Of highways, turntables and mirror mazes: Metaphors of Americanisation in the history of American philanthropy

This exploratory essay reflects on recent scholarship on twentieth-century European–American relations that has used the concept of “Americanisation,” particularly with regard to cultural transfers. The essay analyses how concepts of Americanisation have changed over time and uses the historiography of American philanthropy abroad to illustrate these changes. Whilst most scholars who apply the concept now view Americanisation as a two-way process which entails selective adaptation and transformation, there are subtle differences in emphasis. The essay traces these in the use of metaphors. Two metaphors have achieved prominence recently, the highway and the turntable. Testing both against empirical material taken from the transnational history of American foundations, the article then introduces a third metaphor, the mirror maze, which brings out a neglected dimension, the question of reflexivity.