AMERICAN TRADITIONAL BELIEFS AND VALUES

AMERICAN
TRADITIONAL BELIEFS
AND VALUES


AMERICAN DREAM


BASIC TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES
1. Individual
Freedom
2. Self-Reliance
3. Equality of
Opportunity
4. Equality of
Competition
5. Material Wealth
6. Hard Work


INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
• Church and state were separated
• Titles of nobility were forbidden
• Climate of freedom
• Emphasis on the individual

The most
basic

Desire and ability of all individuals to
control their own destiny

Attracts immigrants


SELF-RELIANCE
The
traditional
basic

Must learn to rely on themselves
risk losing freedom, or
respects of the peers

Financial and emotional independence
from the parents by 18 or 21

Most
difficult to
understand

• If not truly self-reliant, they
must at least appear to be so
• Receiving financial support
from charity, family or
government is never admired



EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

Attracts

generations of
immigrants

Better chance
for personal
success

• Free from excessive political, religious
and social controls
• No formal class system
Life is a race for success

Equal chance to enter
the fair race and win



EQUALITY OF COMPETITION

Dut
y • A person must run the race (compete
with each other) in order to succeed
• Begin in childhood until retirement
• Encouraged by strong programs of
competitive sports
En

er
ge
ti

c

Constant
emotional strain

• May feel useless and unwanted when
retired
• Compete unsuccessfully  won’t fit


MATERIAL WEALTH
America
n Dream

y
n
a
m
r
o
f
e
u
Tr
nts
a
r
g
i
imm

• Abundant natural resources  land of
plenty  seek the fortunes
• Raise the standard of living  having a
better life
• If not successful  the children would
have the opportunity


MATERIAL WEALTH
Wealth has been a widely accepted measure of
social status, abilities and success

Materialistic
is an
insulting
word to say


SOCIAL CLASS AND WEALTH


HARD WORK

ry
a
s
s
Nece
and

g
n
i
d
r
rewa

• With industry-based economy, the
people believed only by hard work
could their rich natural resources be
Should
hold jobs
converted into material possessions
and not
live off
• With information-based society, many
welfare
payments
workers no longer believe that hard
work necessarily bring great material
rewards