AMERICAN-VALUES.docx

AMERICANVA1.UESKeyword：IndividualFreedomChOiCeinEdUCatiOnTheFamitVPriVaeVAmericanVaIUeS-OnIineReSOUrCeSIfyouaskedmostAmericansWhattheculturalvaluesintheU.S.are.youmightgetsomeblankstares,orastatementofsomebasicbeliefs.Thequestionmayseemsimple,buttheanswerisquitecomplex.InasocietyashighlydiverseastheUnitedStates,thereislikelytobeamultitudeofanswers.Americanculturehasbeenenrichedbythevaluesandbeliefsystemsofvirtuallyeverypartoftheworld.Consequently,itisimpossibletobemprehesive.Nevertheless,afewselectedvaluesareatthecoreoftheAmericanvaluesystem.IndividualFreedomTheonevaluethatnearlyeveryAmericanWOUldagreeuponisindividualfreedom.Whetheryoucallitindividualfreedom,individualism,orindependence,itisthecornerstoneofAmericanvalues.Itpermeateseveryaspectofoursociety.Theconceptofanindividual'shavingcontroloverhis/herowndestinyinfluencedthetypeofgovernmentthatwasestablishedhere,andindividualrightsareguaranteedintheUnitedStatesConstitution(thesupremelawoftheland).Theserightsaresoprotectedinourjudicialsystemthat,eventhoughAmericansmaymplaithatcriminalssometimes"getawaywithmurder/mostpeoplebelieveitisbettertofreeafewguiltypersonsthantoimprisononepersonwhoisinnocent.Whileoureconomicsystemmaybedominatedbylargecorporations,themajorityolAmericanbusinessesaresmall,andmanyareownedbyanindividualorafamily.Itispartofthe"Americandream"to-beyourownboss/andbeinganentrepreneurisoneofthemostappealingwaystoimproveone'seconomicfuture.ChoiceinEducationEducationsoftenregardedasthekeytoopportunity,includingfinancialsecurity.Americanstakeapragmaticapproachtolearning,sowhatonelearnsoutsidethedassroomthroughinternships,extracurricularactivitiesandthelikeisoftenconsideredasimportantaswhatislearnedintheclassroom.Consequentiy.lifelonglearningisvaluedwhichresultsinmanyadultandcontinuingeducationprograms.Americanshavemanychoices.Inschooltheydecidetheirmajorfieldofstudy,perhapswithorwithoutJheirparents'influence,andstudents©vengettoselectsomeoftheircourses.These"elective"coursesoftennfuseforeignstudentswhomayexpectamorerigidcurriculum.ThebeliefthatAmericansshould"beallthatyoucanbe"emanatesfromourProtestantheritage.SincethemajorityoftheearlysettlerswereProtestant,theybelievedthattheyhadaresponsibilitytoimprovethemselves,tobethebesttheycouldbe.todeveloptheirtalents,andtohelptheirneighbors.Theseconvictionshavenotonlyinfluencedoureducationalsystem,butareoftenreflectedinU.S.foreignpolicy.Whatsomemightconsidermeddlinginotherpeople'saffairs,othersbelieveisfulfillingamoralobligation.TheFamilyAnotheraspectofAmericansocietythatmaybewilderon-Amercanssthe(amity.Thenuclearfamilystructure(parentsandchildren)issoalientomostculturesintheworldthatitisoftenmisunderstood.ThemainpurposeoftheAmericanfamilyistobringaboutthehappinessofeachindividualfamilymember.Thetraditionalfamilyvaluesincludeloveandrespectforparents,aswellasforallmembersofthefamily.However,th©emphasisontheindividualandhis'herrighttohappinesscanbeconfusing.Itallowschildrentodisagree,evenarguewiththeirparents.Whileinmostotherculturessuchactionwouldbeasignofdisrespectandalackoflove,thatisnotthecaseintheUnitedStates.ItisSimPiyapartofdevelopingone'sindependence.Manyforeignstudentsandvisitorsarewelcomedbyhostfamilies,whoinvitethemintotheirhomesfordinnerortojoininfamilyactivities.Frequentlyvisitorsaretoldto-makethemselvesathome"and,attimes,mayappearobe'leftalone.,Itcertainlyisnicetobetreatedasanhonoredguestsomeone'shome,buton©ofthehighestcomplimentsthatanAmericancangiveforeignguestsistotreatthemlikemembersofthefamily,whichmeanstogivethemthe'freedomofthehouse,todowhaltheywant,to'raidtherefrigerator1ontheirown,ortohavesomequiettimealone.PrivacyPrivacyisalsoimportanttoAmericans.Thenotionofindividualprivacymaymakeitdifficulttomakefriends.BecauseAmericansrespectone'sprivacy,theymaynotgomuchbeyondafriendly'hello."Ironically,itisusuallytheforeignerwhomustbemoreassertiveifafriendshipistodevelop.TheruggedindividualismvaluedbymostAmericansstemsfromourfrontierheritage.Formuchofouruntry,shistory,therewasafrontier.ThatexperiencegreatlyinfluencedAmericanattitudes.Earlysettlershadtobeself-sufficientwhichforcedthemtobeinventive.Thersuccessgavethemanoptimismaboutthefuture,abeliefthatproblemscouldbesolved.ThispositivespiritenablesAmericanstotakerisksinareaswhereothersmightonlydream,resultingintremendousadvancesintechnology,healthandscience.TheAmericanfrontieralsocreatedourheroes：theself-reliant,strong-willed,confidentindividualwhopreferredactiontowordsandalwaystriedtotreatothersfairly.ManyofthesecharacteristicsarerepresentedbythemythoftheAmericancowboy,andthemoremodernversionspersonifiedinmoviesbyJohnWayne,ClintEastwood,andSylvesterStak>11e.Wecaneventookto"future"centuriesandadmiresimilarqualitiesintheheroesoftheStarTrekandStarWarsmovieseries.InadditiontosuchbasicAmericanvaluesasindividualfreedom,self-reliance,equalityofopportunity,hardwork,materialveath,andmpetition,weseeatrendtowardconservationwithanemphasisonrecyclingandpreservingtheenvironment.Alsothereisagre