chapter 9American Cultural Values.docx
- 文档编号:9886098
- 上传时间:2023-02-07
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:27
- 大小:41.77KB
chapter 9American Cultural Values.docx
《chapter 9American Cultural Values.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《chapter 9American Cultural Values.docx(27页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
chapter9AmericanCulturalValues
chapter9
AmericanCulturalValues
TheUnitedStates,likeanyothercountry,hasanationalculture.Allpeoplebornandraisedinthiscountryhavebeenstronglyconditionedbyit.Thisdoesnotmeanthattheywillallbealike,nordoesitmeanthatAmericansthinkinthesameway.Itdoesmean,however,thatamongAmericansofallregions,nationalorigins,races,classes,andbothsexes,therearcsomepointsoflikenessinactingandthinkingthatturnupmorefrequentlythanamonggroupsofpeopleinothercountries.Thefollowingcharacteristicsareprimarilydrawnfromclassesofthemiddlelevelsofincomeandstatus,foritisthissectorofthepopulationthatmosteloquentlyarticulatestheAmericanculturalvalues.
ThecharacteristicsofAmericancharacterhavebeentracedtomanysources.Thevaluesderivedfromthefrontier,thegreatopenspaces,thevirginwealth,andtheseeminglylimitlessresourcesofanewworld,allappeartohaveaffectedAmericanideasoffreedom.Specificallyspeaking,individualismhasbeenfosteredbytheinventivespiritandtechnicaladvancesofthecountry,thesuccessfulexpansionofcapitalism,andtheliberalconceptof"naturalrights."Withregardtoreligion,muchofAmericanreligiousandethicaltraditionseemstohavebeenderivedfromCalvinist(Puritan)origin.Intheareaofpolitics,AmericanshaveinheritedAnglo-Saxoncivilrights,ruleoflaw,andrepresentativeinstitutionsontheonehand,andhaveabsorbedfromFrancetheideasofegalitariandemocracyontheother.OutoftheAmericanRevolutionitself-therehavesprungthenotionsofliberty,equalityandasecularspirit.Themelting-pot,thestaggeringtransatlanticmigrationofEuropeansforoverthreecenturies,andtheconstantinfluxofnewimmigrantsfromAsiaandLatinAmericahaveallaffectedAmericannationalcharacter.Inshort,alltheseandmanyotherhistoricalcircumstanceshavegoneintothemakingofthemodernAmericancharacter.
OrientationtoAction
ForanyonewhohasbeentotheUnitedStates,orwhohasworkedwithAmericans,onethinghecannotfailtonoticeaboutAmericansistheirorientationtoaction.Americansseemtobealwaysbusydoingsomething.Phrasessuchas''ontherun","onthemove","onthego",and"ontheroad"maywellexplainthefactthatAmericanshaveanundeniablystronginclinationtowardaction.
However,inthemindsofAmericans,theorientationtoactionisnotmeanttodosomethingjustforthesakeofaction.Itisfrequentlyconceivedofasdecisionmaking.ThisconcepthastwomeaningsinAmericanculture.Ineverydaylife,theideaofdecisionmakingisusedtojustifyawiderangeofbehavior.Forinstance,casualconversationsaboutgoals,summerjobs,orextendedtravelmayallbejustifiedaspartofeffortstomakeadecisionaboutone'scareer.Initsmoreformalsense,decisionmakingincorporatesalooseclusterofassumptionsandvaluesinAmericanculturethathavebeensystematizedasproceduresforguidingactivity.Forexample,anelementusuallyincludedinthedecision-makingprocessis"definingthegoal".ThatthereshouldbeagoalandthatitsclarificationshouldserveasaguidetomoreeffectiveactionrepresentsasequencingofthreeAmericanassumptions;humanbeingsarcresponsibleforsettingtheirowndirectionsintheworld;clarityispreferabletoambiguity;andcontemplationshouldleadtoaction.Thiskindofdecisionmakinghasattainedaformalstatusinpsychologyandmanagement,representingatypicalAmericanapplicationoftechnicalknow-howtohumanaffairs.
Inface-to-facesituations,thelocusofboththeactionandthedecisiontoactrestswiththeindividual.Fromanearlyage,Americanchildrenareencouragedtobelievethattheythemselvesarethebestjudgesofwhattheywantandwhattheyshoulddo.EveninthoseinstanceswhereAmericanscannotdecideforthemselves,theystillentertaintheillusionthattheycan.Thus,whentheyneedtoconsultabanker,teacher,counselor,orexpertofanykind,theyperceiveitasseekinginformationandadvicetohelpthemmakeuptheirownminds.Expertsaretreatedasresourcepersons,notasdecisionmakers.Theresponsibilityforboththedecisionandanyresultingactionfallssquarelyontheshoulderoftheindividual.
WorkandPlay
OneofthemostimportantdistinctionsintheformofactivityinAmericanlifeistheseparationofworkfromplay.Tomostpersonsbroughtupinthepresent-dayAmericanenvironmentoffarming,business,orindustry,workiswhattheydoregularlyandpurposefullywhethertheyenjoyitornot.Itisanecessity,perhapsevenmoreimportantly,aduty,agoodthingitself,sinceoneoughttokeepoccupied.Aman,inthispatternofthinking,isjudgedbyhiswork,itisaseriousadultbusiness,andshouldnotbemixedwithplay.Afterall,amanissupposed"togetahead"or"makeacontribution"tothecommunityormankind.
Playisdifferent.Itisfun,anoutletfromwork,withoutseriouspurposeexcepttomakeworkmoreefficient.Itisobviouslythelessercategory.ThoughsomeofAmericansmayenjoytheirwork,itisinfactamatterofluckandbynomeanssomethingthateveryonecancounton,sincealljobscontainsome"dirtywork"andtediumtasksthatonecompletesjustbypushingon.Workandplayare,indeed,differentworlds;thereisatimeandplaceforeach,butwhenitIstimeforwork,playandthelighterpursuitsmustbeputaside.
However,beforetheonrushofindustrializationandurbanization,itwaspossiblelocombineworkandplay.TheAmericanfrontier,andevenMidwestfarmingcommunitiesuntilninetyoronehundredyearsago,stilljoinedthetwointheirhuskingbees,house-raising,andthreshingparties.Intheearlypartofthiscentury,beforewheatcombinesandfarmsoflargeacreagetookoverwheatthreshinginMidwesternstates,farmersmadesocialandworkroundsforseveralweeksinmidsummer.Notonlydidtheyworktogetheratthesetimes,buttheyalsofeasted,socialized,andevenmanagedaconsiderableamountoftheircourtship.Itwasapointofprideforeachfarmer'swife,withthehelpoftheneighborwomen,tohavethelargestandmostelaboratequantitiesoffoodavailableforthemenwhentheycameinfromthefields.Theunmarriedgirlsmadeapointofbeingtherealso,sincemostoftheunmarriedmenwereassembled.Itwasagaytimeaswellasatimeofhardwork.But,thistypeofcombinationwasbroughttoanendbytheindustrializationandurbanizationprocess,which,amongotherthings,demandshighdisciplineandtightarrangementofworkschedule.So,foraboutacentury,Americans,intheirvaluejudgment,haveassociatedworkwithhighpurposeandgrimeffort,andplaywithfrivolityandidleness,unlessthelatterisregardedasatherapeuticagenttodoworkbetter.
TimeandMoney
Outoftheirhistorical,social,andeconomicexperiences,Americanshaveformulatedtheirownconceptoftime.Ingeneral,Americantimeisexact,peoplearcpunctual,activitiesarescheduled,andtimeisapportionedforseparateactivities.
Perhaps,nowhereistheAmericanconceptoftimemoreappropriatelyappliedthaninrelationtoworkandplay.ForAmericans,"timeismoney".Workispaidforinmoney,andonebalanceshisworkagainsttimeorthroughregularperiodsforasetsalary.Playtime,ontheotherhand,iseitherbeforeorafterworktime,andthereforeonegetsnothingfromit.Anemployerbuysthetimeofhisworkers,schedulesandassignsworkasbalancedagainstthetimeitwilltake,andbudgetsthewagesagainstthetimeperiodsofhisemployees.Timecanbeturnedintoprofit,forworkturnedoutfasterthanplannedcanreleaseextratimetodomoreworkformoregain.Hence,thelogicalconclusionofthismodeofreasoningisTimeIsMoney.
Theequatingofworkwithtime,usingtheminimumamountoftimetoproducethemaximumquantityofgoods,expectingthattimepeoplearepaidforbemarkedbysustainedefforts,andbudgetingandplanningman-hoursinrelationtocostoftheendproductareallcentralfeaturesoftheAmericanindustrialeconomy.ItalsopartiallyexplainsforthehighproductivityofAmericaneconomy.ManyAmericanscomplainaboutthenecessityofroutineandthetyrannyoftheclockinwork,andevenschedulednon-workinghours,labelingthemasinhumanandalienating.Still,however.Americansaresothoroughlyusedtosuchstrictures,orrather,theyhavesointernalizedthiskindoftimearrangement,thattheyscheduletheiractivities,consciouslyorunconsciously,aroundthis"timetable".Eating,sleeping,playing,recreation,andevencourtingmusttakeplaceduring"timeoff".Nowonder,timeisscarceandworthsavingintheUnitedStates.
WhatisinterestingtonoteisthatwhilecontrolofworkbymeansoftimeisoftenrelatedtomoneyconsiderationintheUnitedStates,italsorevealssomeculturaldifferencebetweenAmericansandotherpeoplesinthenon-Westernworld.Weallknowthatpeopleorientthemselvesanddirecttheiractionsaccordingtowheretheircultureplacesemphasisalongthecontinuumoftimeorientations.Forexample,orientationtothepresentischaracteristicinLatinAmericans.Inothersocieties,peopleareorientedtothepastandconsequentlyturntotraditionsforguidance.ButintheUnitedStates,peoplearcalmostinvariablyorientedtowardthefuture.ItisoftensaidthatAmericanstendtotakeanabstracttemporalviewofthepresent,collectinformationincausallinks,andfocusonintermediatestepsrequiredforchangeorprogresstowardsthefuture.ForAmericans,thetimespanisshortandthefutureisnotmeasuredindecadesorgenerationsasitisforBrazilians,whoareorientedtothepresent,orIndians,whoareor
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- chapter 9American Cultural Values American
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)