1、Answer: features that are common to all culturesFind the Main IdeaWhat are cultural universals?Cultural VariationsSubculture Groups that share traits with each other but not the larger society Examples are groups organized by age, gender, politics, or geography Most do not reject all of the values o

2、f the larger society Most subcultures do not threaten the larger American cultureCounterculture Countercultures adopt values that are designed to challenge the values of the larger society Examples are groups such as cyberpunks, anarchists, the Mafia, and hippiesReading CheckContrastWhat is the diff

3、erence between a subculture and a counterculture?Answer: Subcultures accept most values of the core society, but have certain variations, such as language, not shared by the larger society; counterculture rejects the values of larger society and substitutes its own set of values and cultural pattern

4、s.Cultural Diversity and SociologyThe Adaptive American CultureThe long history of immigration to the United States has resulted in an American culture that embraces values, behaviors, and material culture from other cultures around the world. Latino influence is especially strong as Hispanics are t

5、he largest minority group Influences food, clothes, and cars available Latino holidays are celebrated Spanish-language advertisements are common South Asians are becoming a larger and larger portion of U.S. population Pakistani and Indian food has quickly become more popular Bollywood movies are pop

6、ularAt a GlanceThe American Value System Over the years, sociologists have identified what they believe are the core values of American society. Among these values are work, individualism, morality and humanitarianism, personal achievement, and others. American values have not stayed the same over t

7、ime, however. New values, such as respect for the environment, regularly develop and become part of American culture.The American Value SystemMain IdeaEven though American society is quite diverse, there are certain core values that the vast majority of Americans share.Reading Focus What are traditi

8、onal American values? How have our values changed since the 1970s?American Values SummarynPersonal Control Over the EnvironmentnChangenTime and Its ControlnIndividualism and EqualitynOrientation to ActionnPrivacynSelf-Help ConceptnCompetition and Free EnterprisenDirect & OpennessnPractical &

9、 EfficientnMaterialistic/AcquisitionsnInformality, Formality, & Friendship Personal Control Over the EnviromentnAmericans no longer believe in the power of Fate, and they have come to look at people who do as being backward, primitive, or hopelessly nave. To be call fatalistic is one of the wors

10、t criticisms one can receive in the American context; to an American, it means one is superstitious and lazy, unwilling to take any initiative in bringing about improvement.n In the United States, people consider it normal and right that Man should control Nature, rather than the other way around. M

11、ore specifically, people believe every single individual should have control over whatever in the environment might potentially affect him or her. The problems of ones life are not seen as having resulted from bad luck as much as having come from ones laziness in pursuing a better life. Furthermore,

12、 it is considered normal that anyone should look out for his or her own self-interests first and foremost.ChangenIn the American mind, change is seen as an indisputably good condition. Change is strongly linked to development, improvement, progress, and growth. Many older, more traditional cultures

13、consider change as a disruptive, destructive force, to be avoided if at all possible. Instead of change, such societies value stability, continuity, tradition, and a rich and ancient heritagenone of which are valued very much in the United States.nThese first two valuesthe belief that we can do anyt

14、hing and the belief that any change is goodtogether with an American belief in the virtue of hard work and the belief that each individual has a responsibility to do the best he or she can do have helped Americans achieve some great accomplishments. So whether these beliefs are true is really irrele

15、vant; what is important is that Americans have considered them to be true and have acted as if they were, thus, in effect, causing them to happen.Time and Its ControlnTime is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting thi

16、ngs accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail.n It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little

17、machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time.nAmericans language is filled with references to time, giving a clear indication of how much it is valued. Time is something to be on, to be kept, filled, saved, used, spent, waste

18、d, lost, gained, planned, given, made the most of, even killed.Individualism and EqualityIndividualism and equality are often regarded as the most marked characteristics of American society. Sometimes, people see them as in conflict, and sometimes, they see them as complementary. When equality goes

19、too far, it is likely to threaten certain aspects of individualism. When individualism goes too far, it also tends to threaten certain aspects of egalitarianism. Individualism and EqualityAmericans are still trying hard to wrestle with these two inherently contradictory notions, for they come in tog

20、ether like a package. One simply cannot get one without the other. Orientation to ActionThis concept has two meanings in American culture. 1.In everyday life, the idea of decision making is used to justify a wide range of behavior.2.In its more formal sense, decision making incorporates a loose clus

21、ter of assumptions and values in American culture that have been systematized as procedures for guiding activity. Orientation to ActionThree American assumptions:1.Human beings are responsible for setting their own directions in the world;2.Clarity is preferable to ambiguity;3.And contemplation shou

22、ld lead to action. Privacyn Privacy, the ultimate result of individualism is perhaps even more difficult for the foreigner to comprehend. The word privacy does not even exist in many languages. If it does, it is likely to have a strongly negative connotation, suggesting loneliness or isolation from

23、the group. In the United States, privacy is not only seen as a very positive condition, but it is also viewed as a requirement that all humans would find equally necessary, desirable and satisfying. It is not uncommon for Americans to sayand believesuch statements as If I dont have at least half an

24、hour a day to myself, I will go stark raving mad.Self-Help Conceptn In the United States, a person can take credit only for what he or she has accomplished by himself or herself. Americans get no credit whatsoever for having been born into a rich family. (In the United States, that would be consider

25、ed an accident of birth.) Americans pride themselves in having been born poor and, through their own sacrifice and hard work, having climbed the difficult ladder of success to whatever level they have achievedall by themselves. The American social system has, of course, made it possible for American

26、s to move, relatively easily, up the social ladder.Competition and Free EnterprisenAmericans believe that competition brings out the best in any individual. They assert that it challenges or forces each person to produce the very best that is humanly possible. Consequently, the foreign visitor will

27、see competition being fostered in the American home and in the American classroom, even on the youngest age level. Very young children, for instance, are encouraged to answer questions for which their classmates do not know the answer.nAmericans, valuing competition, have devised an economic system

28、to go with itfree enterprise. Americans feel strongly that a highly competitive economy will bring out the best in its people and, ultimately, that the society that fosters competition will progress most rapidly. If you look for it, you will see evidence in all areaseven in fields as diverse as medi

29、cine, the arts, education, and sportsthat free enterprise is the approach most often preferred in America.Direct and Openn Many other countries have developed subtle, sometimes highly ritualistic, ways of informing other people of unpleasant information. Americans, however, have always preferred the

30、 first approach. They are likely to be completely honest in delivering their negative evaluations. If you come from a society that uses the indirect manner of conveying bad news or uncomplimentary evaluations, you will be shocked at Americans bluntness.n If you come from a country where saving face

31、is important, be assured that Americans are not trying to make you lose face with their directness. It is important to realize that an American would not, in such case, lose face. The burden of adjustment, in all cases while you are in this country, will be on you. There is no way to soften the blow

32、 of such directness and openness if you are not used to it except to tell you that the rules have changed while you are here. Indeed, Americans are trying to urge their fellow countrymen to become even more open and direct. The large number of assertiveness training courses that appeared in the Unit

33、ed States in the late 1970s reflects such a commitment.Practical and Efficientn Americans have a reputation of being an extremely realistic, practical and efficient people. The practical consideration is likely to be given highest priority in making any important decision in the United States. Ameri

34、cans pride themselves in not being very philosophically or theoretically oriented. If Americans would even admit to having a philosophy, it would probably be that of pragmatism.nWill it make any money? Will it pay its own way? What can I gain from this activity? These are the kinds of questions that

35、 Americans are likely to ask in their practical pursuit, not such questions as: Is it aesthetically pleasing? Will it be enjoyable?, or Will it advance the cause of knowledge?Materialistic/Acquisitionsn Foreigners generally consider Americans much more materialistic than Americans are likely to cons

36、ider themselves. Americans would like to think that their material objects are just the natural benefits that always result from hard work and serious intenta reward, they think, that all people could enjoy were they as industrious and hard-working as Americans.nBut by any standard, Americans are ma

37、terialistic. This means that they value and collect more material objects than most people would ever dream of owning. It also means they give higher priority to obtaining, maintaining and protecting their material objects than they do in developing and enjoying interpersonal relationships.Work and

38、PlayThe separation of work from play. Work is what they do regularly and purposefully whether they enjoy it or not. Play is different. It is fun, an outlet from work, without serious purpose except to make work more efficient. Informality, Formality and FriendshipIdeally, American friendship is base

39、d on spontaneity, mutual attraction, and warm personal feelings. People choose friends and keep relations with friends separate from social or work obligations. It is important for the American to preserve personal initiative in pursuing friendships, in contrast to those societies where friendship p

40、atterns are inseparable from social obligations. How important is work in the American value system?Other Core Values Nationalism Patriotism Science and rationality Racial and group superiority Education Religion Romantic love Environment Politically Correct 21 Charts That Explain American Values To

41、dayWhat do Americans really think about religion, Wall Street, and morality? A visual summary. (2012 Article)nAmericans say they are more tolerant and open-minded than their parents. Among the issues that rate more morally acceptable today than a decade ago: homosexuality, human cloning, pre-marital

42、 sex, and having a child out of wedlock. At the same time, half believe the economic system is unfair to middle- and working-class Americans, and only 17 percent believe Wall Street executives share fundamental American values. In all, two-thirds think the country is heading in the wrong direction,

43、69 percent believe the countrys values have deteriorated since the 1970s, and nearly half say values will further weaken over the next 10 years.Two-thirds of those surveyed say the country is heading in the wrong direction . 7 in 10 say peoples values have been getting worse in America . and nearly half expect American values to weaken over the next decade.Americans are split over whether their values are stronger or weaker than