全球化背景下美国的文化悖论

面对不断加剧的全球化趋势,美国文化面临着一种自相矛盾的尴尬境地:一方面美国在全世界范围内极力推销其政治和社会的价值观念,同时大力推动其大众文化在世界各个角落的渗透,试图使世界文化“美国化”;另一方面,美国国内由于其多民族、多种族的社会结构,面临着越来越多元化的少数族裔文化发展诉求和文化冲突。本文以全球化为背景,试图对美国文化的这一悖论进行分析,揭示美国积极推动全球化的真正目的,透视美国社会中的各种文化冲突和矛盾,特别是对有关多元文化主义的争论进行分析,提出美国文化在全球化进程中的发展趋势和特征———融合与多元化的相互依存。

The Paradox of American Culture in the Context of Globalization

In the context of the accelerating globalization, American culture faces a paradoxical situation. On one side, United States tries to promote the spread of its political and social values and the penetration of its popular culture around the world, with the intention of Americanizing the world cultures. On the other side, it is fully preoccupied with the increasing social demands for the development of ethnic cultures and the cultural conflicts, due to the multiethnic and multiracial structure of the American society. This article just attempts to give an analysis of this cultural paradox in the context of globalization, revealing the real purpose of the United States in its promotion of globalization and trying to give an insight of the various cultural conflicts, especially the controversial multiculturalism, in the American society. On this basis, the trend of the American cultural development is concluded; melting and multiplying side by side.