Book Review of UAD Rector’s Work: Understanding United States’ Hegemonic Culture

Dr. Kasiyarno, M.Hum. in his book entitled Budaya Hegemoni Amerika Serikat Pasca Perang Dingin Antara Mitos dan Ilusi of United States’ Hegemonic Culture after The Cold War between Myths and Illusion, says that America’s dream and illusion can the red line of the government’s views, ideology, and policies since the first president in the early nation building up to the end of the cold war.

 The book is an excerpt of his dissertation at American Studies Post Graduate Program of Faculty of Cultural Sciences University of Gadjah mada (UGM) Yogyakarta. The book was reviewed by Prof. Dr. HM Amin Rais, M.A. and Prof. Juliasih, S.U. (Now the head of American Studies Program UGM) with the moderator of Dr. Tatit Hariyanti, M.Hum (a lecturer at Faculty of Letters University of Technology Yogyakarta) at hall of Islamic Center Campus IV UAD last Tuesday (10/05/2016)

‘This book is expected to be an important reference in understanding US hegemonic culture. It is expected that a deep and comprehensive review be done internationally,’ Kasiyarno said.

‘This topic, he added, has not been yet a wide issue in American Studies so that this book may initiate further discussions in the area.

According to Amin Rais, two US hegemonic culture features have colored the America’s foreign policy such as America’s globalization culture, Americanized, culture imperialism.

In addition Juliasih commented that the book presented wide presentation of America’s hegemonic culture of post-cold war.

‘Beginning from the approach of American Studies, the writer considers that America’s hegemonic culture have taken advantage of globalization machine effectively to spread its products and culture all over the world,’ Kasiyarno said.

Kasiyarno, who is also the chairman of Private Higher Education Association (APTISI) chapter Yogyakarta, explained some minor resistence against the culture.

‘The book concludes with the prediction over the continuity of hegemonic culture of Bush and Clinton administration,’ He said.