The Role of Social Movements in the Creation of U.S. Identity

This bachelor thesis deals with the topic of the national identity of the United States of America. The subjects of this thesis are chosen social movements influencing American society. These are the civil rights movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the roles of these movements in the formation of the current American national identity and to determine what influence these movements have had on its current state. These objectives were achieved through qualitative research in which reality was explored through an interpretive approach. Firstly, the movements were evaluated in terms of the subjective and objective meanings attributed to reality by the movements and society. Secondly, criteria examining the expressions of identity politics in particular movements were defined for evaluation. During the practical part, it was found that there were signs of identity politics in the chosen social movements that challenged the character of the society, thus challenging the traits and values that constitute the national identity of the United States of America.