Are Americans civilized?

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Date
1957
Summary
In his final program, John Dodds poses a startling question: “Are Americans civilized?” Undoubtedly, he says, most Americans will reply without hesitation. “Of course, we are!” Yet, Dr. Dodds points out, we are branded by many foreigners as a raw, materialistic, uncouth, mercenary, and even an uncivilized nation. He inquires into the factors in our society that have induced such severe criticism from abroad. He asks if others are merely jealous of our technological advancement –which most are as quick to adopt as they are to criticize –or have they actually found some basic flaws in the fabric of our culture. In peering into the structure of our civilization, he holds up a mirror in which all Americans might profit from viewing themselves. From this analysis we realize that American have their shortcomings both obvious and subtle, but, as to the state of American civilization, Dr. Dodds leads us to believe the picture is more pleasant than many would have us think.
Contributors
KQED, San Francisco; John W. Dodds; E. G. Valens; Tom Borden; Herbert D. Seiter
Publishers
National Educational Television; Indiana University Audio-Visual Center
Genre
Educational
Subject
Human behavior.
Collection
National Educational Television
Unit
IUL Moving Image Archive
Language
English
Rights Statement
No Copyright - United States
Physical Description
1 Film (0:29:47); 16mm
Other Identifiers
IULMIA Film Database: 40000003425909; Other: GR00404465; MDPI Barcode: 40000003425909

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