Etic essay

The modern American culture encompasses many customs and traditions including language, religion, food and the arts. Nearly every region of the world has influenced American culture as it is a country of immigrants, giving the United States the “melting pot” nickname. But there is one tradition that many outsiders may never have the opportunity to experience or even see for themselves. I’m talking about non other than the culture of American sports. The United States is a sports-minded country with millions of fans who follow baseball, football, basketball, and hockey, among other sports. It has provided many Americans with an escape from the hardships of their daily lives and has given them a deep connection to the nation’s cultural values. In a huge and diverse nation experiencing many changes, the importance of sports cannot be ignored.

Take an event like the Super Bowl. What other country hosts a sports event of this magnitude? For someone who is unfamiliar, what better way to give an introduction to American culture than watching that game and the spectacle surrounding it. The millions of dollars that go into one single game is unprecedented when comparing to games in other regions of the world. The “Big Game” shows a classic theme in American civilization. It brings you creative tension between individual and team efforts, fascination with violence, the love of gimmicks and new technologies that highlight the nation’s wealth, and most recently the use of sponsors and endorsements to market products.

This is American society with all it’s glory and power, broadcasted in a way that gets the attention of almost every person in the country. Like many sports events in the nation’s history, it provides insights into how Americans think and live, how they entertain themselves, and how they gather together to celebrate and proclaim who they are.