Obj: Identify the Basic ______ That Form the Foundation of American Culture; Describe _____
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Sociology Ch. 3 S. 1 Obj: Identify the basic ______that form the foundation of American culture; Describe _____ values that have developed in the US since the ______.
Ethnic, racial, religious, social-status, and geographical variations in American society make for a ______culture. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Americans ______certain values. Sociologists are referring to these values when they speak of ______American culture.
Traditional American Values In his study American Society sociologist Robin M. ______analyzed American values. He identified a set of ____ values that are ______to the American way of life. Among these basic values are personal achievement, individualism, work, morality, humanitarianism, efficiency and practicality, progress and material comfort, equality, democracy, and freedom.
Personal Achievement Most American value personal ______. This value is not a surprise considering that the US was built primarily by people who believed in individualism and ______. This belief in the importance of personal achievement is most evident in the area of ______, where achievement often in measured in terms of power and wealth.
Individualism For most Americans, ______effort is the key to personal achievement. They strongly believe that success comes through hard work and initiative. This emphasis on individualism has a ______side, however. Most Americans feel that if a person does not succeed, that ______is to blame.
Work Most Americans value ______, regardless of the rewards involved. Americans view discipline, dedication, and hard work as signs of ______. They often view those who choose not to work as ______or even immoral.
Morality and Humanitarianism The US was founded on strong ______faith, on a belief in justice and equality, and on charity toward the less fortunate. Most Americans place a high value on ______and tend to view the world in terms of right and wrong. At the same time, they are quick to help those who are less ______than themselves.
Efficiency and Practicality Americans tend to be practical and inventive people. They believe that every problem has a ______. Problem solving involves discovering the most ______technique for dealing with a situation or involves determining the most practical response to the issue at hand. As a result, Americans tend to judge objects such as new technology on their ______and judge people on their ability to get things done. Progress and Material Comfort Americans have always looked to the future with ______. They believe that through hard work and determination, living standards will continue to improve. This belief in progress is paired with a belief in the ability of ______and technology to make the world a better and more comfortable place. Both views are important because most American also place a high value on ______comfort.
Equality and Democracy The US was founded on the principle of human ______. Many Americans believe that to have human equality, there must be an equality of opportunity and an equal chance at success. Although Americans value equality of opportunity, they do not necessarily believe that everyone will be ______. The values of hard work and personal achievement lead most Americans to view success as a reward that must be earned. The belief in equality extends to the form of government that Americans value – ______. Americans believe that citizens have the right to express their opinions and to participate freely in choosing their representatives in government.
Freedom ______is an important value for most Americans. Americans particularly value personal freedoms of choice such as the freedom of ______, speech, and press, which are guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Americans steadfastly protect these freedoms from ______government interference in their daily lives and in business dealings.
Other Core Values These values are not the only values that help define American culture. Williams also included ______and patriotism, science, and rationality, and racial and group superiority in his list of core values. Another sociologist, James M. ______, suggested that additional values such as ______might be included. Many Americans think that everyone should achieve the highest level of education that his or her abilities will allow. Henslin also pointed out that ______values are important in American culture. While Americans do not expect people to belong to a church, temple, or mosque, they do expect them to live according to basic religious ______. Finally, Henslin suggested ______love was another core American value. Americans strongly believe that people should marry primarily because they fall in love with each other. Even though values are vital to the ______of society, they may sometimes produce ______. Not everyone agrees on what are acceptable American values. Even when people agree on the importance of a certain set of values, individuals do not uphold all of these vales to the same ______. Strongly upholding the values of personal achievement and material comfort, for example, may weaken an individual’s commitment to such values as morality and equality. Our Changing Values The problem of conflicting values is complicated by the fact that values, like all aspects of society, are ______. Over time, some values change and new ones emerge. In the years since Williams’s and Henslin’s studies, sociologists have traced the development of several related new values in the US. These values, which include ______, physical fitness, and youthfulness, might be grouped under the term ______. Self-fulfillment is a commitment to the full development of one’s personality, ______, and potential. The emergence of this value can be seen in the self-help industry and the human-potential movement. ______, television programs, and books offer people ideas on how to improve their personal and professional lives. Health clubs and diet centers promise to transform people’s health and looks. ______challenge people to “be all you can be,” to “grab the gusto,” and to “experience the good life.” This growing emphasis on personal fulfillment created debate among social scientists. In this book The Culture of Narcissism, social historian Christopher ______went so far as to consider this emphasis on personal fulfillment a personality disorder. He termed this disorder ______, which means extreme self-centeredness. Sociologist Daniel Bell also saw dangers in the focus on the self. He felt that it weakened the established values of hard work and ______and that it threatened the stability of the capitalist system. Psychologist and survey researcher Daniel ______took a different view. He admitted that this new value probably indicated that Americans believed less in hard work than did earlier ______. However, he viewed this shift toward self- fulfillment as a beneficial change. It marked a movement away from satisfaction based on ______gain, he suggested. Studies during the 1990s noted the emergence of other new American values, such as concern for the ______. Public opinion polls during that time then reflected a growing support among Americans for environmental ______. Throughout much of the 1990s, for example, more than 60 percent of Americans said that they favored protecting the environment, even if it limited ______growth. However, according to a 2001 poll, these numbers may be dropping. The emergence of environmentalism illustrates how values often ______. For long periods in American history, the desire for progress led people to alter the natural world. Americans cleared ______, diverted rivers, and built factories and roads in an effort to improve life in the US. After a time, however, it became clear that some of these actins had damaged the environment. This damage had an ______effect on quality of life. Americans then began to realize that they value the environment as well as industrial progress.