The Americanization Syndrome: A Quest for Conformity

The Americanization Syndrome (1987) explores the historical role of education in promoting Americanization, emphasizing the indoctrination of religious, political, and economic norms and discouraging cultural diversity. It traces the political influence of education in key moments of American history, such as post-Independence, Reconstruction, and the arrival of new immigrants.

Format: Hardback
Length: 202 pages
Publication date: 16 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The Americanization Syndrome (1987) delves into the historical significance of education in the process of 'Americanization.' It contends that, dating back to seventeenth-century puritan leaders like John Winthrop and Cotton Maher, the pattern of American education has consistently prioritized the indoctrination of religious, political, and economic norms, while actively discouraging cultural diversity. The book traces the political role of education at pivotal moments in American history, including after Independence, during the reconstruction of the South after the Civil War, in the establishment of settlement houses, and in the adoption of scientific management techniques by employers. The author particularly emphasizes the period from 1900 to 1925, when a surge of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe sparked a renewed demand for orthodoxy.

The Americanization Syndrome (1987) explores the historical role of education in the process of 'Americanization.' It argues that, beginning with seventeenth-century puritan leaders like John Winthrop and Cotton Maher, the pattern of American education has been not the promotion of a blend of different cultures but the indoctrination of religious, political, and economic norms, while actively discouraging cultural diversity. The book traces the political role of education at pivotal moments in American history, including after Independence, during the reconstruction of the South after the Civil War, in the establishment of settlement houses, and in the adoption of scientific management techniques by employers. The author particularly emphasizes the period from 1900 to 1925, when a surge of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe sparked a renewed demand for orthodoxy.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032363523