text:
Society of the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article serves as an overview of the customs and ways of life in the United States. For the popular and high culture of the United States, see Culture of the United States.
A World Values Survey cultural world map, describing the United States as low in "Rational-Secular Values" and high in "Self-Expression values".
The society of the United States is based on Western culture, and has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, folklore, etc. Today the United States of America is an ethnically and racially diverse country as a result of large-scale immigration from many different countries throughout its history.[1]
Its chief early influences came from English and Irish settlers of colonial America. British culture, due to colonial ties with Britain that spread the English language, legal system and other cultural inheritances, had a formative influence. Other important influences came from other parts of Europe.
The United States has often been thought of as a melting pot, but recent developments tend towards cultural diversity, pluralism and the image of a salad bowl rather than a melting pot.[2][3] Due to the extent of American culture there are many integrated but unique social subcultures within the United States. The cultural affiliations an individual in the United States may have commonly depend on social class, political orientation and a multitude of demographic characteristics such as religious background, occupation and ethnic group membership.[4] The strongest influences on American culture came from northern European cultures, most prominently from Britain, Ireland, and Germany.
Contents
1 Social class and work
2 Race and ancestry
3 Group affiliations
4 Technology, gadgets, and automobiles
5 Drugs, alcohol and smoking
6 Sports
7 Food
8 Clothing
9 Education
10 Language
11 Religion
12 Housing
13 Gender relations
13.1 Courtship, cohabitation, and sexuality
13.2 Marriage and divorce
13.3 Gender roles
14 Death rituals
15 Household arrangements
16 Regional variations
17 Criticisms
17.1 Gun violence
17.2 Money in politics
17.3 Wealth gap
18 See also
19 Further reading
20 External links
Social class and work[edit]
Main article: Social class in the United States
Though most Americans today identify themselves as middle class, American society and its culture are considerably more fragmented.[4][5][6] Social class, generally described as a combination of educational attainment, income and occupational prestige, is one of the greatest cultural influences in America.[4] Nearly all cultural aspects of mundane interactions and consumer behavior in the US are guided by a person's location within the country's social structure.
Distinct lifestyles, consumption patterns and values are associated with different classes. Early sociologist-economist Thorstein Veblen, for example, noted that those at the very top of the social ladder engage in conspicuous leisure as well as conspicuous consumption. Upper-middle-class persons commonly identify education and being cultured as prime values. Persons in this particular social class tend to speak in a more direct manner that projects authority, knowledge and thus credibility. They often tend to engage in the consumption of so-called mass luxuries, such as designer label clothing. A strong preference for natural materials and organic foods as well as a strong health consciousness tend to be prominent features of the upper middle class. Middle-class individuals in general value expanding one's horizon, partially because they are more educated and can afford greater leisure and travels. Working-class individuals take great pride in doing what they consider to be "real work," and keep very close-knit kin networks that serve as a safeguard against frequent economic instability.[4][7][8]
Hours worked in different countries according to UN data in a CNN report.[9]
Working-class Americans as well as many of those in the middle class may also face occupation alienation. In contrast to upper-middle-class professionals who are mostly hired to conceptualize, supervise and share their thoughts, many Americans enjoy only little autonomy or creative latitude in the workplace.[10] As a result, white collar professionals tend to be significantly more satisfied with their work.[11][12] More recently those in the center of the income strata, who may still identify as middle class, have faced increasing economic insecurity,[13] supporting the idea of a working-class majority.[14]
Political behavior is affected by class; more affluent individuals are more likely to vote, and education and income affect whether individuals tend to vote for the Democratic or Republican party. Income also had a significant impact on health as those with higher incomes had better access to health care facilities, higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality rate and increased health consciousness.
In the United States occupation is one of the prime factors of social class and is closely linked to an individual's identity. The average work week in the US for those employed full-time was 42.9 hours long with 30% of the population working more than 40 hours a week.[15] It should be noted, however, that many of those in the top two earning quintiles often worked more than 50 hours a week[citation needed]. The Average American worker earned $16.64 an hour in the first two quarters of 2006.[16]
Overall Americans worked more than their counterparts in other developed post-industrial nations. While the average worker in Denmark enjoyed 30 days of vacation annually, the average American only had 16 annual vacation days.[17] In 2000 the average American worked 1,978 hours per year, 500 hours more than the average German, yet 100 hours less than the average Czech. Overall the US labor force was the most productive in the world (overall, not by hour worked), largely due to its workers working more than those in any other post-industrial country (excluding South Korea).[9] Americans generally hold working and being productive in high regard; being busy and working extensively may also serve as the means to obtain esteem.[14]
Race and ancestry[edit]
Main article: Race and ethnicity in the United States
Ethnicity according to the 2000 US Census.[18]
Median Household income along ethnic lines in the United States.
The society in United States Race in the United States is based on physical characteristics and skin color and has played an essential part in shaping American society even before the nation's conception.[11] Until the civil rights movement of the 1960s, racial minorities in the United States faced discrimination and social as well as economic marginalization.[19]
Today the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census recognizes four races, Native American or American Indian, African American, Asian and White (European American). According to the U.S. government, Hispanic Americans do not constitute a race, but rather an ethnic group. During the 2000 U.S. Census Whites made up 75.1% of the population with those being Hispanic or Latino constituting the nation's prevalent minority with 12.5% of the population. African Americans made up 12.3% of the total population, 3.6% were Asian American and 0.7% were Native American.[20][needs update]
Approximately 62% of White Americans today are either wholly or partly of English, Welsh, Irish, or Scottish ancestry. Approximately 86% of White Americans are of northwestern European descent, and 14% are of southern and eastern European ancestry.
Until the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865 the United States was a slave society. While the northern states had outlawed slavery in their territory in the late 18th and early 19th century their industrial economies relied on the raw materials produced by slave labor. Following the Reconstruction period in the 1870s, Southern states initialized an apartheid regulated by Jim Crow laws that provided for legal segregation. Lynching occurred throughout the US until the 1930s, continuing well into the civil rights movement in the South.[19]
Asian Americans were also marginalized during much of US history. Between 1882 and 1943 the United States government instituted the Chinese Exclusion Act which prohibited Chinese immigrants from entering the nation. During the second world war roughly 120,000 Japanese Americans, 62% of whom were U.S. citizens,[21] were imprisoned in Japanese internment camps. Hispanic Americans also faced segregation and other types of discrimination; they were regularly subject to second class citizen status, in practice if not by law.
Largely as a result of being de jure or de facto excluded and marginalized from so-called mainstream society, racial minorities in the United States developed their own unique sub-cultures. During the 1920s for example, Harlem, New York became home to the Harlem Renaissance. Music styles such as Jazz, Blues and Rap, Rock and roll as well as numerous folk-songs such as Blue Tail Fly (Jimmy Crack Corn) originated within the realms of African American culture.[19] Chinatowns can be found in many cities across the nation and Asian cuisine has become a common staple in America.
The Mexican community has also had a dramatic impact on American culture. Today, Catholics are the largest religious denomination in the United States and out-number Protestants in the South-west and California.[22] Mariachi music and Mexican cuisine are commonly found throughout the Southwest, with some Latin dishes of Mexican origin, such burritos and tacos found anywhere in the nation. Economic discrepancies and de facto segregation, however, continue and is a prominent feature of mundane life in the United States.
While Asian Americans have prospered and have a median household income and educational attainment exceeding that of Whites, the same cannot be said for the other races. African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans have considerably lower income and education than do White Americans.[23][24] In 2005 the median household income of Whites was 62.5% higher than that of African American, nearly one-quarter of whom live below the poverty line.[23] Furthermore, 46.9% of homicide victims in the United States are African American indicating the many severe socio-economic problems African Americans and minorities in general continue to face in the twenty-first century.[19][25]
Some aspects of American culture codify racism. For example, the prevailing idea in American culture, perpetuated by the media, has been that black features are less attractive or desirable than white features. The idea that blackness was ugly was highly damaging to the psyche of African Americans, manifesting itself as internalized racism.[26] The Black is beautiful cultural movement sought to dispel this notion.[27]
In the years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. has increased significantly. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) reported an increase in hate speech, cases of airline discrimination, hate crimes, police misconduct and racial profiling.[28] The USA Patriot Act, signed into effect by President Bush on October 26, 2001, has also raised concerns for violating civil liberties. Section 412 of the act provides the government with "sweeping new powers to detain immigrants and other foreign nationals indefinitely with little or no due process at the discretion of the Attorney General."[28] Other sections also allow the government to conduct secret searches, seizures and surveillance, and to freely interpret the definition of 'terrorist activities'.
Group affiliations[edit]
The Knights of Columbus exhibiting their group identity.
As the United States is a diverse nation, it is home to numerous organization and social groups and individuals may derive their group affiliated identity from a variety of sources. Many Americans, especially white collar professionals belong to professional organizations such as the APA, ASA or ATFLC[citation needed], although books like Bowling Alone indicate that Americans affiliate with these sorts of groups less often than they did in the 1950s and 1960s.
Today, Americans derive a great deal of their identity through their work and professional affiliation, especially among individuals higher on the economic ladder. Recently professional identification has led to many clerical and low-level employees giving their occupations new, more respectable titles, such as "Sanitation service engineer" instead of "Janitor."[11]
Additionally many Americans belong to non-profit organizations and religious establishments and may volunteer their services to such organizations. The Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus or even the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are examples of such non-profit and mostly volunteer run organizations. Ethnicity plays another important role in providing some Americans with group identity,[19] especially among those who recently immigrated.[29]
Many American cities are home to ethnic enclaves such as a Chinatown and Little Italies which still remain in some cities. Local patriotism may be also provide group identity. For example, a person may be particularly proud to be from California or New York City, and may display clothing from a local sports team.
Political lobbies such as the AARP, ADL, NAACP, NOW and GLAAD (examples being civil rights activist organizations) not only provide individuals with a sentiment of intra-group allegiance but also increase their political representation in the nation's political system. Combined, profession, ethnicity, religious, and other group affiliations have provided Americans with a multitude of options to derive group based identity from.[11]
Technology, gadgets, and automobiles[edit]
Further information: Technological and industrial history of the United States and Passenger vehicles in the United States
Americans, by and large, are often fascinated by new technology and new gadgets. There are many within the United States that share the attitude that through technology, many of the evils in the society can be solved. Many of the new technological innovations in the modern world were either first invented in the United States and/or first widely adopted by Americans. Examples include: the lightbulb, the airplane, the transistor, nuclear power, the personal computer, video games and online shopping, as well as the development of the Internet. By comparison with Japan, however, only a small fraction of electronic devices make it to sale in the US, and household items such as toilets are rarely festooned with remotes and electronic buttons as they are in some parts of Asia.
Automobiles play a great role in American culture, whether it is in the mundane lives of private individuals or in the areas of arts and entertainment. The rise of suburbs and the desire for workers to commute to cities brought about the popularization of automobiles. In 2001, 90% of Americans drove to work in cars.[30] Lower energy and land costs favor the production of relatively large, powerful cars. The culture in the 1950s and 1960s often catered to the automobile with motels and drive-in restaurants. Americans tend to view obtaining a driver's license as a rite of passage. Outside of a relative few urban areas, it is considered a necessity for most Americans to own and drive cars. New York City is the only locality in the United States where more than half of all households do not own a car.[30]
Drugs, alcohol and smoking[edit]
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
American attitudes towards drugs and alcoholic beverages have evolved considerably throughout the country's history. During the nineteenth century, alcohol was readily available and consumed, and no laws restricted the use of other drugs. A movement to ban alcoholic beverages, called the Prohibition movement, emerged in the late-nineteenth century. Several American Protestant religious groups, as well as women's groups such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union, supported the movement.
In 1919, Prohibitionists succeeded in amending the Constitution to prohibit the sale of alcohol. Although the Prohibition period did result in lowering alcohol consumption overall, banning alcohol outright proved to be unworkable, as the previously legitimate distillery industry was replaced by criminal gangs which trafficked in alcohol. Prohibition was repealed in 1931. States and localities retained the right to remain "dry", and to this day, a handful still do.
During the Vietnam War era, attitudes swung well away from prohibition. Commentators noted that an eighteen-year-old could be drafted into the military to fight in a war overseas, but could not buy a beer. Most states lowered the legal drinking age to eighteen.
Since 1980, the trend has been toward greater restrictions on alcohol and drug use. The focus this time, however, has been to criminalize behaviors associated with alcohol, rather than attempt to prohibit consumption outright. New York was the first state to enact tough drink-driving laws in 1980; since then all other states have followed suit. A "Just Say No to Drugs" movement replaced the more libertine ethos of the 1960s.
Sports[edit]
A 2004 Army-Navy basketball game
Main article: Sports in the United States
Since the late nineteenth century, baseball is regarded as the national sport; football, basketball, and ice hockey are the country's three other leading professional team sports. College football and basketball also attract large audiences. Football is now by several measures the most popular spectator sport in the United States.[31] Soccer, though not a leading professional sport in the country, is played widely at the youth and amateur levels.
Boxing and horse racing were once the most watched individual sports, but they have been eclipsed by golf and auto racing, particularly NASCAR. Tennis and many outdoor sports are also popular.
Food[edit]
Main articles: Fashion in the United States and Cuisine of the United States
A hamburger is a famous food in the United States.
The cuisine of the United States is extremely diverse, owing to the vastness of the continent, the relatively large population (1/3 of a billion people) and the number of native and immigrant influences. The types of food served at home vary greatly and depend upon the region of the country and the family's own cultural heritage. Recent immigrants tend to eat food similar to that of their country of origin, and Americanized versions of these cultural foods, such as American Chinese cuisine or Italian-American cuisine often eventually appear; an example is Vietnamese cuisine, Korean cuisine and Thai cuisine.
German cuisine has a profound impact on American cuisine, especially mid-western cuisine, with potatoes, noodles, roasts, stews and cakes/pastries being the most iconic ingredients in both cuisines.[29] Dishes such as the hamburger, pot roast, baked ham and hot dogs are examples of American dishes derived from German cuisine.[32][33]
Different regions of the United States have their own cuisine and styles of cooking. The state of Louisiana, for example, is known for its Cajun and Creole cooking. Cajun and Creole cooking are influenced by French, Acadian, and Haitian cooking, although the dishes themselves are original and unique. Examples include Crawfish Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice, Seafood or Chicken Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Boudin. Italian, German, Hungarian and Chinese influences, traditional Native American, Caribbean, Mexican and Greek dishes have also diffused into the general American repertoire. It is not uncommon for a 'middle-class' family from 'middle-America' to eat, for example, restaurant pizza, home-made pizza, enchiladas con carne, chicken paprikas, beef stroganof and bratwurst with sauerkraut for dinner throughout a single week.
Clothing[edit]
Apart from professional business attire, clothing in the United States is eclectic and predominantly informal. While Americans' diverse cultural roots are reflected in their clothing, particularly those of recent immigrants, cowboy hats and boots and leather motorcycle jackets are emblematic of specifically American styles.
Blue jeans were popularized as work clothes in the 1850s by merchant Levi Strauss, a Jewish-German immigrant in San Francisco, and adopted by many American teenagers a century later. They are now widely worn on every continent by people of all ages and social classes. Along with mass-marketed informal wear in general, blue jeans are arguably U.S. culture's primary contribution to global fashion.[34] The country is also home to the headquarters of many leading designer labels such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Labels such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Eckō Unltd. cater to various niche markets.
Education[edit]
Main articles: Education in the United States and Educational attainment in the United States
Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the elementary and high school levels (often known outside the United States as the primary and secondary levels).
Students have the options of having their education held in public schools, private schools, or home school. In most public and private schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, junior high school (also often called middle school), and high school. In almost all schools at these levels, children are divided by age groups into grades. Post-secondary education, better known as "college" or "university" in the United States, is generally governed separately from the elementary and high school system.
In the year 2000, there were 76.6 million students enrolled in schools from kindergarten through graduate schools. Of these, 72 percent aged 12 to 17 were judged academically "on track" for their age (enrolled in school at or above grade level). Of those enrolled in compulsory education, 5.2 million (10.4 percent) were attending private schools. Among the country's adult population, over 85 percent have completed high school and 27 percent have received a bachelor's degree or higher.
Language[edit]
Main article: Languages in the United States
The primary, although not official, language of the United States is English. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, more than 93% of Americans can speak English well, and for 81% it is the only language spoken at home. Nearly 30 million native speakers of Spanish also reside in the US. There are more than 300 languages besides English which can claim native speakers in the United States—some of which are spoken by the indigenous peoples (about 150 living languages) and others which were imported by immigrants.
American Sign Language, used mainly by the deaf, is also native to the country. Hawaiian is also a language native to the United States, as it is indigenous nowhere else except in the state of Hawaii. Spanish is the second most common language in the United States, and is one of the official languages, and the most widely spoken, in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
There are four major regional dialects in the United States: northeastern, south, inland north, and midwestern. The Midwestern accent (considered the "standard accent" in the United States, and analogous in some respects to the received pronunciation elsewhere in the English-speaking world) extends from what were once the "Middle Colonies" across the Midwest to the Pacific states.
Religion[edit]
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the Roman Catholic seat of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Main article: Religion in the United States
Historically, the United States' religious tradition has been dominated by Protestant Christianity. Today over three quarters of Americans identify as Christian with a slight majority identifying as Protestant (56%). Catholicism (27%) is the largest Christian denomination, as Protestants belong to a variety of denominations. Also practiced in the United States are many other religions, such as Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism and neo-pagan religions, (most prominently Wicca) among others. Approximately 16% of American citizens identify as atheist, agnostic, or having no religion.
The government is a secular institution, with what is often called the "separation of church and state" prevailing.
Housing[edit]
Immediately after World War II, Americans began living in increasing numbers in the suburbs, belts around major cities with higher density than rural areas, but much lower than urban areas. This move has been attributed to many factors such as the automobile, the availability of large tracts of land, the convenience of more and longer paved roads, the increasing violence in urban centers (see white flight), and cheaper housing. These new single-family houses were usually one or two stories tall, and often were part of large contracts of homes built by a single developer.
The resulting low-density development has been given the pejorative label urban sprawl. This is changing, however. White flight is reversing, with many Yuppies and upper-middle-class, empty nest Baby Boomers returning to urban living, usually in condominia, such as in New York City's Lower East Side, and Chicago's South Loop. The result has been the displacement of many poorer, inner-city residents. (see gentrification).
American cities with housing prices near the national median have also been losing the middle income neighborhoods, those with median income between 80% and 120% of the metropolitan area's median household income. Here, the more affluent members of the middle-class, who are also often referred to as being professional or upper middle-class, have left in search of larger homes in more exclusive suburbs. This trend is largely attributed to the so-called "Middle class squeeze", which has caused a starker distinction between the statistical middle class and the more privileged members of the middle class.[35] In more expensive areas such as California, however, another trend has been taking place where an influx of more affluent middle-class households has displaced those in the actual middle of society and converted former middle-middle-class neighborhoods into upper-middle-class neighborhoods.[36]
The population of rural areas has been declining over time as more and more people migrate to cities for work and entertainment. The great exodus from the farms came in the 1940s; in recent years fewer than 2% of the population lives on farms (though many others live in the countryside and commute to work). Electricity and telephone, and sometimes cable and Internet services are available to all but the most remote regions. As in the cities, children attend school up to and including high school and only help with farming during the summer months or after school.
Tract housing in Kentucky near Cincinnati, Ohio
About half of Americans now live in what is known as the suburbs. The suburban nuclear family has been identified as part of the "American dream": a married couple with children owning a house in the suburbs. This archetype is reinforced by mass media, religious practices, and government policies and is based on traditions from Anglo-Saxon cultures. One of the biggest differences in suburban living as compared to urban living is the housing occupied by the families. The suburbs are filled with single-family homes separated from retail districts, industrial areas, and sometimes even public schools. However, many American suburbs are incorporating these districts on smaller scales, attracting more people to these communities.
Housing in urban areas may include more apartments and semi-attached homes than in the suburbs or small towns. Aside from housing, the major difference from suburban living is the density and diversity of many different subcultures, as well as retail and manufacturing buildings mixed with housing in urban areas. Urban residents are also more likely to travel by mass transit, and children are more likely to walk or cycle rather than being driven by their parents.
Gender relations[edit]
Courtship, cohabitation, and sexuality[edit]
Main article: Sexuality in the United States
Couples often meet through religious institutions, work, school, or friends. "Dating services," services that are geared to assist people in finding partners, are popular both on and offline. The trend over the past few decades has been for more and more couples deciding to cohabit before, or instead of, getting married. The 2000 Census reported 9,700,000 opposite-sex partners living together and about 1,300,000 same-sex partners living together. These cohabitation arrangements have not been the subject of many laws regulating them, though some states now have domestic partner statutes and judge-made palimony doctrines that confer some legal support for unmarried couples.
Adolescent sex is common; most Americans first have sexual intercourse in their teenage years. The current data suggests that by the time a person turns eighteen years old, slightly more than half of females and nearly two-thirds of males will have had sexual relations.[37] More than half of sexually active teens have had sexual partners they are dating.[38][39] Risky sexual behaviors that involve "anything intercourse related" are "rampant" among teenagers.[40] Teenage pregnancies in the United States decreased 28% between 1990-2000 from 117 pregnancies per every 1,000 teens to 84 per 1,000.[41] The United States is rated, based on 2002 estimates, 84 out of 170 countries based on teenage fertility rate, according to the World Health Organization.[42]
Marriage and divorce[edit]
Main articles: Marriage in the United States and Divorce in the United States
See also: Cohabitation in the United States
Marriage laws are established by individual states. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the United States since 26 June 2015.
In many states, it is illegal to cross state lines to obtain a marriage that would be illegal in the home state. The typical wedding involves a couple proclaiming their commitment to one another in front of their close relatives and friends, often presided over by a religious figure such as a minister, priest, or rabbi, depending upon the faith of the couple. In traditional Christian ceremonies, the bride's father will "give away" (hand off) the bride to the groom. Secular weddings are also common, often presided over by a judge, Justice of the Peace, or other municipal official.
Divorce is the province of state governments, so divorce law varies from state to state. Prior to the 1970s, divorcing spouses had to prove that the other spouse was at fault, for instance for being guilty of adultery, abandonment, or cruelty; when spouses simply could not get along, lawyers were forced to manufacture "uncontested" divorces. The no-fault divorce revolution began in 1969 in California and ended with New York. No-fault divorce (on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences", "irretrievable breakdown of marriage", "incompatibility", or after a separation period etc.) is now available in all states.
As with other Western countries, the United States has now a substantial proportion of children born outside of marriage: in 2010, 40.7% of all births were to unmarried women.[43]
State law provides for child support where children are involved, and sometimes for alimony. "Married adults now divorce two-and-a-half times as often as adults did 20 years ago and four times as often as they did 50 years ago... between 40% and 60% of new marriages will eventually end in divorce. The probability within... the first five years is 20%, and the probability of its ending within the first 10 years is 33%... Perhaps 25% of children ages sixteen and under live with a step-parent."[44] The median length for a marriage in the US today is eleven years with 90% of all divorces being settled out of court.
Gender roles[edit]
Since the 1970s, traditional gender roles of male and female have been increasingly challenged by both legal and social means. Today, there are far fewer roles that are legally restricted by one's sex.
Most social roles are not gender-restricted by law, though there are still cultural inhibitions surrounding certain roles. More and more women have entered the workplace, and in the year 2000, made up 46.6% of the labor force; up from 18.3% in 1900. Most men, however, have not taken up the traditional full-time homemaker role; likewise, few men have taken traditionally feminine jobs such as receptionist or nurse (although nursing was traditionally a male role prior to the American Civil War).
Death rituals[edit]
It is customary for Americans to hold a wake in a funeral home within a couple days of the death of a loved one. The body of the deceased may be embalmed and dressed in fine clothing if there will be an open-casket viewing. Traditional Jewish and Muslim practice include a ritual bath and no embalming. Friends, relatives and acquaintances gather, often from distant parts of the country, to "pay their last respects" to the deceased. Flowers are brought to the coffin and sometimes eulogies, elegies, personal anecdotes or group prayers are recited. Otherwise, the attendees sit, stand or kneel in quiet contemplation or prayer. Kissing the corpse on the forehead is typical among Italian Americans[45] and others. Condolences are also offered to the widow or widower and other close relatives.
A funeral may be held immediately afterwards or the next day. The funeral ceremony varies according to religion and culture. American Catholics typically hold a funeral mass in a church, which sometimes takes the form of a Requiem mass. Jewish Americans may hold a service in a synagogue or temple. Pallbearers carry the coffin of the deceased to the hearse, which then proceeds in a procession to the place of final repose, usually a cemetery. The unique Jazz funeral of New Orleans features joyous and raucous music and dancing during the procession.
Mount Auburn Cemetery (founded in 1831) is known as "America's first garden cemetery."[46] American cemeteries created since are distinctive for their park-like setting. Rows of graves are covered by lawns and are interspersed with trees and flowers. Headstones, mausoleums, statuary or simple plaques typically mark off the individual graves. Cremation is another common practice in the United States, though it is frowned upon by various religions. The ashes of the deceased are usually placed in an urn, which may be kept in a private house, or they are interred. Sometimes the ashes are released into the atmosphere. The "sprinkling" or "scattering" of the ashes may be part of an informal ceremony, often taking place at a scenic natural feature (a cliff, lake or mountain) that was favored by the deceased.
A so-called death industry has developed in the United States that has replaced earlier, more informal traditions. Before the popularity of funeral homes, a wake would be held in an ordinary, private house. Often the most elegant room was reserved for this purpose.
Household arrangements[edit]
Further information: American family structure
US family structure has no particular household arrangement being prevalent enough to be identified as the average.[47]
Today, family arrangements in the United States reflect the diverse and dynamic nature of contemporary American society. Although for a relatively brief period of time in the 20th century most families adhered to the nuclear family concept (two-married adults with a biological child), single-parent families, childless/childfree couples, and fused families now constitute the majority of families.
Most Americans will marry and get divorced at least once during their life; thus, most individuals will live in a variety of family arrangements. A person may grow up in a single-parent family, go on to marry and live in childless couple arrangement, then get divorced, live as a single for a couple of years, remarry, have children and live in a nuclear family arrangement.[11][47]
"The nuclear family... is the idealized version of what most people think when they think of "family..." The old definition of what a family is... the nuclear family- no longer seems adequate to cover the wide diversity of household arrangements we see today, according to many social scientists (Edwards 1991; Stacey 1996). Thus has arisen the term postmodern family, which is meant to describe the great variability in family forms, including single-parent families and child-free couples."- Brian K. Williams, Stacey C. Sawyer, Carl M. Wahlstrom, Marriages, Families & Intinamte Relationships, 2005.[47]
Other changes to the landscape of American family arrangements include dual-income earner households and delayed independence among American youths. Whereas most families in the 1950s and 1960s relied on one income earner, more commonly the husband, the vast majority of family households now have two-income earners.
Another change is the increasing age at which young Americans leave their parental home. Traditionally, a person past "college age" who lived with their parent(s) was viewed negatively, but today it is not uncommon for children to live with their parents until their mid-twenties. This trend can be mostly attributed to rising living costs that far exceed those in decades past. Thus, many young adults now remain with their parents well past their mid-20s. This topic was a cover article of TIME magazine in 2005.
Exceptions to the custom of leaving home in one's mid-20s can occur especially among Italian and Hispanic Americans, and in expensive urban real estate markets such as New York City [1], California [2], and Honolulu [3], where monthly rents commonly exceed $1000 a month.
Year
Families (69.7%)
Non-families (31.2%)
Married couples (52.5%)
Single Parents
Other blood relatives
Singles (25.5%)
Other non-family
Nuclear family
Without children
Male
Female
2000 24.1% 28.7% 9.9% 7% 10.7% 14.8% 5.7%
1970 40.3% 30.3% 5.2% 5.5% 5.6% 11.5% 1.7%
Single-parent households are households consisting of a single adult (most often a woman) and one or more children. In the single-parent household, one parent typically raises the children with little to no help from the other. This parent is the sole "breadwinner" of the family and thus these households are particularly vulnerable economically. They have higher rates of poverty, and children of these households are more likely to have educational problems.
Regional variations[edit]
Cultural differences in the various regions of the United States are explored in New England, Mid-Atlantic States, Southern United States, Midwestern United States, Southwest United States, Western United States and Pacific Northwestern United States pages. The western coast of the continental United States consisting of California, Oregon, and the state of Washington is also sometimes referred to as the Left Coast, indicating it's left-leaning political orientation and tendency towards liberal norms, folkways and values.
Strong cultural differences have a long history in the US with the southern slave society in the antebellum period serving as a prime example. Not only social, but also economic tensions between the Northern and Southern states were so severe that they eventually caused the South to declare itself an independent nation, the Confederate States of America; thus provoking the American Civil War.[48] One example of regional variations is the attitude towards the discussion of sex, often sexual discussions would have less restrictions in the Northeastern United States, but yet is seen as taboo in the Southern United States.
In his 1989 book, Albion's Seed (ISBN 0195069056), David Hackett Fischer suggests that the United States is made up today of four distinct regional cultures. The book's focus is on the folkways of four groups of settlers from the British Isles that emigrated from distinct regions of Britain and Ireland to the British American colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries. Fischer's thesis is that the culture and folkways of each of these groups persisted, with some modification over time, providing the basis for the four modern regional cultures of the United States.
According to Fischer, the foundation of American culture was formed from four mass migrations from four different regions of the British Isles by four distinct socio-religious groups. New England's earliest settlement period occurred between 1629-1640 when Puritans, mostly from East Anglia in England, settled there, forming the New England regional culture. The next mass migration was of southern English cavaliers and their Irish and Scottish domestic servants to the Chesapeake Bay region between 1640-1675, producing the Southern American culture. Then, between 1675-1725, thousands of Irish, English and German Quakers, led by William Penn, settled in the Delaware Valley.
This settlement resulted in the formation of what is today considered the "General American" culture, although, according to Fischer, it is really just a regional American culture, even if it does today encompass most of the U.S. from the mid-Atlantic states to the Pacific Coast. Finally, Irish, Scottish and English settlers from the borderlands of Britain and Ireland migrated to Appalachia between 1717-1775. They formed the regional culture of the Upland South, which has since spread west to such areas as West Texas and parts of the U.S. Southwest. Fischer says that the modern U.S. is composed only of regional cultures, with characteristics determined by the place of departure and time of arrival of these four distinct founding populations.
Criticisms[edit]
Gun violence[edit]
Main article: Gun violence in the United States
The US is considered to have some of the most permissive gun laws among developed countries. Americans make up 4 percent of the world's population but own 46 percent of the global stock of privately held firearms.[49] This is about 294 million guns with a population of 301 million (2007 figures), almost one gun for every American on average.[50] In 2001–2, the United States had above-average levels of violent crime and particularly high levels of gun violence compared to other developed nations.[51] A cross-sectional analysis of the World Health Organization Mortality Database from 2010 showed that United States "homicide rates were 7.0 times higher than in other high-income countries, driven by a gun homicide rate that was 25.2 times higher."[52] Gun ownership rights continue to be the subject of contentious political debate.
Money in politics[edit]
Main article: Campaign finance reform in the United States
In his dissent in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens wrote:
In the context of election to public office, the distinction between corporate and human speakers is significant. Although they make enormous contributions to our society, corporations are not actually members of it. They cannot vote or run for office. Because they may be managed and controlled by nonresidents, their interests may conflict in fundamental respects with the interests of eligible voters. The financial resources, legal structure, and instrumental orientation of corporations raise legitimate concerns about their role in the electoral process. Our lawmakers have a compelling constitutional basis, if not also a democratic duty, to take measures designed to guard against the potentially deleterious effects of corporate spending in local and national races.
Wealth gap[edit]
Main article: Wealth inequality in the United States
In the 2013 documentary Inequality for All, Robert Reich argued that income inequality is a defining issue for the United States. He stated that 95% of post-recession economic gains went to the top 1% net worth (HNWI) since 2009, when the recovery is agreed to have started.
.
See also[edit]
United States portal
Society portal
American middle class
American dream
Protestant work ethic
Social structure of the United States
Body contact and personal space in the United States
Further reading[edit]
Coffin, Tristam P.; Cohen, Hennig, (editors), Folklore in America; tales, songs, superstitions, proverbs, riddles, games, folk drama and folk festivals, Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1966. Selections from the Journal of American folklore.
Marcus, Greil (2007). The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice. Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-42642-9.
Shell, Ellen Ruppel, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture, New York : Penguin Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59420-215-5
Swirski, Peter. American Utopia and Social Engineering in Literature, Social Thought, and Political History. New York, Routledge (2011)
External links[edit]
A Quick Guide for Living in the US
Customs & Culture in the US
Social institutions in the United States
Life in the USA: The Complete Guide for Immigrants and Americans
Portrait of the USA
Guide to American culture and customs for foreign students (US Army Intelligence)
Culture, Hedonism & Lifestyle
CommonCensus Map Project - Identifying geographic spheres of influence
show
v
t
e
Life in the United States
Crime
Culture
Economic issues
affluence
eviction
home-ownership
household income
income inequality
labor unions
middle class
personal income
poverty
standard of living
wealth
Education (attainment)
Family structure
Health
health care
health insurance
Holidays
Homelessness
Human rights
Languages
Passenger vehicle transport
Political ideologies
Race
Religion
Social class
Society
Sports
show
v
t
e
United States articles
History
By event
Timeline of U.S. history
Pre-Columbian era
Colonial era
Thirteen Colonies
military history
Continental Congress
American Revolution
War
American frontier
Confederation Period
Drafting and ratification of Constitution
Federalist Era
War of 1812
Territorial acquisitions
Territorial evolution
Mexican–American War
Civil War
Reconstruction Era
Indian Wars
Gilded Age
Progressive Era
African-American civil rights movement 1865–1896 / 1896–1954 / 1954–1968
Spanish–American War
Imperialism
World War I
Roaring Twenties
Great Depression
World War II
home front
Nazism in the United States
American Century
Cold War
Korean War
Space Race
Feminist Movement
Vietnam War
Post-Cold War (1991–2008)
War on Terror
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Recent events (2008–present)
By topic
Outline of U.S. history
Demographic
Discoveries
Economic
debt ceiling
Inventions
before 1890
1890–1945
1946–91
after 1991
Military
Postal
Technological and industrial
Geography
Territory
counties
federal district
federal enclaves
Indian reservations
insular zones
minor outlying islands
populated places
states
Earthquakes
Extreme points
Islands
Mountains
peaks
ranges
Appalachian
Rocky
National Park Service
National Parks
Regions
East Coast
West Coast
Great Plains
Gulf
Mid-Atlantic
Midwestern
New England
Pacific
Central
Eastern
Northern
Northeastern
Northwestern
Southern
Southeastern
Southwestern
Western
Longest rivers
Arkansas
Colorado
Columbia
Mississippi
Missouri
Red (South)
Rio Grande
Yukon
Time
Water supply and sanitation
Politics
Federal
Executive
Cabinet
Civil service
Executive departments
Executive Office
Independent agencies
Law enforcement
President of the United States
Powers
Public policy
Legislative
House of Representatives
current members
Speaker
Senate
current members
President pro tempore
Vice President
Judicial
Courts of appeals
District courts
Supreme Court
Law
Bill of Rights
civil liberties
Code of Federal Regulations
Constitution
federalism
preemption
separation of powers
Federal Reporter
United States Code
United States Reports
Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
National Security Agency
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Uniformed
Armed Forces
Army
Marine Corps
Navy
Air Force
Coast Guard
National Guard
NOAA Corps
Public Health Service Corps
51st state
political status of Puerto Rico
District of Columbia statehood movement
Elections
Electoral College
Foreign relations
Foreign policy
Hawaiian sovereignty movement
Ideologies
anti-Americanism
exceptionalism
nationalism
Local government
Parties
Democratic
Republican
Third parties
Red states and blue states
Purple America
Scandals
State government
governor
state legislature
state court
Uncle Sam
Economy
By sector
Agriculture
Banking
Communications
Energy
Insurance
Manufacturing
Mining
Tourism
Trade
Transportation
Companies
by state
Currency
Exports
Federal budget
Federal Reserve System
Financial position
Labor unions
Public debt
Social welfare programs
Taxation
Unemployment
Wall Street
Society
Culture
Americana
Architecture
Cinema
Cuisine
Dance
Demography
Education
Family structure
Fashion
Flag
Folklore
Languages
American English
Indigenous languages
ASL
Black American Sign Language
HSL
Plains Sign Talk
Arabic
Chinese
French
German
Italian
Russian
Spanish
Literature
Media
Journalism
Internet
Newspapers
Radio
Television
Music
Names
People
Philosophy
Public holidays
Religion
Sexuality
Sports
Theater
Video games
Visual art
Social class
Affluence
American Dream
Educational attainment
Homelessness
Home-ownership
Household income
Income inequality
Middle class
Personal income
Poverty
Professional and working class conflict
Standard of living
Wealth
Issues
Ages of consent
Capital punishment
Crime
incarceration
Criticism of government
Discrimination
Ableism
affirmative action
antisemitism
intersex rights
Islamophobia
LGBT rights
racism
same-sex marriage
Drug policy
Energy policy
Environmental movement
Gun politics
Health care
abortion
health insurance
hunger
obesity
smoking
Human rights
Immigration
illegal
International rankings
National security
Mass surveillance
Terrorism
Separation of church and state
Outline
Index
Book
Category
Portal
Jump up ^ Thompson, William; Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-205-41365-X.
Jump up ^ Clack, George; et al. (September 1997). "Chapter 1". One from Many, Portrait of the USA. United States Information Agency. Archived from the original on 2006-11-22.
Jump up ^ Adams, J.Q.; Pearlie Strother-Adams (2001). Dealing with Diversity. Chicago, Illinois: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7872-8145-X.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Thompson, William; Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-205-41365-X.
Jump up ^ "Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy". Retrieved 2006-07-25.
Jump up ^ Fussel, Paul (1983). Class: A Guide through the American Status System. New York, NY: Touchstone. ISBN 0-671-79225-3.
Jump up ^ Fussel, Paul (1983). Class, A Guide through the American status system. New York, NY: Touchstone. ISBN 0-671-79225-3.
Jump up ^ Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling: The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-097333-1.
^ Jump up to: a b "CNN, work in American, UN report finds Americans most productive, 2002". 2001-08-31. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-26111-3.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Thompson, William; Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-205-41365-X.
Jump up ^ Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-26111-3.
Jump up ^ "Harvard Magazine, Middle class squeeze". Archived from the original on 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
^ Jump up to: a b Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-097333-1.
Jump up ^ "US Bureau of Labor, hours worked, 2005". Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ "US Department of Labor, employment in 2006". Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ "International vacation comparison". Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ bm=y&-geo id=01000US&-qr name=DEC 2000 SF1 U QTP3&-ds name=DEC 2000 SF1 U "US Census Bureau, Race and Hispanic or Latino during the 2000 Census" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2006-12-15.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Hine, Darlene; William C. Hine; Stanley Harrold (2006). The African American Odyssey. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-13-192217-3.
Jump up ^ "US Census Bureau, Race and Hispanic or Latino during the 2000 Census". Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ Semiannual Report of the War Relocation Authority, for the period January 1 to June 30, 1946, not dated. Papers of Dillon S. Myer. Scanned image at trumanlibrary.org. Accessed 18 September 2006.
Jump up ^ "Religion in the US by state". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
^ Jump up to: a b "US Census Bureau, Income newsbrief 2004". Archived from the original on 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ "US Census Bureau, educational attainment in the U.S. 2003" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ "US Department of Justice, Crime and Race". Archived from the original on 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
Jump up ^ Key Issues in Postcolonial Feminism: A Western Perspective by Chris Weedon, Cardiff University
In her novel The Bluest Eye (1981), Toni Morrison depicts the effects of the legacy of 19th century racism for poor black people in the United States. The novel tells of how the daughter of a poor black family, Pecola Breedlove, internalizes white standards of beauty to the point where she goes mad. Her fervent wish for blue eyes comes to stand for her wish to escape the poor, unloving, racist environment in which she lives.
Jump up ^ Some notes on the BLACK CULTURAL MOVEMENT Archived 2007-12-20 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Jump up to: a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2011-02-26. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ Jump up to: a b Adams, J.Q.; Pearlie Strother-Adams (2001). Dealing with Diversity. Chicago, Illinois: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7872-8145-X.
^ Jump up to: a b Highlights of the 2001 National Household Travel Survey, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation, accessed May 21, 2006
Jump up ^ Krane, David K. (2002-10-30). "Professional Football Widens Its Lead Over Baseball as Nation's Favorite Sport". Harris Interactive. Retrieved 2007-09-14. Maccambridge, Michael (2004). America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50454-0.
Jump up ^ "History of the hot dog". Archived from the original on 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
Jump up ^ "History of the Hamburger". Archived from the original on 2006-11-21. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
Jump up ^ Davis, Fred (1992). Fashion, Culture, and Identity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 69. ISBN 0-226-13809-7.
Jump up ^ Harden, Blaine (2006-06-22). "Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
Jump up ^ Harden, Blaine (2006-06-22). "Washington Post, America is losing its middle income neighborhoods". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
Jump up ^ "Beginning Too Soon: Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Pregnancy And Parenthood". US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
Jump up ^ Wendy D. Manning; Peggy C. Giordano; Monica A. Longmore (2006). "Hooking Up: The Relationship Contexts of "Nonrelationship" Sex". Journal of Adolescent Research. 21 (5): 459. doi:10.1177/0743558406291692. Archived from the original on 2006-10-24.
Jump up ^ Katie Couric (2005). "Nearly 3 in 10 young teens 'sexually active'". MSNBC. Archived from the original on 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-21.
Jump up ^ Anna Mulrine. "Risky Business". U.S. News & World Report (May 27, 2002).
Jump up ^ "U.S. Teen Sexual Activity" (PDF). Kaiser Family Foundation. January 2005. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
Jump up ^ "Core Health Indicators".
Jump up ^ "FastStats". www.cdc.gov. 5 February 2018.
Jump up ^ Brian K. Williams, Stacy C. Sawyer, Carl M. Wahlstrom, Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships, 2005
Jump up ^ "The Italian Way of Death". Retrieved 2009-10-08.
Jump up ^ Bunting, Bainbridge; Robert H. Nylander (1973). Old Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge Historical Commission. p. 69. ISBN 0-262-53014-7.
^ Jump up to: a b c Williams, Brian; Stacey C. Sawyer; Carl M. Wahlstrom (2005). Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-205-36674-0.
Jump up ^ Hine, Darlene; William C. Hine; Stanley Harrold (2006). The African American Odyssey. Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN 0-13-192217-3.
Jump up ^ https://www.facebook.com/chrisingraham. "Analysis | There are more guns than people in the United States, according to a new study of global firearm ownership". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
Jump up ^ https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32842.pdf, "Gun Control Legislation", Congressional Research Service, November 12, 2012,
Jump up ^ http://www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/eighthsurvey/8sv.pdf, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). March 31, 2005. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
Jump up ^ Grinshteyn, Erin; Hemenway, David (March 2016). "Violent Death Rates: The US Compared with Other High-income OECD Countries, 2010". The American Journal of Medicine. 129 (3): 266–273. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.10.025. ISSN 0002-9343.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Society_of_the_United_States&oldid=865347224"
Categories:
American society
American studies
Hidden categories:
Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from June 2010
Wikipedia articles in need of updating from June 2015
All Wikipedia articles in need of updating
Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015
Articles needing additional references from December 2007
All articles needing additional references
Pages with URL errors
Webarchive template wayback links
CS1 maint: Archived copy as title
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
日本語
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 23 October 2018, at 10:57 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

attrs: href class

attrs: href class title

attrs: class style

value: b

values:
/wiki/Cuisine_of_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Cuisine of the United States

values:
/wiki/Politics_in_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Politics in the United States

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values: Educational attainment in the United States

values:
/wiki/Infant_mortality_rate
mw-redirect
Infant mortality rate

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (June 2010)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values:
/wiki/African_American
mw-redirect
African American

values:
/wiki/Asian_American
mw-redirect
Asian American

values:
/wiki/White_American
mw-redirect
White American

values:
/wiki/European_American
mw-redirect
European American

values: The text near this tag is dated. (June 2015)

values: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers

values:
noprint Inline-Template
margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;

values: Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

values:
/wiki/Japanese_American_internment
mw-redirect
Japanese American internment

values:
/wiki/Harlem,_New_York
mw-redirect
Harlem, New York

values:
/wiki/Blue_Tail_Fly
mw-redirect
Blue Tail Fly

values:
/wiki/American_culture
mw-redirect
American culture

values:
/wiki/September_11th_terrorist_attacks
mw-redirect
September 11th terrorist attacks

values:
/wiki/USA_Patriot_Act
mw-redirect
USA Patriot Act

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2015)

values:
/wiki/Rotary_Club
mw-redirect
Rotary Club

values: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

values:
/wiki/Civil_rights
mw-redirect
Civil rights

values: Edit section: Technology, gadgets, and automobiles

values:
/wiki/Video_games
mw-redirect
Video games

values:
/wiki/Drive-in_restaurant
mw-redirect
Drive-in restaurant

values: Edit section: Drugs, alcohol and smoking

values: Help:Introduction to referencing with Wiki Markup/1

values: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Unreferenced

values:
/wiki/Alcoholic_beverage
mw-redirect
Alcoholic beverage

values: Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

values: Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution

values:
/wiki/Motorcycle_jackets
mw-redirect
Motorcycle jackets

values:
/wiki/Eck%C5%8D_Unltd.
mw-redirect
Eckō Unltd.

values:
/wiki/High_school
mw-redirect
High school

values:
/wiki/Public_school_(government_funded)
mw-redirect
Public school (government funded)

values: Secondary education in the United States

values:
/wiki/Grade_levels
mw-redirect
Grade levels

values:
/wiki/Post-secondary_education
mw-redirect
Post-secondary education

values:
/wiki/Languages_in_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Languages in the United States

values:
/wiki/2000_U.S._Census
mw-redirect
2000 U.S. Census

values: Commonwealth (United States insular area)

values: List of dialects of the English language

values:
/wiki/Received_pronunciation
mw-redirect
Received pronunciation

values: Separation of church and state in the United States

values:
/wiki/Baby_Boomers
mw-redirect
Baby Boomers

values:
/wiki/Cincinnati,_Ohio
mw-redirect
Cincinnati, Ohio

values:
/wiki/American_dream
mw-redirect
American dream

values: Edit section: Courtship, cohabitation, and sexuality

values:
/wiki/Domestic_partner
mw-redirect
Domestic partner

values: Adolescent sexuality in the United States

values:
/wiki/Justice_of_the_Peace
mw-redirect
Justice of the Peace

values:
/wiki/Grave_(burial)
mw-redirect
Grave (burial)

values:
/wiki/Death_industry
mw-redirect
Death industry

values:
/wiki/American_family_structure
mw-redirect
American family structure

values:
/wiki/Real_estate_pricing
mw-redirect
Real estate pricing

values:
/wiki/Regions_of_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Regions of the United States

values:
/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_States
mw-redirect
Mid-Atlantic States

values:
/wiki/Southwest_United_States
mw-redirect
Southwest United States

values:
/wiki/Washington_(U.S._state)
mw-redirect
Washington (U.S. state)

values:
/wiki/U.S._Southwest
mw-redirect
U.S. Southwest

values: Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

values: Campaign finance reform in the United States

values: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values: Body contact and personal space in the United States

values:
nofollow
http://www.lifeintheusa.com/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
http://eneida.over-blog.net

values: Political ideologies in the United States

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible mw-collapsed

values: Timeline of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution

values: Territorial evolution of the United States

values:
/wiki/Reconstruction_Era
mw-redirect
Reconstruction Era

values: African-American civil rights movement (1865–1896)

values: African-American civil rights movement (1896–1954)

values: History of the United States (1865–1918)

values: Military history of the United States during World War II

values: United States home front during World War II

values: History of the United States (1991–2008)

values: History of the United States (2008–present)

values: Demographic history of the United States

values: Timeline of United States inventions (before 1890)

values: Timeline of United States inventions (1890–1945)

values: Timeline of United States inventions (1946–91)

values: Timeline of United States inventions (after 1991)

values: Postage stamps and postal history of the United States

values: Lists of populated places in the United States

values: List of earthquakes in the United States

values: List of extreme points of the United States

values: List of mountain peaks of the United States

values: List of areas in the United States National Park System

values:
/wiki/Pacific_States
mw-redirect
Pacific States

values: Drinking water supply and sanitation in the United States

values: United States federal executive departments

values: Executive Office of the President of the United States

values: Independent agencies of the United States government

values: Federal law enforcement in the United States

values: Powers of the President of the United States

values: Current members of the United States House of Representatives

values: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

values: Current members of the United States Senate

values: President pro tempore of the United States Senate

values: Separation of powers under the United States Constitution

values: United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

values:
/wiki/Electoral_College_(United_States)
mw-redirect
Electoral College (United States)

values: List of federal political scandals in the United States

values: List of companies of the United States by state

values:
/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System
mw-redirect
Federal Reserve System

values: Chinese language and varieties in the United States

values: Professional and working class conflict in the United States

values: Criticism of the United States government

values:
/wiki/Ableism_in_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Ableism in the United States

values: Federal drug policy of the United States

values: Environmental movement in the United States

values: Illegal immigration to the United States

values: International rankings of the United States

values:
/wiki/Book:United_States
mw-redirect
Book:United States

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible collapsed navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-collapsed mw-made-collapsible

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.timesizing.com/1vacatns.htm

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.adc.org/PDF/hcr02.pdf

values: Category:CS1 maint: Archived copy as title

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6839072

values:
nofollow
external free
https://www.facebook.com/chrisingraham

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/issn/0002-9343

values: Category:Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from June 2010

values: Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from June 2015

values: Category:All Wikipedia articles in need of updating

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015

values: Category:Articles needing additional references from December 2007

values: Category:All articles needing additional references

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Society_of_the_United_States
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: アメリカ合衆国の社会 – Japanese

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Society_of_the_United_States rootpage-Society_of_the_United_States skin-vector action-view


text:
When Calls the Heart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Not to be confused with When the Heart Calls.
When Calls the Heart
Genre
Family Drama
Western
Based on
When Calls the Heart
by Janette Oke
Developed by
Michael Landon Jr.
Starring
Erin Krakow
Daniel Lissing
Lori Loughlin
Martin Cummins
Jack Wagner
Pascale Hutton
Kavan Smith
Country of origin
Canada
United States
Original language(s)
English
No. of seasons
5
No. of episodes
46 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Michael Landon Jr.
Jimmy Townsend
Roman Viaris
Francisco Gonzalez
Brian Bird
Brad Krevoy
Producer(s)
Vicki Sotheran
Greg Malcolm
Location(s)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Running time
42–84 minutes
Production company(s)
Believe Pictures
Brad Krevoy Television
Jordan Films
Release
Original network
Hallmark Channel (U.S.)
Super Channel (Canada)
Picture format
480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Original release
January 11, 2014 (2014-01-11) – present (present)
External links
Website
When Calls the Heart is a Canadian-American television drama series, inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name from her Canadian West series, and developed by Michael Landon Jr. The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel in the United States on January 11, 2014,[1] and on April 16, 2014 on Super Channel in Canada.[2]
The series originally debuted as a two-hour television movie pilot in October 2013, starring Maggie Grace as young teacher Elizabeth Thatcher and Stephen Amell as North West Mounted Police officer Wynn Delaney.[3] In the television series Erin Krakow is cast as her niece, whose name is also Elizabeth Thatcher (played by Poppy Drayton in the movie[4]), and Daniel Lissing plays a Mountie named Jack Thornton, with Lori Loughlin reprising her role as coal mine widow Abigail Stanton.[1][5]
On April 24, 2017, Krakow announced via the Hallmark Channel website that the show would return for a fifth season.[6] The season premiered with a two-hour Christmas special that was broadcast as part of Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas event, and continues for 10 episodes which began February 18, 2018.[7] On March 21, 2018, Hallmark renewed the series for a sixth season.[8]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Episodes
3 Production
4 Cast
4.1 Main cast
4.2 Recurring cast
5 Characters
6 Broadcast
7 References
8 External links
Plot[edit]
When Calls the Heart tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high-society life. She receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal-mining town in Western Canada which is located just south of Robb, Alberta. There, life is simple—but often fraught with challenges. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Royal North West Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). He believes Thatcher’s wealthy father has doomed the lawman's career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate’s daughter. The town of Coal Valley was renamed Hope Valley in Episode 2, Season 2 after the coal mine was closed.
Living in this 1910 coal town, Elizabeth must learn the ways of the Canadian frontier movement if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own. Lori Loughlin portrays Abigail Stanton, whose husband, the foreman of the mine, and her only son—along with 45 other miners—have recently been killed in an explosion, which turns out to have been a tragic accident waiting to happen—a result of the mining-company site manager's irresponsible management and lack of due care in his management of the mine. The newly widowed women find their faith tested when they must go to work in the mine to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and compile a wage for the town's teacher.[9]
Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of When Calls the Heart episodes
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
First aired
Last aired
1 12 January 11, 2014 (2014-01-11) March 29, 2014 (2014-03-29)
2 7 April 25, 2015 (2015-04-25) June 13, 2015 (2015-06-13)
New Year's Wish December 26, 2015 (2015-12-26)
3 8 February 21, 2016 (2016-02-21) April 10, 2016 (2016-04-10)
Christmas December 25, 2016 (2016-12-25)
4 10 February 19, 2017 (2017-02-19) April 23, 2017 (2017-04-23)
The Christmas Wishing Tree December 25, 2017 (2017-12-25)
5 10 February 18, 2018 (2018-02-18) April 22, 2018 (2018-04-22)
As of March 25, 2018, 46 episodes of When Calls the Heart have aired.
Production[edit]
The series, originally planned to be filmed in Colorado, is filmed south of Vancouver, British Columbia, on a farm surrounded by vineyards. The fictional frontier town of Coal Valley was erected in late 2013. Some of the set trimmings and a stage coach came from the Hell on Wheels set.[10] The Thatcher home is the University Women's Club of Vancouver.[11]
The series was renewed for a second season,[12] which aired from April 25 to June 13, 2015. Hallmark Channel announced in July 2015 that the series had been renewed for a third season, which aired from February 21 to April 10, 2016,[13] with a sneak peek airing during the 2015 Christmas season.[14]
In mid-2016, it was announced that Season 4 would premiere on the Hallmark Channel Christmas Day with a two-hour special. On April 11, 2016, Lissing and Krakow announced via the series' Facebook page that Hallmark Channel had renewed the series for a fourth season, which aired from February 19 to April 23, 2017.[15][16]
Filming for season five began in Vancouver on August 22, 2017, and ended on December 21, 2017.[17][18]
Cast[edit]
Main cast[edit]
Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton
Daniel Lissing as Jack Thornton
Lori Loughlin as Abigail Stanton
Jack Wagner as Bill Avery
Martin Cummins as Henry Gowen
Pascale Hutton as Rosemary LeVeaux Coulter
Kavan Smith as Leland Coulter
Recurring cast[edit]
Paul Greene as Carson Shepherd
Gracyn Shinyei as Emily Montgomery
Loretta Walsh as Florence Blakeley
Erica Carroll as Dottie Ramsey
Mark Humphrey as Frank Hogan
Johannah Newmarch as Molly Sullivan
Mitchell Kummen as Gabe Montgomery
Logan Williams as Miles Montgomery
Ben Rosenbaum as Hickam
Carter Ryan Evancic as Cody Hastings
Chelah Horsdal as Cat Montgomery
Steve Bacic as Charles Spurlock
Kristina Wagner as Nora Avery
Aren Buchholz as Jesse Flynn
Charlotte Hegele as Julie Thatcher
Andrea Brooks as Faith Carter
Eva Bourne as Clara Stanton
Ava Grace Cooper as Opal
Max Lloyd-Jones as Tom Thornton
Brooke Shields as Charlotte Thornton
Devon Weigel as Viola Thatcher
Marcus Rosner as Charles Kensington
Mamie Laverock as Rosaleen Sullivan
Adrian Hough as Reverend Anderson
Lynda Boyd as Grace Thatcher
Will Verchere-Gopaulsingh as Caleb Dunbar
Ali Skovbye as Becky Hastings
Garwin Sanford as William Thatcher
Laura Bertram as Mary Dunbar
Derek Hamilton as Dewitt Graves
Niall Matter as Shane Cantrell (season 4)
Spencer Drever as Cyrus Rivera (season 4)
Characters[edit]
Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton is an independent, strong-minded, passionate and dedicated young teacher from the city. The middle daughter of William and Grace Thatcher, Elizabeth has two sisters, older sister Viola and younger sister Julie. Elizabeth finds herself in Coal Valley, a small community on the Canadian frontier in need of a teacher, and quickly discovers it is not an easy place to live, lacking the creature comforts and luxuries of her privileged life with her family. She soon meets the newly appointed and charismatic Mountie Jack Thornton and develops an immediate dislike for him. However, over time they become good friends, and develop an obvious attraction to one another. In the final episode of season 1, "Prelude to a Kiss," (also titled as "Final Adieu"), after overcoming many obstacles throughout the season, Jack tells Elizabeth, "You're the one, you're the only one" and they share a kiss. Throughout season 2, Elizabeth's feelings for Jack are high at times as well as low. Finally, in the season 2 finale, she admits that his job as a Mountie scares her. After being comforted both admitting that they love each other, Jack and Elizabeth kiss.
Jack Thornton is a laid back country boy. Jack is the son of Mountie Thomas Thornton and his wife Charlotte Thornton. Jack has a younger brother, Tom (named after his father). As a Mountie and a man of stout character and integrity, he often finds himself protecting and saving people. In season 1's "A Telling Silence," Jack finds a basset hound whom he names Rip (after Rip Van Winkle) and takes home with him. A source of comfort and companion in the small town, Jack often goes to Rip when times in his life are difficult. In season 2's "With All My Heart," Rip, who's afraid of thunder, hides in the mine shafts during a storm. Jack and Elizabeth search for him; in their search, their relationship grows stronger. Upon his first meeting of Elizabeth, he developed an instant dislike and it appeared she irritated him. However, he grew to like and then fall madly and completely in love with her over time. In "Rules of Engagement" (S.1), it is revealed that Jack was briefly engaged to Rosemary LeVeaux when she comes looking for him. However, they have both changed and realize that they cannot have a relationship as they once did ever again. In "Prelude to a Kiss" (S.1), Jack found out that Elizabeth may be leaving Coal Valley. Taking her on a walk and giving her a framed picture of them that he had sketched, he asks her not to leave Coal Valley and tells her, "You're the one, you're the only one." She replied that she was "not going anywhere", Coal Valley was where she belonged before they share a kiss. In season 2, Elizabeth and Jack share a hot-and-cold relationship until the finale, "With All My Heart." They both admit that they love each other and share another kiss. Jack's brother, Tom, is introduced season 2's "Trials of the Heart," and their rocky relationship continues until "Coming Together, Coming Apart." Jack gently reminds his younger brother how their father was so proud of him, but he wouldn't be proud of the way he was currently living. Both in tears, Jack tells his younger brother that he believes in him and that he can turn his life around. More recently, Jack has become good friends with the sawmill operator, Lee Coulter. In season 3, Jack begins the new year knowing that Elizabeth only has eyes for him and that her relationship with Charles is over for good. In "Hearts In Question," Jack's mother Charlotte shows up unexpectedly. She meets Elizabeth and is suspicious of her, but through staying her sees Elizabeth for who she really is: a trustworthy, dedicated teacher. In the season finale, "Prayers From The Heart," Jack is injured in a flood. But he miraculously recovers in time to serve as Lee's best man at his wedding.
Abigail Stanton is a Coal Valley woman who tragically lost her husband and son in the mining accident. Abigail is a very kind woman, and she stands strongly for the things she believes in. She is one of the first women to welcome Elizabeth and the two women quickly become friends. When Elizabeth accidentally burns down the little teacherage, Abigail gladly welcomes her into her home to live. After being complimented on her cooking, Abigail decides to open a cafe in Coal Valley. Together, Abigail and Elizabeth move into the rooms above the cafe. At the end of season 1, Abigail enjoys the company of Bill Avery, a Mountie, serving as a Forensic Investigator and friend of Jack Thornton's. In season 2, Abigail takes in her daughter-in-law, Clara, the wife of her late son Peter whom Abigail sees as the daughter she never had. With Bill's past being revealed, Abigail ends their friendship and spends more time with the new pastor, Frank Hogan. Also, she is a strong independent woman that is set on doing the things that are right and tries to help Elizabeth.
Bill Avery is a mysterious, quiet man. He first appears in season 1's "Rules of Engagement," in order to help Jack expose Mr. Gowen's wrongdoings. Bill is immediately attracted to widow Abigail Stanton. Things are going well until Abigail discovers a picture of Bill's family and his wedding ring. He later tells her that his son died, as well as his wife. However, his wife, Nora, comes to confront him in season 2's "Heart's Desire."
Henry Gowen is a cold, cynical man who formerly owned the coal mine. After the mine was shut down, Henry became the mayor of Hope Valley and still creates a cold, cynical presence whenever people are around him. Henry is highly disliked and feared in the town. He frequently uses bribery to get what he wants, which is never for the good of the town.
Rosemary "Rosie" LeVeaux Coulter is a flamboyant, enthusiastic actress from New York. She was briefly engaged to Jack Thornton, but they both realized that it wouldn't work out. Rosie immediately disliked Elizabeth and viewed her as "the competition," but eventually came to really care about Elizabeth, even if she has a hard time showing it. At the beginning of season 2, Rosemary began working at the cafe with Abigail and the two quickly became friends. Spending time with Abigail helped tone down some of Rosemary's enthusiasm and made her a more likable person. Rosemary even came to like Elizabeth, even if only on an acquaintance level. Truthfully, she cares about everyone in Hope Valley, especially Lee, with whom she shares an mutual attraction. When Rosie is not spending time with Lee, talking to Abigail, or dreaming about the glamorous life of an actress, she can often be found somewhere writing her weekly advice column for Hope Valley's newspaper! In season 3, Rosemary's friendship with Elizabeth deepened. Instead of viewing her as an adversary, she finds a friend in Elizabeth. Throughout season 3, Rosemary's relationship with Lee becomes more romantic. In "Heart Of A Hero," seeing that Lee needs to spend more time at the sawmill to help the new settlers find jobs, Rosemary tells Lee that the theatre doesn't have to be built. He insists, but she says how important his job is. He smiles and tells her he will one day build her theatre, telling her that she is "the best part of his life." The couple shares in their first kiss. In "A Gentle Heart," Lee is injured. Thinking he is asleep, Rosemary pours out her heart to him, telling how much she loves him. In "Heartbreak," Rosemary is offered a job in Hollywood filming. This has always been Rosemary's dream, to be an actress. Lee unselfishly tells her to do whatever she feels best, but it is obvious that the thought of her leaving Hope Valley hurts him. Rosemary considers her options and realizes that her place is in Hope Valley, with Lee. Lee then tells her that he has another "role" that he thinks would be perfect for her and proposes marriage. She happily accepts. In "Hearts In Question," Rosemary enthusiastically plans for their wedding. The couple weds in the season 3 finale "Prayers From The Heart," with Elizabeth and Abigail as her maids of honor.
Leland "Lee" Coulter is a kind, laidback, patient man who opens a sawmill in Hope Valley. When timber becomes Coal Valley's major source of natural resources, the town is renamed Hope Valley. He shares a mutual attraction to Rosemary and proves to be one of the few people who can outwit her. When she declines his romantic intentions, Lee recruits his friend, Molly Sullivan, to make Rosemary jealous; the ploy succeeds and Rosemary accepts his suit, appreciating Lee's good qualities. Despite her dramatic and occasionally prickly personality, Lee's compassion and patience never fails with her. With Rosemary's help, Lee beat Mr. Gowen at his own game in "Heart and Home." When not at work, Lee enjoys being with friends, including Jack Thornton, who shares Lee's simple and laidback outlook, allowing the men to discuss their lives and exchange romantic advice. In season 3, Lee's mill is unfortunately sabotaged by a man inside. Through Bill and Jack's investigation, they find the culprit. In season 3's "Heart Of A Hero," Rosemary unselfishly gives up the theatre that Lee promised to build her. Lee promises that one day, he will build her the theatre at a time when he isn't so involved with the sawmill and finding people jobs. In "A Gentle Heart," Lee is injured. Thinking Lee is asleep, Rosemary pours out her heart to Lee, telling him how afraid she was when she heard he had been injured. He however hears each and every word. She told him how much she loves him and to never leave her. In the episode "Heartbreak," Lee thinks Rosemary may leave Hope Valley when she is offered a movie job in Hollywood. When she gives up the movie, seeing her future in Hope Valley with him, he asks her to marry him. The couple weds in the season 3 finale, "Prayers From The Heart." Jack serves the role of Lee's best man.
Julie Thatcher is Elizabeth's hopeless romantic younger sister. She often gets herself into sticky situations by falling head over heels for men who aren't quite what they seem. In season 2 she gets involved with Jack's brother Tom, which causes trouble with her family and for Jack and Elizabeth's relationship.
Cat Montgomery is a kind, encouraging woman in Coal Valley. She is a widow and mother of three: Gabe, Miles, and Emily. Cat was one of the first mothers to show kindness to Elizabeth when she first came. She desperately wants her children to remember the good memories of their father as seen by her self-sacrificing acts in "Secrets and Lies." Possessing a great sense of teamwork and encouragement, Cat supports the women of Coal Valley while working in the mines in "Cease and Desist." She is good friends with Elizabeth and Abigail. In "These Games," she also helps Jack catch a thief.
Florence Blakeley is a feisty gossip in Hope Valley. She often has a pessimistic perspective and always seems to find the negative, even in a very positive situation. In "Heart and Home," Abigail told Florence what she really thought about her, which causes Florence to rein in her negativity somewhat, though she remains fairly outspoken. While not always likable, Florence adds spice to life in Hope Valley.
Molly Sullivan is a friend of Lee Coulter and Elizabeth Thatcher. Molly's husband was killed in the mine disaster. She has a daughter Rosaleen. In season 1's "A Telling Silence," Rosaleen has trouble in school because she misses her father so much. When she runs away, Elizabeth finds her in the mine, feeling guilty that she didn't bring her father his lunch the day of the disaster because she wanted to play with a friend instead. She fears her mother will blame her, but Elizabeth convinces her that Molly will "say that she loves her more than life itself." Molly is reunited with her daughter, to the joy of the town's people. In season 2's "With All My Heart," Lee feels it's time to "play hard to get" with Rosemary, so he enlists help from Molly. She pretends to be interested in him romantically. This ploy works and Rosemary admits that she does in fact like him. Molly is a kind woman and was among the first to welcome Elizabeth to town.
Clara Stanton is the wife of Abigail's late son Peter, and is a sweet, quiet, and sensitive young woman. Abigail never knew she had a daughter-in-law until season 2's "Trials of the Heart;" with Peter having married Clara only three days before he was killed. In "Heart's Desire," Abigail invites Clara to come live with her in Hope Valley, an offer that Clara accepts.
Charles Kensington III is an old friend of Elizabeth with whom she reconnects while in Hamilton. He is interested in her, though her feelings for Jack get in the way of their relationship.
Broadcast[edit]
The first season of the series was subsequently picked up by CBC Television for rebroadcast as a summer series in 2015.[19] The network has since aired the second and third seasons.[20][21] The series became available internationally on Netflix in August 2017.
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Reiher, Andrea (January 11, 2014). "'When Calls the Heart' premiere: Will you return to the frontier?". Zap2It. From Inside the Box (blog). Retrieved January 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ "'When Calls the Heart' features Aussie Mountie". Canadian Press, April 10, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Hallmark Channel - The Movie Cast". Hallmarkchannel.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
Jump up ^ ""When Calls the Heart," Hallmark Channel's Newest Original Primetime Series Kicks Off with a 2-Hour Special Extended Pilot on October 5" (Press release). Hallmark Channel. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-01-11 – via The Futon Critic.
Jump up ^ The Deadline Team (June 12, 2013). "Hallmark Channel's 'When Calls The Heart' Adds Cast; 'Cedar Cove' July Premiere Set". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2014-01-13.
Jump up ^ "Special Announcement - When Calls the Heart". April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
Jump up ^ Petski, Denise (July 31, 2017). "'When Calls The Heart' Gets Season 5 Premiere Date On Hallmark Channel". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
Jump up ^ Petski, Denise (March 21, 2018). "Hallmark Channel Upfront Presentation Canceled Due To Storm, Net Makes Announcements, Including 'When Calls the Heart' Renewal, At Central Park Event". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Hallmark Channel - About the Series". Hallmarkchannel.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
Jump up ^ Brioux, Bill (December 6, 2013). "'When Calls The Heart' TV Series Set In Fictional Town Built In B.C." The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
Jump up ^ Owen, Rob (May 1, 2015). "TV Q&A: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Younger,' 'Bones' and a former Pittsburgh news anchor". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
Jump up ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 5, 2014). "When Calls the Heart' Renewed for Second Season by Hallmark Channel". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
Jump up ^ Petski, Denise (July 28, 2015). "'When Calls The Heart' Renewed For Season 3 On Hallmark Channel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
Jump up ^ "When Calls the Heart videos". Hallmark Channel.
Jump up ^ McLennan, Cindy (April 11, 2016). "When Calls the Heart: Season Four Renewal for Hallmark Channel Series". TV Series Finale. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
Jump up ^ Petski, Denise (April 15, 2016). "'When Calls The Heart' Renewed For Season 4 By Hallmark Channel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
Jump up ^ Takeuchi, Craig (August 21, 2017). "Filming in Vancouver: Johnny Depp, When Calls the Heart, and Eggplant Emoji". Inside Vancouver. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
Jump up ^ Krakow, Erin [@erinkrakow] (December 21, 2017). "That's a Season 5 WRAP for Elizabeth! It flew! Missing my Hope Valley friends already!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 25, 2017 – via Twitter.
Jump up ^ "CBC-TV stacks fall and winter lineups with British, Aussie fare". 680 News, May 28, 2015.
Jump up ^ "CBC Television reveals its 2016 summer schedule with five new primetime series, returning hits and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games". CBC Television. May 18, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
Jump up ^ "CBC Announces 2017-18 Programming Slate". CBC Television. May 24, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: When Calls the Heart
Official website
When Calls the Heart on IMDb
[hide]
v
t
e
Hallmark Channel original programming
Original
programming
Former
Cedar Cove (2013–2015)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (2014)
Current
Home and Family (since 2012)
When Calls the Heart (since 2014)
Good Witch (since 2015)
Chesapeake Shores (since 2016)
Meet the Peetes (since 2018)
Movies
List of Hallmark Channel Original Movies
Hallmark Hall of Fame movie list
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=When_Calls_the_Heart&oldid=832470072"
Categories:
English-language television programs
2010s American drama television series
2014 American television series debuts
2010s Canadian drama television series
2014 Canadian television series debuts
Period family drama television series
Western (genre) television series
Television programs based on books
Television series produced in Vancouver
Super Channel shows
Hallmark Channel shows
CBC Television shows
2010s American romance television series
Canadian romance television series
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikiquote
Languages
Italiano
Edit links
This page was last edited on 26 March 2018, at 06:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

value: i

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: href title

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: th

attrs: colspan class style

values: text-align:center;font-size:125%;font-weight:bold;font-style: italic; background: #CCCCFF; padding: 0.25em 1em; line-height: 1.5em;

value: tr

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value: td

attrs: colspan style

values:
/wiki/Dramatic_programming
mw-redirect
Dramatic programming

value: li

value: ul

values: text-align:center;background: #CCCCFF; padding: 0.25em 1em; line-height: 1.5em;

values:
/wiki/North_West_Mounted_Police
mw-redirect
North West Mounted Police

values:
/wiki/Royal_North_West_Mounted_Police
mw-redirect
Royal North West Mounted Police

values:
/wiki/Max_Lloyd-Jones
mw-redirect
Max Lloyd-Jones

values:
/wiki/Canadian_Press
mw-redirect
Canadian Press

values:
/wiki/The_Huffington_Post
mw-redirect
The Huffington Post

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2874692/
external text

values: List of programs broadcast by Hallmark Channel

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:2010s American drama television series

values: Category:2014 American television series debuts

values: Category:2010s Canadian drama television series

values: Category:2014 Canadian television series debuts

values: Category:Period family drama television series

values: Category:Western (genre) television series

values: Category:Television programs based on books

values: Category:Television series produced in Vancouver

values: Category:2010s American romance television series

values: Category:Canadian romance television series

values:
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
interface

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/When_Calls_the_Heart
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-When_Calls_the_Heart rootpage-When_Calls_the_Heart skin-vector action-view