Assignment: American Values
Read the list of American values (handout) . Write whether you believe the values listed adequately represent "core American" values. Then choose one of the values and think of at least two examples(from recent news, from the practices of your friends, family, or "Americans" in general)of how the value is expressed in society.
Unlike norms whose existence can easily be observed in everyday behavior, values are often more difficult to identify. The values of a society have to be inferred from its norms, so any analysis of values relies heavily on the interpretations of the observer. The United States presents a particular problem for it has a heterogeneous culture drawn from many different racial, ethnic, religious, and regional traditions; thus, it lacks the unquestioned consensus on values that smaller, traditional communities tend to display. Sociologists have therefore concentrated on detecting "core" values that appear to be shared by the majority of Americans. The most influential of these attempts is that of Robin Williams (1970), who found fifteen basic value orientations in the United States.
Ten of these are listed here:
1. ACHIEVEMENT and SUCCESS. The society is highly competitive, and great value is placed on the achievement of power, wealth, and prestige.
2. ACTIVITY and WORK. Regular, disciplined work is highly valued for its own sake; those who do not work are considered lazy and even immoral.
3. HUMANITARIANISM. Americans regard themselves as a kindly, charitable people, always ready to come to the aid of the less fortunate or the underdog.
4. EFFICIENCY and PRACTICALITY. Americans believe that problems have solutions, and they are an intensely practical people; the ability to "get things done" is widely admired.
5. PROGRESS. Americans look to the future rather than the past, sharing a conviction that things can and should get better; their outlook is fundamentally optimistic.
6. MATERIAL COMFORT. Americans value the "good life," which they define in terms of a high standard of living and the possession of material goods.
7. EQUALITY. Americans claim to believe in human equality, particularly in equality of opportunity; they generally relate to one another in an informal, egalitarian way.
8. FREEDOM. The freedom of the individual is regarded as one of the most important values in American life; Americans believe devoutly that they are and should remain "free."
9. NATIONALISM-PATRIOTISM. Americans are proud of their country and its achievements; the "American way of life" is highly valued and assumed to be the best in the world.
10. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. To be responsible, self-respecting individual is very important, and Americans are reluctant to give the group priority over the individual.