American Civilization under the Analysis of the Historical and Cultural Theories by the American Studies Scholars

Abstract

Using a case of American historians in using the theories time to explain the historical development of using the arguments drawn from their own studies to provide to Vietnamese historians a new approach in looking at various historical events. Like the American historians, their European counterparts consider that a historian could only confirm their status by indicating the their differences or by leaving behind the influence of other. To explain this trend, the author of the essay will focus on the two issues that she feels necessary.

Firstly, each generation of American historians has been influenced by the upheaval of the United State of American. Secondly, the historical picture of America has been changed due to the changes of the historical community itself.

And then based on this two arguments she went on to analyze some of the theories that prevailing in American Studies and others who would like to study at DAV and then applying several famous theories to analyze the American Individualism. The theories being used are: Democracy of Alexis de Tocqueville; 1) The usual theories have been used to study American civilization; 2) Frontier of Frederick Jackson Turner; 3) Abundance of David Potter; 4) Pluralism instable of Michael Kammen and 5) Social Dawinism. According to the author arguments each theory has certain advantages so historian need to have one for himself to extend his/her knowledge.