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Americentrism


Americentrism or American ethnocentrism refers to the collective views of Americans of the United States which are ethnocentrist or culturally biased.

For those who hold an American self-image and mythology that prescribes its own values as universally benevolent or comparatively superior, the term can be employed in a derogatory manner.

The term Americentrism tends to be used in contexts where an American point of view appears to dominate political debate, to the detriment of a neutral point of view, a world view, or world opinion.

American exceptionalism is widely considered to be an academic codification of the benevolent American mythos; attributing the relative success and prosperity of the United States to deliberate and wise choices, rather than to other factors such as the vast lands and natural wealth on which early Americans had the good fortune to occupy; the historically low expenditures on national defense, and other technological, economic, and cultural factors.

Last updated: 05-07-2005 14:03:56
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04