AMERICAN-VALUES.docx

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1、AMERICANVA1.UESKeyword：IndividualFreedomChOiCeinEdUCatiOnTheFamitVPriVaeVAmericanVaIUeS-OnIineReSOUrCeSIfyouaskedmostAmericansWhattheculturalvaluesintheU.S.are.youmightgetsomeblankstares,orastatementofsomebasicbeliefs.Thequestionmayseemsimple,buttheanswerisquitecomplex.Inasocietyashighlydiverseasthe

2、UnitedStates,thereislikelytobeamultitudeofanswers.Americanculturehasbeenenrichedbythevaluesandbeliefsystemsofvirtuallyeverypartoftheworld.Consequently,itisimpossibletobemprehesive.Nevertheless,afewselectedvaluesareatthecoreoftheAmericanvaluesystem.IndividualFreedomTheonevaluethatnearlyeveryAmericanW

3、OUldagreeuponisindividualfreedom.Whetheryoucallitindividualfreedom,individualism,orindependence,itisthecornerstoneofAmericanvalues.Itpermeateseveryaspectofoursociety.Theconceptofanindividualshavingcontroloverhis/herowndestinyinfluencedthetypeofgovernmentthatwasestablishedhere,andindividualrightsareg

4、uaranteedintheUnitedStatesConstitution(thesupremelawoftheland).Theserightsaresoprotectedinourjudicialsystemthat,eventhoughAmericansmaymplaithatcriminalssometimesgetawaywithmurder/mostpeoplebelieveitisbettertofreeafewguiltypersonsthantoimprisononepersonwhoisinnocent.Whileoureconomicsystemmaybedominat

5、edbylargecorporations,themajorityolAmericanbusinessesaresmall,andmanyareownedbyanindividualorafamily.ItispartoftheAmericandreamto-beyourownboss/andbeinganentrepreneurisoneofthemostappealingwaystoimproveoneseconomicfuture.ChoiceinEducationEducationsoftenregardedasthekeytoopportunity,includingfinancia

6、lsecurity.Americanstakeapragmaticapproachtolearning,sowhatonelearnsoutsidethedassroomthroughinternships,extracurricularactivitiesandthelikeisoftenconsideredasimportantaswhatislearnedintheclassroom.Consequentiy.lifelonglearningisvaluedwhichresultsinmanyadultandcontinuingeducationprograms.Americanshav

7、emanychoices.Inschooltheydecidetheirmajorfieldofstudy,perhapswithorwithoutJheirparentsinfluence,andstudentsvengettoselectsomeoftheircourses.Theseelectivecoursesoftennfuseforeignstudentswhomayexpectamorerigidcurriculum.ThebeliefthatAmericansshouldbeallthatyoucanbeemanatesfromourProtestantheritage.Sin

8、cethemajorityoftheearlysettlerswereProtestant,theybelievedthattheyhadaresponsibilitytoimprovethemselves,tobethebesttheycouldbe.todeveloptheirtalents,andtohelptheirneighbors.Theseconvictionshavenotonlyinfluencedoureducationalsystem,butareoftenreflectedinU.S.foreignpolicy.Whatsomemightconsidermeddling

9、inotherpeoplesaffairs,othersbelieveisfulfillingamoralobligation.TheFamilyAnotheraspectofAmericansocietythatmaybewilderon-Amercanssthe(amity.Thenuclearfamilystructure(parentsandchildren)issoalientomostculturesintheworldthatitisoftenmisunderstood.ThemainpurposeoftheAmericanfamilyistobringaboutthehappi

10、nessofeachindividualfamilymember.Thetraditionalfamilyvaluesincludeloveandrespectforparents,aswellasforallmembersofthefamily.However,themphasisontheindividualandhisherrighttohappinesscanbeconfusing.Itallowschildrentodisagree,evenarguewiththeirparents.Whileinmostotherculturessuchactionwouldbeasignofdi

11、srespectandalackoflove,thatisnotthecaseintheUnitedStates.ItisSimPiyapartofdevelopingonesindependence.Manyforeignstudentsandvisitorsarewelcomedbyhostfamilies,whoinvitethemintotheirhomesfordinnerortojoininfamilyactivities.Frequentlyvisitorsaretoldto-makethemselvesathomeand,attimes,mayappearobeleftalon

12、e.,Itcertainlyisnicetobetreatedasanhonoredguestsomeoneshome,butonofthehighestcomplimentsthatanAmericancangiveforeignguestsistotreatthemlikemembersofthefamily,whichmeanstogivethemthefreedomofthehouse,todowhaltheywant,toraidtherefrigerator1ontheirown,ortohavesomequiettimealone.PrivacyPrivacyisalsoimpo

13、rtanttoAmericans.Thenotionofindividualprivacymaymakeitdifficulttomakefriends.BecauseAmericansrespectonesprivacy,theymaynotgomuchbeyondafriendlyhello.Ironically,itisusuallytheforeignerwhomustbemoreassertiveifafriendshipistodevelop.TheruggedindividualismvaluedbymostAmericansstemsfromourfrontierheritag

14、e.Formuchofouruntry,shistory,therewasafrontier.ThatexperiencegreatlyinfluencedAmericanattitudes.Earlysettlershadtobeself-sufficientwhichforcedthemtobeinventive.Thersuccessgavethemanoptimismaboutthefuture,abeliefthatproblemscouldbesolved.ThispositivespiritenablesAmericanstotakerisksinareaswhereothers

15、mightonlydream,resultingintremendousadvancesintechnology,healthandscience.TheAmericanfrontieralsocreatedourheroes：theself-reliant,strong-willed,confidentindividualwhopreferredactiontowordsandalwaystriedtotreatothersfairly.ManyofthesecharacteristicsarerepresentedbythemythoftheAmericancowboy,andthemor

16、emodernversionspersonifiedinmoviesbyJohnWayne,ClintEastwood,andSylvesterStak11e.WecaneventooktofuturecenturiesandadmiresimilarqualitiesintheheroesoftheStarTrekandStarWarsmovieseries.InadditiontosuchbasicAmericanvaluesasindividualfreedom,self-reliance,equalityofopportunity,hardwork,materialveath,andmpetition,weseeatrendtowardconservationwithanemphasisonrecyclingandpreservingtheenvironment.Alsothereisagre