American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture by Maryanne Datesman

American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture by Maryanne Datesman

As the cultural diversity of the United States continues to increase, the issues surrounding multiculturalism continue to be of great importance. With updates throughout and a fresh, new design, the Fourth Edition of American Ways retains its values-based perspective in examining what makes the U.S. unique -- and how traditional values influence various aspects of American life such as religion, business, government, race relations, education, recreation, and family.

Features

• Includes enhanced focus on critical thinking, including assessing information, comparing alternative points of view, identifying potential problems and solutions, and being a questioning reader.
• Provides more explicit development of reading skills (skimming, scanning, predicting, and understanding main ideas and details).
• Features an expanded writing section (identifying and organizing academic information into main ideas and supporting details, often preceded by discussion, research, and completion of graphic organizers).
• Incorporates many new sources, poll data, and information on challenges such as rising national debt, gun violence, and immigration reform.

Maryanne Kearny Datesman is the author of several ESL reading texts. She has taught ESL and administered programs at Western Kentucky University and American University, and she has taught also at Georgetown University. In Kentucky, she established and administered a private language school and directed programs for refugees. She was co-founder of Kentucky TESOL and is a former president of WATESOL.

JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall is a professor of education at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. At UMBC she had co-directed the master's program in ESOL/Bilingual Education and directed the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Language, Literacy and Culture. She is a former president of TESOL and AAAL (American Association for Applied Linguistics) and a frequent speaker at national and international conferences.

Edward N. Kearny is professor emeritus of government at Western Kentucky University. He earned his Ph.D. in government from American University in 1968. He also holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in psychology, and he has written a number of books and articles on American politics.