...American values The American values are very different from the Danish. In their world every man owns their own luck, but in Denmark we have to help the weak, which we do through our taxes. In Denmark nobody is really rich, because the richest people pay more to society, so that the poor people do not have to pay anything. If you get rich in America, it is all on you. It is not your responsibility to help the poor. Some famous people choose to do it anyways through charity, but the question is, if this is mostly to promote themselves, or if it is actually to help people. Looking at Hofstedes 4 dimensions, there are also a lot of differences between the Danish and the American culture. Power distance is the first dimension. America has a lot of power distance compared to Denmark. They have some Christian societies, where the pastor is above everyone else. But this is very different from place to place. America is so big, so there are also other places, where there is very little power distance, but I still think Denmark takes the title as the Country with the least power distance. It is very rare, that you see an American call their teacher by first name. The next dimension is collectivism vs. individualism. As I wrote in the beginning, America is a country for individualists, where the personal freedom fills the most, while Denmark is very collectivistic, where we help the weakest, so everybody have an income even though some people do not even have a job. Uncertainty avoidance...
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...definitions of American is “of or relating to the United States or its possessions or original territory or the people that live there”. And one of the meanings for value is defined as “relative worth, utility, or importance”. What is an American? Is a letter by Hector St. John Crevecoeur who was a farmer. Part of his letter discusses “Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world” (Crevecoeur, 1782). From this reading my understanding is that men have emigrated and gathered together to unify themselves for a better life. Working hard, bringing arts, church and fellowship to all and also instill change from where they have come from. They are European or of European descent and all pitch in to help to till the soil and work on the land to make something of it, more than what they had before coming here. They are unified to create and extend their means for enhancement. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a humanitarian, a clergyman and a civil rights activist. He believed in freedom, equality for all and a non-violent approach. It has been 50 years since his “I have a dream speech” wherein he says “even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. He goes on to say, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to...
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...The Values Americans Live By Compiled byVladimir Pavlov Adapted from Robert Kohl’s article, The Values Americans Live By (April 1984) Most Americans would have a difficult time telling international visitors, specifically, which values they live by. They probably have never given the matter any thought. Even if Americans had considered this question, they would probably decide not to answer in terms of a definitive list of values. The reason for this decision itself is one American value— that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all, or even most, of their fellow citizens. xxx Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they really are. Americans think they have only been slightly influenced by family, church or schools. In the end, each believes, "I personally chose which values I want to live my own life by." xxx Despite this self-evaluation, an anthropologist from another country could observe Americans and produce a list of common values which would fit most Americans. The list of typically American values would stand in sharp contrast to the values commonly held by people in some other cultures.. xxx The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When an international visitor encounters an action, or hears a statement in the United States which surprises him or her, he or she should...
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...The American culture is a diverse mix of customs and traditions from nearly every region of the world. The United States can be described as a “melting pot” in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct “flavors” to American culture (Zimmerman K, 2015). Our culture is created by the language we speak, food we eat and the way we interact with people. It has changed and evolved over time as we adapt to all the different cultures that have joined us in our land of the free. Within our culture we also have values. These values are what defines us as Americans and what makes us each unique individuals. As foreigners and tourists visit the United States they see all these values first hand, just like we do when we visit other regions around the world. The values that Americans hold most above all others are equality, individuality and the way we spend our time. Equality is the idea that everyone is created equal and has the same rights, including men and woman of all ethnic cultural groups living in the United States. Equality is, for Americans, one of the most important values. This concept is so important that we have given it a religious basis. All people have been "created equal." Most Americans believe that God views all humans alike without regard to intelligence, physical condition or economic status. In secular terms this belief is translated into the assertion that all people have an equal opportunity to succeed in life ( Americans have different opinions...
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...Government officials that are elected are put in office to support these civic values based on society’s wishes. Most of the time civic values are individually and community based justice or general considerations for other people. America’s values act as a reinforcement of American civic values. There are many things that undermine American civic values. Many large corporations and very wealthy people are often criticized into believing that they influence the government and the decision making process. This is one assumption because their large financial contributions help to elect candidates that support their interest. Also the media is also something in today’s society that undermines American civic values. The media focuses on negative issues such as unemployment and crime which intensifies already apparent problems. These issues broadcast negativity into American culture and as it spreads so does the lack of American civic values. Civic values help make America’s political and civil culture better because it is a guideline for Americans to follow. It allows each person or group of people to have their own decision rather its individual or government mandated. These values are considerate of its members and help keep communities peaceful. There are penalties for failing to adhere to civic values. Some examples are losing jobs, fines, or prison. There are many instances when not adhering to civic values is the issue and the people are simply dealing with regret, guilt, a disappointed...
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...American Civic Values Terriana Clark-Ishola POS/110 November 26, 2011 D. Ryan Sagers American Civic Values America revolves around morals, individual freedom, and liberties. Today society reinforces America civic values by allowing every individual to have the freedom of choice, to be left alone and to live freely. The government does not have the right to interfere if a community wants to help someone who is in need. However, the government officials are elected in office to help support these civic values because civic values are individually and community based to show generosity to other people. There are several things that undermine American civic values. The media plays a big part on undermine America values because they focus on the negativity that goes on this country. Also today’s global redistribution of jobs and investments has devastated American as a whole with the unemployment rate being high as ever and the American people are not investing like they were several years ago. With these types of situations it makes our communities grow further apart. Civic values can have certain guidelines for people to follow. These guidelines can come from each individual, different group of people, and from the government. These values are created to keep the communities safe, peaceful, and together. If someone breaks the law there can be criminal charges enforced, but if someone is failing to adhere by civic values there would not be any penalties...
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...American Culture Values Keith Byrd University of Phoenix Ann Fongheiser 1-25-10 American Culture Values American Culture is a combination of history, traditions, holidays, customs, religious beliefs and values. It also encompasses spirits, arts - to include visual, musical, and dance, cinema, literature and food. American Culture has been heavily influenced by the Europeans, British, and other Eastern World Civilizations. Our National holidays, sporting events, military and even our government all have been influenced by Eastern World Civilization. Our architectural designs, cars, fashion, and firearms all have Eastern influences. Calendars are a major influence on holidays and US history and religious traditions. National patriarchs, US history and Religious traditions are all a part of the reason that the United States observes holidays and traditions. National holidays like Washington’s Birthday, Independence Day and Christmas are just a few of the traditions and holidays that are influenced by Religion, National patriarchs and US history. In 1879, Washington's Birthday was declared a National holiday by an act of Congress. In 1968, the Uniform Holiday Act started to commemorate Washington's birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February, which is now know in the American Culture as "President's Day." Independence Day, also known as the fourth of July, is the day that we celebrate in commemoration of the...
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...The Values Americans Live By by L. Robert Kohls Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are that Americans live by. They have never given the matter much thought. xxx Even if Americans had considered this question, they would probably, in the end, decide not to answer in terms of a definitive list of values. The reason for this decision is itself one very American value—their belief that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all, or even most, of their fellow citizens. Although Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they actually are, it is significant that they think they are. Americans tend to think they have been only slightly influenced by family, church or schools. In the end, each believes, "I personally chose which values I want to live my own life by." Despite this self-evaluation, a foreign anthropologist could observe Americans and produce a list of common values that would fit most Americans. The list of typically American values would stand in sharp contrast to the values commonly held by the people of many other countries. We, the staff of the Washington International Center, have been introducing thousands of international visitors to life in the United States for more than a third of a century. This has caused us to try to look at Americans through the eyes of our visitors. We feel confident that the values listed here describe...
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...Diminishing Morals Over the course of a decade, America has been overcome with changes. Changes that have impacted American society, economy, and culture.Traditional values are currently being replaced by modern day modifications revolving around the changing outlooks in American households. Values dating back to times of segregation have begun to change for the better, while values regarding marriage and family relationships have taken a turn for the worse. Respecting authority, having faith in God, and maintaining one marriage for life are no longer an importance to American citizens. This change in ethics across the nation cannot be summed up to one cause, rather as an effect of multiple causes that have caused society to transform. However, several causes stand out above all others as the most probable. Changing social behaviors, divorce rates, and technology have altered the average American’s values and outlook on the world. In the late 1950’s, CBS aired a sitcom called “Leave it to Beaver”. The show portrayed a typical American family: a married couple and their two biological children. This portrayal was pegged as the “nuclear family” (Stanley 2012). During the times of both world wars up until the 1980’s, blended families were not common. Once a couple married, they typically maintained their marriage for better or for worse. A couple’s family tree continued only after they had said their vows, when it was socially acceptable to reproduce. Most women in 1950 were...
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...control. (a) Discuss your understanding of these two functions. (b) Identify two “Dominate American Values”, and discuss how these values have influenced the development of today’s existing social policies and social welfare system. Provide examples? Social welfare programs have two major functions: social treatment and social control. Social treatment is “the provision of goods and services for the enhancement of human life” (Day & Schiele, 2013, p. 35). Programs like SNAP and Medicare are the services that are meant to help with this enhancement. Social control is “the provision...
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...Throughout the entire course we learned a lot of different aspects of American government, in particular the American core values. Liberty, individualism, equality and self-government are all American cultural ideals that are set serve the people. In this paper I hope to define each American core value and determine whether there’s evidence correlating them to American government. Liberty is defined as a person who is free to act and think as they choose as long as they don’t intervene with the freedom and well being of others. Liberty includes but is not limited to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. The declaration of independence states a popular phrase; people are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Chapter two in the textbook turns its attention to a limited government, which implies strict legal limits on the use of power so that it doesn’t threaten an individual’s liberty. For example “the rights of the Englishmen” which are...
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...International Center discusses the American cultural values and how they may be seen through the eyes of international visitors. In his article he provides a list of thirteen ingrained values that most, if not all Americans have and share. He also explains how American actions through these values are very strange and unsettling in comparison to foreigner’s values. He calls these values “The Values Americans Live By” a list of thirteen values that explain how Americans act and what they deem as important to American society. He tries to explain this in a way that will assist international visitors understand the nature of American culture and how it may differ from theirs. He begins to explain that Americans cannot put their finger on their own values and are not able to identify what they believe as a whole. He also explains that the list is viewed by Americans as positive meaning that all the values listed are looked on as very favorable and advantageous to its culture. The list starts with how man has the right and should control nature and uses the example of space travel and landing on the moon. He explains that Americans do not rely on fate and will go so far as to criticize and demean people that do. Americans at all costs will do whatever it takes to control nature. Change is the next on the list and is inevitably a good thing that brings progression, advancement, and evolution. He suggests that Americans do not find much value in the heritage and traditions...
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...Miteechur English Comp II February 10, 2015 American Family Values In the article, “Family Values,” Richard Rodriguez states his view on the positive affect of homosexuality on family values in America. He questions the values that the media and politicians claim Americans hold and intrigues the reader to decide whether the United States values the family at all. With the traditional family dynamic changing every day, so does the perspective of right and wrong. The media, however, is quick to defend the sanctity of the stereotypical family and chastises anything that contradicts that ideal. The things one values changes with age and are shaped through personal experience and relationships made throughout life. This individual moral development should be promoted instead of criticized. This country was founded on the idea of individual rights. However, America is always forcing it’s ideals on others. The United States would be a more unified and progressive place if its citizens embraced the idea of tolerance and valued the diversity that make the people of this country great instead of demonizing what doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of the American family. The United States is seen as the “Land of Opportunity.” People have come from all over the world to give their family a chance at the American Dream. This nation was created by people who believed in the idea of a better life for their children. But what is the American Dream and why was this ideal appealing? In traditional...
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...American Political Culture & Values According to the text book, political culture is a set of beliefs broadly shared, value, and norms regarding on how the political and economic life should be done. The political cultures determine the relationship of citizens to government, to one another, and to the economy. American political culture may share beliefs, values and norms, with other countries, but the amount of configuration of each political culture is unique. No matter how extensive the consensus organization, culture contains values that overlap and conflict; the American political culture is no exception. The values of American political culture are based in the XVIII century philosophy that should heavily influence the founders. In recent years, the values has also been added, some support the original, some conflicts: Liberty is the value of freedom can be the most important source of stimulation for the American Revolution, and it is still a core value today. Freedom is one of the natural rights first cited by John Locke and later by Thomas Jefferson “that among these rights are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”; Equality- once again, Thomas Jefferson refers to the basic values of the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truth to be self-evident, that all people are created equal” Although most Americans do not believe that people are equal in every sense of the word, the fundamental belief in equality of opportunity and equal treatment...
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...Individualism as an American Cultural Value Individualism is often viewed as a positive trait in America, suggesting a certain level of personal confidence. American society tends to reward independent thinkers and those who decide autonomously. To this end, individuality has become a value in many American homes. Although individualism is widely received and respected in American culture, it is not as well respected in other cultures. One culture in particular which frowns on individualism is the Asian culture. Thai family values are very different from American family values. In Asian cultures the family unit is highly valued and emphasized, whereas, in American culture, the focus is on individuality. Values derived from the American family all suggest individuality by stressing autonomy and self-sufficiency of the individual members. In contrast, members of the Thai community are taught to embrace a “we” Identity. The individual does not stand alone, but is seen as the product of all generations of his or her family. One of America’s most prominent cultural values, as seen by Poranee Natadecha-Sponsel in her article Individualism as an American Cultural Value, is individuality. She believes that the way Americans are raised teaches them to become independent and individualistic in their everyday lives, unlike in Thai culture. One of the main values in the United States is individualism. Dr. Sponsel faced a cultural shock when she moved to Hawaii. Being born and raised...
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