American avatar : the United States in the global imagination / Barry A. Sanders.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sanders, Barry A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Foreign public opinion.

United States.

United States--Foreign relations--2001-2009.

International relations.

United States--Foreign relations--2009-.

Anti-Americanism.

Physical Description:

xii, 227 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Potomac Books, [2011]

Summary:

Sanders, an international business lawyer who teaches communications studies at the U. of California, Los Angeles, explores the views of people around the world about America. He examines positive and negative images of the US and how and when they arose in the country's history, including those that occurred from direct observation and experience, pictures shown and stories told by others, and as the result of imagination and popular culture. He then looks at how people select predispositions such as conformity, xenophobia, nationalism, partisanship, resentment, hope, desire, and religious faith, and how they connect to issues of political philosophy and the expression of opinions related to aversions to America's liberal philosophy, its commitment to modernity and change, and its expression of a life that is fuller, freer, and wealthier, but out of reach, as well as what can be done to enhance its image. Distributed by Books International. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Introduction

Imprints from inside America

American footprints abroad

Images from the image machines

The United States looms: measuring reality

Conveying and distorting images

Predispositions

Romanticism versus democratic liberalism

Traditional societies

Disappointment: envy and the American dream

Dealing with it.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781597976817

1597976814

OCLC:

650217375