阅读(三)3-2-3 American values - for home reading of unit 2
面试自我介绍技巧-中班下学期班级计划
This section discusses American culture &
customs.
AMERICAN VALUES
Individual Freedom | Choice in Education | The
Family | Privacy |
If you asked most
Americans what the cultural values in the U.S.
are, you might get some
blank stares, or a
statement of some basic beliefs. The question may
seem simple, but the
answer is quite complex.
In a society as highly diverse as the United
States, there is likely to
be a multitude of
answers.
American culture has been enriched
by the values and belief systems of virtually
every part of
the world. Consequently, it is
impossible to be comprehensive. Nevertheless, a
few selected
values are at the core of the
American value system.
Individual Freedom
The one value that nearly every American would
agree upon is individual freedom. Whether
you
call it individual freedom, individualism, or
independence, it is the cornerstone of American
values. It permeates every aspect of our
society.
The concept of an individual’s
having control over hisher own destiny influenced
the type of
government that was established
here, and individual rights are guaranteed in the
United
States Constitution (the supreme law of
the land).
These rights are so protected in
our judicial system that, even though Americans
may
complain that criminals sometimes “get
away with murder,” most people believe it is
better to
free a few guilty persons than to
imprison one person who is innocent.
While our
economic system may be dominated by large
corporations, the majority of American
businesses are small, and many are owned by an
individual or a family. It is part of the
“American dream” to “be your own boss,” and
being an entrepreneur is one of the most
appealing ways to improve one’s economic
future.
Choice in Education
Education
is often regarded as the key to opportunity,
including financial security. Americans
take a
pragmatic approach to learning, so what one learns
outside the classroom through
internships,
extracurricular activities and the like is often
considered as important as what is
learned in
the classroom. Consequently, lifelong learning is
valued which results in many adult
and
continuing education programs.
Americans have
many choices. In school they decide their major
field of study, perhaps with or
without their
parents’ influence, and students even get to
select some of their courses. These
“elective”
courses often confuse foreign students who may
expect a more rigid curriculum.
The
belief that Americans should “be all that you can
be” emanates from our Protestant
heritage.
Since the majority of the early settlers were
Protestant, they believed that they had a
responsibility to improve themselves, to be
the best they could be, to develop their talents,
and
to help their neighbors. These convictions
have not only influenced our educational system,
but are often reflected in U.S. foreign
policy. What some might consider meddling in other
people’s affairs, others believe is fulfilling
a moral obligation.
The Family
Another
aspect of American society that may bewilder non-
Americans is the family. The
nuclear family
structure (parents and children) is so alien to
most cultures in the world that it is
often
misunderstood. The main purpose of the American
family is to bring about the happiness
of each
individual family member. The traditional family
values include love and respect for
parents,
as well as for all members of the family.
However, the emphasis on the individual and
hisher right to happiness can be confusing. It
allows children to disagree, even argue with
their parents. While in most other cultures such
action would be a sign of disrespect and a
lack of love, that is not the case in the United
States.
It is simply a part of developing
one’s independence.
Many foreign students and
visitors are welcomed by host families, who invite
them into their
homes for dinner or to join in
family activities. Frequently visitors are told to
“make themselves
at home” and, at times, may
appear to be “left alone.”
It certainly is
nice to be treated as an honored guest in
someone’s home, but one of the
highest
compliments that an American can give foreign
guests is to treat them like members of
the
family, which means to give them the “freedom of
the house” to do what they want, to “raid
the
refrigerator” on their own, or to have some quiet
time alone.
Privacy
Privacy is also
important to Americans. The notion of individual
privacy may make it difficult to
make friends.
Because Americans respect one’s privacy, they may
not go much beyond a
friendly “hello.”
Ironically, it is usually the foreigner who must
be more assertive if a friendship
is to
develop.
The rugged individualism valued by
most Americans stems from our frontier heritage.
For
much of our country’s history, there was a
frontier. That experience greatly influenced
American attitudes. Early settlers had to be
self-sufficient which forced them to be inventive.
Their success gave them an optimism about the
future, a belief that problems could be solved.
This positive spirit enables Americans to take
risks in areas where others might only dream,
resulting in tremendous advances in
technology, health and science.
The American
frontier also created our heroes: the self-
reliant, strong-willed, confident
individual
who preferred action to words and always tried to
treat others fairly. Many of these
characteristics are represented by the myth of
the American cowboy, and the more modern
versions personified in movies by John Wayne,
Clint Eastwood, and Sylvester Stallone. We
can even look to “future” centuries and
admire similar qualities in the heroes of the Star
Trek
and Star Wars movie series.
In
addition to such basic American values as
individual freedom, self-reliance, equality of
opportunity, hard work, material wealth, and
competition, we see a trend toward conservation
with an emphasis on recycling and preserving
the environment. Also there is a greater
sensitivity to cooperation on a more global
scale.
No matter what changes the next
century brings or whether you agree with American
values,
the opportunity to visit the United
States and to observe Americans first-hand is an
experience
well worth the effort.
Be
careful not to be ethnocentric, but to evaluate a
culture by its own standards. Be aware that
you’ll help shape American attitudes, just as
they will influence you.
Editorial written by
Thomas E. Grouling, Ph.D., Assistant Director,
International Center, Drake
University