deTocqueville, Advertising, Norwegian Sweaters, and Thanksgiving

That is a mouthful.

The connection comes from Mary C Water's book, Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America.  In her discussion of "symbolic" ethnicity she draws upon both deTocqueville (anticipating 102!) and William O. Beeman's analysis of advertising. 

About deTocqueville she writes: "Tocqueville noticed that while individualism led people to find their own beliefs within themselves, this isolation was at the same time compatible with conformity, because people are constantly looking for affirmation of those beliefs in the people around them."  (p. 148)

She quotes Beeman: "In the United States, through exercise of individual choice, people not only demonstrate their uniqueness, they also recognize and actualize their integration with others.  They do this by making, acknowledging, and perpetuating ties based solely on the affinity that arises through making the same choices."  (Waters, p. 150).  Advertisers depend upon this combination of individualism and conformity when they offer us such things as blue jeans as a mode of self-expression and as a vehicle for demonstrating our membership in the group of people who wear that brand and style of jeans.

Thus, Waters argues that in the third and four generation after immigration, Americans select their ethnic identification in ways similar to selecting their cola preference: Pepsi, Coke, Royal Crown, etc.  This sort of symbolic ethnicity does not require, or grow from, membership in an ethnic association or speaking the language or living in an enclave.  It is as easy as wearing a Norwegian sweater to Christmas Festival at St. Olaf.

Another scheme for thinking about this comes from Willard B. Moore in the catalog for Circles of Tradition, an exhibit of folk art in Minnesota.  He identifies three circles of tradition: integrated, perceived, and celebrated.  In the first "forms, techniques, materials and symbolic meanings" are tightly integrated with community life. In the second, function either practical or symbolic, is primary.  In the last, form is most important.

What struck me as I read Waters' conclusions was how closely they coincided with my recent post "Thanksgiving Jazz."  She helped me to see that my observations about Thanksgiving might well be described with reference to this negotiation of individuality and conformity, this affinity based upon making the same choices.