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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,andm
17、petition,weseeatrendtowardconservationwithanemphasisonrecyclingandpreservingtheenvironment.Alsothereisagreatersensitivitytocooperationonamoreglobalscale.NomatterwhatchangesthenextcenturybringsorwhetheryouagreewithAmericanvalues,theOpponunitytovisittheUnitedStatesandtoobserveAmericansfirst-handisanexperiencewellworththeeffort.Becarefulnottobeethnocentric,buttoevaluateaculturebyitsownstandards.BeawarethatyoullhelpshapeAmericanattitudes,justastheyv/illinfluenceyou.
