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Europe and North America are part of the same macrocultural group (or civilization) typically referred to as "The West". But what in 'Western culture' actually comes from Europe and what comes from the USA (or Canada), and how much do both regions still influence each others ? Let's have a look at the inventions, discoveries, developments or creations on either side of the Atlantic and see whether they became integrated to the other's culture or not.
There are naturally more European things that became part of American culture as European immigrants took them with them to America. What's interesting is to see which things each culture kept or decided to import without the influence of immigration. But I will just list everything that springs to mind here. Note that it is not because something can be found or exist somewhere that it is really part of the culture (e.g. there is baseball and jazz in Europe, but it is limited to a small minority of fans).
What Europe gave to North America
- Music : Classical music, folk music (e.g. colonial music), hard rock, heavy metal
- Architecture : Neoclassical, Neogothic...
- Religion : Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, several Protestant branches (Lutheran, Calvinist...)
- Sports : tennis, golf, ice hockey, athletism...
- Food : pasta, pizza, hamburgers, beer, wine, soda, European food in general...
- Government & Law : Common Law, Roman Law, Parliamentary system, democracy...
What North America gave to Europe
- Music : Rock&Roll, disco, acid, pop, rap, hip-hop, folk music (e.g. civil war music)
- Architecture : steel and glass skyscrapers
- Sports : basketball
- Food : fastfood (Pizza Hut, McDonalds...), soft drinks (Coca Cola, Fanta...), breakfast cereals (Kellog's)
- Fashion : jeans, tshirt
European culture that didn't really became part of North American culture/society
- Sports : soccer
North American culture that didn't really became part of European culture/society
- Music : Blues, Jazz, Country, R&B, Soul
- Religion : many Protestant denominations, Mormonism, new religions...
- Sports : American football, baseball...
Many things, such as clothes, cinema or fine arts are too varied and numerous to be either European or American. In Cinema, the USA certainly has a lot of influence all around the world, and so does Europe for fashion and cosmetics. But European cinema and American fashion have a considerable influence too.
For inventions, see Who invented what ?
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Europe and North America are part of the same macrocultural group (or civilization) typically referred to as "The West". But what in 'Western culture' actually comes from Europe and what comes from the USA (or Canada), and how much do both regions still influence each others ? Let's have a look at the inventions, discoveries, developments or creations on either side of the Atlantic and see whether they became integrated to the other's culture or not.
There are naturally more European things that became part of American culture as European immigrants took them with them to America. What's interesting is to see which things each culture kept or decided to import without the influence of immigration. But I will just list everything that springs to mind here. Note that it is not because something can be found or exist somewhere that it is really part of the culture (e.g. there is baseball and jazz in Europe, but it is limited to a small minority of fans).
What Europe gave to North America
- Music : Classical music, folk music (e.g. colonial music), hard rock, heavy metal
- Architecture : Neoclassical, Neogothic...
- Religion : Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, several Protestant branches (Lutheran, Calvinist...)
- Sports : tennis, golf, ice hockey, athletism...
- Food : pasta, pizza, hamburgers, beer, wine, soda, European food in general...
- Government & Law : Common Law, Roman Law, Parliamentary system, democracy...
What North America gave to Europe
- Music : Rock&Roll, disco, acid, pop, rap, hip-hop, folk music (e.g. civil war music)
- Architecture : steel and glass skyscrapers
- Sports : basketball
- Food : fastfood (Pizza Hut, McDonalds...), soft drinks (Coca Cola, Fanta...), breakfast cereals (Kellog's)
- Fashion : jeans, tshirt
European culture that didn't really became part of North American culture/society
- Sports : soccer
North American culture that didn't really became part of European culture/society
- Music : Blues, Jazz, Country, R&B, Soul
- Religion : many Protestant denominations, Mormonism, new religions...
- Sports : American football, baseball...
Many things, such as clothes, cinema or fine arts are too varied and numerous to be either European or American. In Cinema, the USA certainly has a lot of influence all around the world, and so does Europe for fashion and cosmetics. But European cinema and American fashion have a considerable influence too.
For inventions, see Who invented what ?
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