Treść książki
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MaikArnoldandPrzemysławŁukasik
Throughtheextensiveuseofdifferentmaterialsliketravelogues,memo-
ires,literaryandpoliticalessays,movies,andbusinesscorrespondences,
thistermiscloselyintertwinedwiththelonghistoryofformerone-way
(andlatertwo-way)culturalexchange,transfer,andcompetitionbetween
WesternEuropeancountriesandtheU.S.fromtheverybeginningof
theearlymodernera(e.g.,Anglo-American,Euro-American,German-
Americanrelations,etc.;cf.Endy1998;Rapson1971;Rausch2006;
TrommlerandMcVeigh1985).Comprehensiveculturalencountersand
mutualrecognitionhasalwaysbeenshapedbyoptimisticandpessimis-
ticviews,aswellascontinuouslychallengedbyperceivedstereotypes
ofthe4NewandOldEurope’(e.g.,BarclayandGlaser-Schmidt1997).
Inaddition,wealsohavetokeepinmindthatearlyEuropeanrelations
withAmericawereinitiatedamongstothersoncolonialist,mercantilist,
andnationalinterestsandwith,byallmeans,exploitativemotivesand
goals.Mutualperceptionhasbeenovershadowednotonlybydissent
butalsobycommoninterests.Sincethebeginningofthe20thCentury,
underthelabel4Americanization’(ifwecanuseitasananalyticalneu-
tralterm)theAmericandominanceandpowertoinfluenceandcontrol
cultural,economic,political,andsocietaldevelopmentsandchanges
inEuropealsobecameincreasinglyimportantfortheEuropeanrecep-
tiontradition(Rausch2006).AftertheendoftheColdWar,several
eventsandoccasionschallengedEuropean-Americanrelationsonce
again:internationalterrorism,long-runningmilitaryinterventionse.g.,
inAfrica,CentralAsia,andtheMiddleEast,financialandeconomic
fluctuationsandseveralcrises.Nowadays,transatlanticrelationsare
premisedonglobaleconomicandpoliticalpartnership,collaborative
actionsandtheenforcementofWesternculturalvalues(Dormanand
Kaufman2011:2-3).Morerecently,GermanyandPolandhavealso
mouldedthemselvesasnewandmoreself-assuredleadersandagents
inEuropeanUnionpolicyandinternationalaffairs.Aswecansee,ten-
sions,diversions,andconversionsonbothsidesoftheAtlantichave
theiroriginsinadeepambivalencethatcanbebestunderstoodasapas-
sionate4love-haterelationship’.
Besidesthis,thereisnonecessitytoreducetransatlanticrelations
solelytorelationsbetweentheU.S.andWesternEuropeancountries,
nations,andorganizations.Certainlyforthecontributorstothisvolume
