Demystifying American Culture: A Complex Exercise Of Cultural Interaction

Résumé: Teaching American Studies in Algerian Universities consists in both acquiring knowledge about and demystifying American Culture. Though apparently destructive, because it opposes the stereotypes, myths and clichés conveyed by media dominated by American Culture, the latter exercise turns out to be in the long run a most interesting example of Cultural interaction. It implies, indeed, both identification with the other and thus, self-redefinition along lines that I shall discuss at more length and revelation to the other of his own contradictions either silenced by his own culture purposely or unsuspected because of Cultural centeredness. At the present era where diversity is swiftly replacing uniformity and exclusiveness, demystification thus, becomes a precious instrument for knowledge about oneself and the Other. It also proves that more than mutual understanding it means Cultural complementary thereby demonstrating the Cultural contribution made by poor and underdeveloped Societies to richer ones.

Publié dans la revue: IMAGO Interculturalité et Didactique