De Tocqueville Democracy in America Term Paper

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Although De Tocqueville incorrectly stereotypes Americans as being inordinately serious in Book 3, Chapter 15, he pinpoints the essence of the typical American: "Americans, who almost always preserve a staid demeanor and a frigid air, nevertheless frequently allow themselves to be borne away, far beyond the bounds of reason, by a sudden passion or a hasty opinion and sometimes gravely commit strange absurdities." De Tocqueville calls this "ignorance which originates in extreme publicity," and notes that in despotic states, the public is told how to act; they therefore act according to strict social norms of behavior. In the United States, however, people are "often obliged to do things which they have imperfectly learned, to say things which they imperfectly understand," (Book 3, Chapter 15). The segment on the Tonight Show called "Jaywalking" illustrates De Tocqueville's point exactly.

De Tocqueville's analysis of gender roles and relations in the United States has mixed veritability. Although he was correct in observing that men and women operate in totally different spheres, a situation that persisted until only a few decades ago, the author nevertheless makes some unpalatable comments such as "the despotic sway of women," (Book 3, Chapter 12). Still, writing in the middle of the nineteenth century, de Tocqueville did note some of the definite differences between gender relations in Europe and the United States. What De Tocqueville did not predict were the second and third waves of feminism which obliterated some of the gender role differentiation de Tocqueville assumes characterizes American culture.

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It is questionable whether, especially given that women could not vote at the time of publication, Americans viewed men and women "as beings of equal value," (Book 3, Chapter 12). Yet even though De Tocqueville stereotypes gender roles and gender relations, he notices the conflicts and double standards that besiege American women.

Regarding class differences, De Tocqueville correctly observes the "disorganized" and conflicting relationship between "master" classes and "servant" classes, a relationship that continues until this day in spite of a public opinion that prefers to gloss over class differences in America (Book 3, Chapter 5). De Toqueville noticed that in spite of an ideology of total equality, the working poor submit to subservient positions and thereby create conflicts between the classes. De Tocqueville also noticed as Marx did how the manufacturers would become the new aristocracy in America and therefore sums up American capitalism beautifully (Book 2, Chapter 20).

The elements of Democracy in America which are verifiable and true outweigh those that are incorrect. However, in the conclusion of Democracy in America, De Tocqueville presents an idealistic future for American society, stating that "violence is rare, and cruelty almost unknown," (Book 4, Chapter 8). On this point, he was obviously mistaken, but Democracy in America remains one of the most comprehensive analyses of American society ever written.

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