American Cultural Values

1、American Cultural ValuesSources, Applications, Contradictions, and Challenges “All people are the same. Its only their habits that are different.” Confuciusquoted in Storti, Craig. The Art of Crossing CulturesCulture: A Definition “A system of beliefs and values shared by a particular group of peopl

2、e”Peoples habits are influenced by their beliefs and VALUES.American Values “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”-The Declarat

3、ion of Independence July 4, 1776endowed by their CreatorCreator The influence of monotheismMonotheismMonotheismbelief in one God. God usually seen as the One who made the universe Monotheismdifferent kinds in America in 1776 DeismDeismGod as the “heavenly watchmaker”, who made the universe and its l

4、aws, and then went away.Monotheismdifferent kinds in America in 1776 ChristianityChristianityGod seen as maker of the universe, but also our “Father in Heaven”. God wants a personal relationship with people. God has let people know what he is like through the Bible and through his Son Jesus Christ,

5、who entered history around the year A.D. 0 in ancient Palestine.Values of monotheism MoralismMoralismthere are rules of right and wrong in the universe, because these rules were made by God. Americans generally have had a more impersonal impersonal view of morality, meaning that rules of right and w

6、rong should be applied to everyone equally. Of course, Americans have not always done this well. Values of monotheism PURITANISM, or the “Protestant PURITANISM, or the “Protestant work ethic”.work ethic”. Who were the Puritans?Who were the Puritans? A group of Christians who came to A group of Chris

7、tians who came to America in the 1600s because they America in the 1600s because they were treated badly in Englandwere treated badly in EnglandPuritanism Puritans believed in working working very hardvery hard to prove their love for God.The effect of Puritanism today: Ask a EuropeanEuropean that y

8、ou have just met, “What do you do?”, and he/she might say, “Well, I like reading, traveling, and playing tennis.” Ask an AmercianAmercian “What do you do?”, and he/she will most likely tell you about his/her job!The effect of Puritanism Today Americans often define define themselvesthemselves by the

9、ir work. Americans make a sharp distinction between work time work time and play timeplay time, and dont like to mix them“all men are created “all men are created equal” ” EuropeEurope “Noble Class” and “Common Class” AmericaAmericaopportunity for everyoneeveryoneOpportunity:“The self-made man”Old W

10、orld, Old MoneyNew World, New MoneyOpportunity: Rooting for the “Underdog” Underdog= “A loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest” Merriam Websters Deluxe Dictionary Before Yao Ming was in the NBA, which team did you support? Was it the Chicago Bulls, and then the Los Angeles Lakers?Opportun

11、ity: Rooting for the Underdog Baseball: The New York Yankees 100+ years of history 26 Championships Consistently the highest payroll in professional baseball More people hate the Yankees than any other team!Liberty Americans generally value a high degree of personal personal freedomfreedom, and are

12、generally very INDIVIDUALISTICINDIVIDUALISTICThe effect of Individualism upon different areas ParentingEducation SystemFamilyFriendships“Personal Space”The Cowboy: The picture of American individualism“the pursuit of happiness.”Americans have generally valued the right to pursue whatever they think

13、will bring them happiness, and the right to pursue it in their own way.”the pursuit of happiness” “The American Dream” “A good job, a beautiful wife, kids, a dog, and a big house with a white picket fence”Values related to the “pursuit of happiness” Convenience Efficiency Control over ones surroundi

14、ngsValues related to the “pursuit of happiness” Newness/change: Walk into a store in America, and you will be amazed at the number of items that say “NEW AND IMPROVED!” Americans often spend all their time getting NEW things, and dont take the time to ENJOY the things they have.McDonalds as a pictur

15、e of America: McDonalds restaurants are probably a reflection of our national character. Theyre fasttheyre efficientthey make money and theyre clean. If theyre loud and crowded and if the food is wastefully wrapped, packaged, boxed, and baggedlets face it, Americans, thats us. Andy Rooney A Few Minu

16、tes with Andy Rooney. Quoted in Storti, p. 113Americans have sometimes failed at living out their own values.all men are CREATED EQUAL with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, LIBERTYLIBERTY. Slavery Mistreatment of Native Americans RacismGreat American Art: JazzCreated mainly by

17、African-AmerciansEmphasizes IMPROVISATION (a kind of Freedom)“The first generation out of slavery invented jazz music. It is a music birthed out of freedom.” Donald Miller. Blue Like Jazz, p. 239.Another American Value: DIVERSITYFrom “Melting Pot” to “Salad Bowl”With the high degree of diversity in

18、America, many Americans highly value TOLERANCEChallenges with American ValuesChallenges with American Values Liberty versus safety How can people from so many diverse backgrounds live in peace and safety together?Challenges with American Values INDIVIDUALISM: Are people really made to live like an “island”? Do people live bes