AMERICAN-VALUES

AMERICANVALUESKeyword:IndividualFreedom|ChoiceinEducation|TheFamily|Privacy|AmericanValues-OnlineResourcesIfyouaskedmostAmericanswhattheculturalvaluesintheU.S.are,youmightgetsomeblankstares,orastatementofsomebasicbeliefs.Thequestionmayseemsimple,buttheanswerisquitecomplex.InasocietyashighlydiverseastheUnitedStates,thereislikelytobeamultitudeofanswers.Americanculturehasbeenenrichedbythevaluesandbeliefsystemsofvirtuallyeverypartoftheworld.Consequently,itisimpossibletobecomprehensive.Nevertheless,afewselectedvaluesareatthecoreoftheAmericanvaluesystem.IndividualFreedomTheonevaluethatnearlyeveryAmericanwouldagreeuponisindividualfreedom.Whetheryoucallitindividualfreedom,individualism,orindependence,itisthecornerstoneofAmericanvalues.Itpermeateseveryaspectofoursociety.Theconceptofanindividual'shavingcontroloverhis/herowndestinyinfluencedthetypeofgovernmentthatwasestablishedhere,andindividualrightsareguaranteedintheUnitedStatesConstitution(thesupremelawoftheland).Theserightsaresoprotectedinourjudicialsystemthat,eventhoughAmericansmaycomplainthatcriminalssometimesgetawaywithmurder,mostpeoplebelieveitisbettertofreeafewguiltypersonsthantoimprisononepersonwhoisinnocent.Whileoureconomicsystemmaybedominatedbylargecorporations,themajorityofAmericanbusinessesaresmall,andmanyareownedbyanindividualorafamily.ItispartoftheAmericandreamtobeyourownboss,andbeinganentrepreneurisoneofthemostappealingwaystoimproveone'seconomicfuture.ChoiceinEducationEducationisoftenregardedasthekeytoopportunity,includingfinancialsecurity.Americanstakeapragmaticapproachtolearning,sowhatonelearnsoutsidetheclassroomthroughinternships,extracurricularactivitiesandthelikeisoftenconsideredasimportantaswhatislearnedintheclassroom.Consequently,lifelonglearningisvaluedwhichresultsinmanyadultandcontinuingeducationprograms.Americanshavemanychoices.Inschooltheydecidetheirmajorfieldofstudy,perhapswithorwithouttheirparents'influence,andstudentsevengettoselectsomeoftheircourses.Theseelectivecoursesoftenconfuseforeignstudentswhomayexpectamorerigidcurriculum.ThebeliefthatAmericansshouldbeallthatyoucanbeemanatesfromourProtestantheritage.SincethemajorityoftheearlysettlerswereProtestant,theybelievedthattheyhadaresponsibilitytoimprovethemselves,tobethebesttheycouldbe,todeveloptheirtalents,andtohelptheirneighbors.Theseconvictionshavenotonlyinfluencedoureducationalsystem,butareoftenreflectedinU.S.foreignpolicy.Whatsomemightconsidermeddlinginotherpeople'saffairs,othersbelieveisfulfillingamoralobligation.TheFamilyAnotheraspectofAmericansocietythatmaybewildernon-Americansisthefamily.Thenuclearfamilystructure(parentsandchildren)issoalientomostculturesintheworldthatitisoftenmisunderstood.ThemainpurposeoftheAmericanfamilyistobringaboutthehappinessofeachindividualfamilymember.Thetraditionalfamilyvaluesincludeloveandrespectforparents,aswellasforallmembersofthefamily.However,theemphasisontheindividualandhis/herrighttohappinesscanbeconfusing.Itallowschildrentodisagree,evenarguewiththeirparents.Whileinmostotherculturessuchactionwouldbeasignofdisrespectandalackoflove,thatisnotthecaseintheUnitedStates.Itissimplyapartofdevelopingone'sindependence.Manyforeignstudentsandvisitorsarewelcomedbyhostfamilies,whoinvitethemintotheirhomesfordinnerortojoininfamilyactivities.Frequentlyvisitorsaretoldtomakethemselvesathomeand,attimes,mayappeartobeleftalone.Itcertainlyisnicetobetreatedasanhonoredguestinsomeone'shome,butoneofthehighestcomplimentsthatanAmericancangiveforeignguestsistotreatthemlikemembersofthefamily,whichmeanstogivethemthefreedomofthehousetodowhattheywant,toraidtherefrigeratorontheirown,ortohavesomequiettimealone.PrivacyPrivacyisalsoimportanttoAmericans.Thenotionofindividualprivacymaymakeitdifficulttomakefriends.BecauseAmericansrespectone'sprivacy,theymaynotgomuchbeyondafriendlyhello.Ironically,itisusuallytheforeignerwhomustbemoreassertiveifafriendshipistodevelop.TheruggedindividualismvaluedbymostAmericansstemsfromourfrontierheritage.Formuchofourcountry'shistory,therewasafrontier.ThatexperiencegreatlyinfluencedAmericanattitudes.Earlysettlershadtobeself-sufficientwhichforcedthemtobeinventive.Theirsuccessgavethemanoptimismaboutthefuture,abeliefthatproblemscouldbesolved.ThispositivespiritenablesAmericanstotakerisksinareaswhereothersmightonlydream,resultingintremendousadvancesintechnology,healthandscience.TheAmericanfrontieralsocreatedourheroes:theself-reliant,strong-willed,confidentindividualwhopreferredactiontowordsandalwaystriedtotreatothersfairly.ManyofthesecharacteristicsarerepresentedbythemythoftheAmericancowboy,andthemoremodernversionspersonifiedinmoviesbyJohnWayne,ClintEastwood,andSylvesterStallone.WecanevenlooktofuturecenturiesandadmiresimilarqualitiesintheheroesoftheStarTrekandStarWarsmovieseries.InadditiontosuchbasicAmericanvaluesasindividualfreedom,self-reliance,equalityofopportunity,hardwork,materialwealth,andcompetition,weseeatrendtowardconservationwithanemphasisonrecyclingandpreservingtheenvironment.Alsothereisagreatersensitivitytocooperationonamoreglobalscale.Nomatterwhatcha