The Jeremiad Over Journalism

view of Americanization which means taking ―transmission, appropriation and transnationalization‖
into account. 93
Furthermore, van Eltern rejects the argument that studies of Americanization cannot be undertaken
since ―America‖ is not a uniform entity and projects a multitude of messages. Even if one does not
accept the idea of the United States as a nation-state, van Eltern still argues that,
―There is a stubborn historical-societal reality, a ‗real‘ America, out there, with economic,
technological, military, social, political, cultural and other features that lie outside the realm of
social imagination and may in themselves bring about material, structural and symbolic
changes elsewhere.‖ 94
As we have seen in the introductory chapter, van Eltern calls for an approach to studying
Americanization which explains the driving forces behind transmission, transnationalization and
appropriation of things American. According to van Elteren, researchers must account for both the
structural and symbolic levels including the supra-national level, working through public, private
and non-profit institutions to the level of key individuals.
The structural Americanization, in Van Elterens view, sets the boundaries for the symbolic
Americanization to take place within. At the structural level, van Elteren describes what the former
Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration, Joseph S. Nye, has termed hard power,
which is primarily conceived of as military and economic power. 95
In van Eltern‘s framework, Nye‘s conceptualization of hard power ―can be used to make others
change their position‖ through ―inducements/rewards (carrots) or threats (sticks).‖ 96 However, the
concept of soft power is concerned with getting other nations to follow the American examples
93 Elteren, Americanism and Americanization: A Critical History of Domestic and Global Influence. Page 184-188.
94 Ibid. Page 125. See also Gleason, "American Identity and Americanization." Page 56-57. ―An American nationality
does in fact exist (…) to affirm the existence of American nationality does not mean that all Americans are exactly alike
or must become uniform in order to be real Americans. It simply means that a genuine national community does exist
and that it has its own distinctive principle of unity, its own history, and its own appropriate sense of
belongingness.‖
95 Nye, The Paradox of American Power: Why The World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone. Page 8. ―Military and
economic power are both examples of hard command power that can be used to induce others to change their position.‖
96 Elteren, Americanism and Americanization: A Critical History of Domestic and Global Influence. Page 142.
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