American+Values+and+Beliefs.docx

American+Values+and+Beliefs.docx

《American+Values+and+Beliefs.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《American+Values+and+Beliefs.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

American+Values+and+Beliefs

http:

//202.116.65.108/base/zqp/20083302347580.doc

一、UnderstandingQuestions:

1.WhatwasthecontextinwhichtheAmericanbasicvalueswereproduced?

2.WhydidearlysettlerscometotheNorthAmericancontinentandestablishedcolonies?

3.Whatisfreedom/individualism?

4.WhatisthepricethatAmericanspayfortheirindividualfreedom?

5.WhatisthemostimportreasonforwhichAmericanmanagetoachieveequality?

6.Whatisequality?

7.WhatconsequencesmaycompetitionbringtoAmericans?

8.WhydoAmericansvaluematerialwealthsomuch?

Dotheyliketobedescribedasmaterialistic?

Why?

9.WhydosomeAmericansbegintodoubtthevalueofhardwork?

9．WhatisimportantinunderstandingtherelationshipofwhatAmericansbelieveandhowtheylive?

TraditionalAmericanValuesandBeliefs

Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienablerights,thatamongtheseareLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.（AdaptedfromTheDeclarationofIndependence）

TheContextofTraditionalAmericanValues:

Racial,Ethnic,Religious,andCulturalDiversity

Asthe21stcenturybegins,theUnitedStatesprobablyhasagreaterdiversityofracial,ethnic,cultural,andreligiousgroupsthananyothernationonearth.FromthebeginningofthehistoryoftheUnitedStates,therehasbeendiversity---NativeAmericansthroughouttheNorthAmericancontinent,SpanishsettlersintheSouthwestandinFlorida,FrenchmissionariesandfurtradersalongtheMississippiRiver,blackslavesbroughtfromAfricancountries,DutchsettlersinNewYork,GermansinPennsylvania,and,ofcourse,theBritishcolonists,whosecultureeventuallyprovidedthelanguageandthefoundationforthepoliticalandeconomicsystemsthatdevelopedintheUnitedStates.

MostearlyAmericansrecognizedthisdiversity,orpluralism,asafactoflife.Thelargevarietyofethnic,cultural,andreligiousgroupsmeantthatacceptingdiversitywastheonlypracticalchoice,evenifsomepeoplewerenotenthusiasticaboutit.However,intime,manyAmericanscametoseestrengthintheircountry’sdiversity.Today,thereismorerecognitionofthevalueofculturalpluralismthanatanyothertimeinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.

Whenweexaminethesystemofbasicvaluesthatemergedinthelate1700sandbegantodefinetheAmericancharacter,wemustrememberthiscontextofculturalpluralism.Howcouldanationofsuchenormousdiversityproducearecognizablenationalidentity?

Historically,theUnitedStateshasbeenviewedas“thelandofopportunity,”attractingimmigrantsfromallovertheworld.TheopportunitiestheybelievedtheywouldfindinAmericaandtheexperiencestheyactuallyhadwhentheyarrivednurturedthissetofvalues.Inthischapter,wewillexaminesixbasicvaluesthathavebecome“traditional”Americanvalues.ThreerepresenttraditionalreasonswhyimmigrantshavebeendrawntoAmerica:

thechanceforindividualfreedom,equalityofopportunity,andmaterialwealth.Inordertoachievethesebenefits,however,therewerepricestobepaid:

self-reliance,competition,andhardwork.Intime,thesepricesthemselvesbecameapartofthetraditionalvaluesystem.

IndividualFreedomandSelf-Reliance

TheearliestsettlerscametotheNorthAmericancontinenttoestablishcoloniesthatwerefreefromthecontrolsthatexistedinEuropeansocieties.Theywantedtoescapethecontroldplacedontheirlivesbykingsandgovernments,priestsandchurches,noblemenandaristocrats.Toagreatextent,theysucceeded.In1776,theBritishcolonialsettlersdeclaredtheirindependencefromEnglandandestablishedanewnation,theUnitedStatesofAmerica.Insodoing,theyoverthrewthekingofEnglandanddeclaredthatthepowertogovernwouldlieinthehandsofthepeople.Theywerenowfreefromthepowerofthekings.In1789,whentheywrotetheConstitutionfortheirnewnation,theyseparatedchurchandstatesothattherewouldneverbeagovernment-supportedchurch.Thisgreatlylimitedthepowerofthechurch.Also,inwritingtheConstitution,theyexpresslyforbadetitlesofnobilitytoensurethatanaristocraticsocietywouldnotdevelop.Therewouldbenorulingclassofnobilityinthenewnation.

ThehistoricdecisionsmadebythosefirstsettlershavehadaprofoundeffectontheshapingoftheAmericancharacter.Bylimitingthepowerofthegovernmentandthechurchesandeliminatingaformalaristocracy,theycreatedaclimateoffreedomwheretheemphasiswasontheindividual.TheUnitedStatescametobeassociatedintheirmindswiththeconceptofindividualfreedom.ThisisprobablythemostbasicofalltheAmericanvalues.Scholarsandoutsideobserversoftencallthisvalueindividualism,butmanyAmericansusethewordfreedom.PerhapsthewordfreedomisoneofthemostrespectedpopularwordsintheUnitedStatestoday.

Byfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandtheabilityofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestinywithoutoutsideinterferencefromthegovernment,arulingnobleclass,thechurch,oranyotherorganizedauthority.Thedesiretobefreeofcontrolswasabasicvalueofthenewnationin1776,andithascontinuedtoattractimmigrantstothiscountry.

Thereis,however,apricetobepaidtobepaidforthisindividualfreedom:

self-reliance.Individualsmustlearntorelyonthemselvesorrisklosingfreedom.Thismeansachievingbothfinancialandemotionalindependencefromtheirparentsasearlyaspossible,usuallybyage18or21.ItmeansthatAmericansbelievetheyshouldtakecareofthemselves,solvetheirownproblems,and“standontheirowntwofeet.”DeTocquevilleobservedtheAmericans’beliefinself-reliancenearly200yearsagointhe1830s:

Theyowenothingtoanyman,theyexpectnothingfromanyman;theyacquirethehabitofalwaysconsideringthemselvesasstandingalone,andtheyareapttoimaginethattheirwholedestinyisintheirownhands.

Thisstrongbeliefinself-reliancecontinuestodayasatraditionalbasicAmericanvalue.ItisperhapsoneofthemostdifficultaspectsoftheAmericancharactertounderstand,butitisprofoundlyimportant.MostAmericansbelievethattheymustbeself-reliantinordertokeeptheirfreedom.Iftheyrelytoomuchonthesupportoftheirfamiliesorthegovernmentoranyorganization,theymaylosesomeoftheirfreedomtodowhattheywant.

Ifpeoplearedependent,theyrisklosingfreedomaswellastherespecttotheirpeers.Eveniftheyarenottrulyself-reliant,mostAmericansbelievetheymustatleastappeartobeso.InordertobeinthemainstreamofAmericanlife---tohavepowerand/orrespect---individualsmustbeseenasself-reliant.Althoughreceivingfinancialsupportfromcharity,family,orthegovernmentisallowed,itisneveradmired.Manypeoplebelievethatsuchindividualsaresettingabadexample,whichmayweakentheAmericancharacterasawhole.

Thesightofbeggarsoncitystreetsandtheplightofthehomelessmayinspiresympathybutalsoconcern.AlthoughAmericansprovidealotoffinancialsupporttopeopleinneedthroughcharitiesorgovernmentprograms,theyexpectthathelptobeshort-lived.Eventually,peopleshouldtakecareofthemselves.

EqualityofOpportunityandCompetition

ThesecondimportantreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallybeendrawntotheUnitedStatesisthebeliefthateveryonehasachancetosucceedhere.Generationsofimmigrants,fromtheearliestsettlerstothepresentday,havecometotheUnitedStateswiththisexpectation.Theyhavefeltthatbecauseindividualsarefreefromexcessivepolitical,religious,andsocialcontrols,theyhaveabetterchanceforpersonalsuccess.Ofparticularimportanceisthelackofahereditaryaristocracy.

BecausetitlesofnobilitywereforbiddenintheConstitution,noformalclasssystemdevelopedintheUnitedStates.IntheearlyyearsofAmericanhistory,manyimmigrantschosetoleavetheolderEuropeansocietiesbecausetheybelievedthattheyhadabetterchancetosucceedinAmerica.In“theoldcountry,”theirplaceinlifewasdeterminedlargelybythesocialclassintowhichtheywereborn.TheyknewthatinAmericatheywouldnothavetoliveamongnoblefamilieswhopossessedgreatpowerandwealthinheritedandaccumulatedoverhundredsofyears.

Thehopesanddreamsofmanyoftheseearlyimmigrantswerefulfilledintheirnewcountry.Thelowersocialclassintowhichmanywereborndidnotpreventthemfromtryingtorisetoahighersocialposition.ManyfoundthattheydidindeedhaveabetterchancetosucceedintheUnitedStatesthanintheoldcountry.Becausemillionsoftheseimmigrantssucceeded,Americanscametobelieveinequalityofopportunity.WhendeTocquevillevisitedtheUnitedStatesinthe1830s,hewasimpressedbythegreatuniformityofconditionsoflifeinthenewnation.Hewrote:

ThemoreIadvancedinthestudyofAmericansociety,themoreIperceivedthat…equalityofconditionisthefundamentalfactfromwhichallothersseemtobederived.

ItisimportanttounderstandwhatmostAmericansmeanwhentheysaytheybelieveinequalityofopportunity.Theydonotmeanthateveryoneis—orshouldbe—equal.However,theydomeanthateachindividualshouldhaveanequalchanceforsuccess.Americansseemuchoflifeasaraceforsuccess.Forthem,equalitymeansthateveryoneshouldhaveanequalchancetoentertheraceandwin.Inotherwords,equalityofopportunitymaybethoughtofasanethicalrule.Ithelpsensurethattheraceforsuccessisafaironeandthatapersondoesnotwinjustbecauseheorshewasbornintoawealthyfamily,orlosebecauseofraceorreligion.ThisAmeric