccezionalismo, il pluralismo culturale fa da riferimento nella ricostruzione storica e storiografica. Toccando altri ideali centrali nell’identità americana, come il Destino Manifesto, la frontiera e l’internazionalismo, il saggio affronta la questione dell’imperialismo e della reazione a esso tra XIX e XX secolo. Con il tema dell’immigrazione si tocca la questione della società multiculturale e dei processi che hanno portato a un progressivo inserimento delle diverse minoranze attraverso i modelli proposti dalla società dominante. Il saggio ripercorre così alcuni stereotipi diffusi sui diversi gruppi etnici e la costruzione di un nuovo modello di pluralismo culturale.
Fiorentino, D. (2009). Eccezionalismo, identità nazionale e interdipendenza: nuove sintesi italiane sulla storia degli Stati Uniti d’America. MONDO CONTEMPORANEO, 5(2), 123-137.
Eccezionalismo, identità nazionale e interdipendenza: nuove sintesi italiane sulla storia degli Stati Uniti d’America
FIORENTINO, DANIELE
2009-01-01
Abstract
The essay examines some central concepts of U.S. history and culture through the analysis of three volumes published in Italy in 2008. These are surveys that offer a complex reading of the United States also to non specialists. The author uses the concept of American Exceptionalism in order to provide a closer reading of the books and a better understanding of the image of the United States offered today, as well as the place of U.S. history in Italy. Together with Exceptionalism, Cultural Pluralism is an important framework in the historical and historiographical narratives. Touching upon other central ideals of American identity such as Manifest Destiny, the Frontier, and Internationalism, this essay deals with the issue of Imperialism and the reactions against it in the 19th and 20th centuries. Through the question of immigration, reference is made to multiculturalism and the processes that led toward a progressive integration of different minorities on the basis of models proposed by the dominant society. The essay thus recapitulates some of the most widespread stereotypes concerning ethnic groups and the construction of a new model of Cultural Pluralism.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.