American Influences in Europe – Literary, Linguistic and Historical Perspectives

The trend towards globalization in recent years has resulted in significant changes in many spheres of society in Europe. If images affect the way we understand events on individual and national levels, a scrutiny of the images we form of other countries and cultures is not merely a matter of mutuality and reciprocity but of development and survival. While images of America take on different hues in different countries and whereas the experiences, perceptions, and evaluations differ, there are common denominators. European images of America need to be examined along with the concept of Americanization itself. In a project exploring among many other things the so-called ’Americanization’ of Europe, scholarly attention, focusing on how American influences transcend national and cultural boundaries, has led to seminar and conference discussions and to the publication of a larger, multidisciplinary study.