Date of Award
12-1998
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Dr. Gerald Markle
Second Advisor
Dr. Douglas D. Davidson
Third Advisor
Dr. Douglas D. Davidson
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
This thesis examines perceptions and interpretations of American cultural influences in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. It is aimed at describing typical discourse genres and evaluative patterns in which these cultural influences are interpreted by various social groups of Costa Rican society. The study is based on a series of qualitative interviews and observations conducted in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica in the summer of 1996. The findings show that there exists a largely positive reaction to these images and objects emanating from the United States, and behind this positive evaluation lie attitudes of conformity, fatalism, and reification. The study contributes to discussions of cultural imperialism and globalization by bringing the actors into the debate, focusing on the phenomenon from the point of view of those affected by the cultural change.
Recommended Citation
McConnell, John W., "Perceptions of Americanization in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica" (1998). Masters Theses. 4126.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4126