12-1-English-美国社会主流价值观

美国社会的13个价值观看懂了美国社会的13个价值观，你也就明白了很多美国社会现象。

例如：为什么美国社会有很多成功的逆袭？为什么美国有那么多关于未来的大片？为什么美国人喜欢消费？为什么很多美国有钱人不穿奢侈品牌而是穿价廉舒服的大众品牌服饰？喜欢美语、美国文化，喜欢追美剧的童鞋一定要好好看看这个帖子。

Robert Kohls博士，旧金山州立大学国际项目部的主任，总结了美国社会13个价值观。

他认为这13个价值观是很多美国人都持有的。

这些价值观帮助初次来到美国的人更好的了解美国人的行为，也能帮助教育工作者更好的懂得这些价值观在美国不同移民或少数种族人群中有怎样的不同。

1. 个人责任。

生活上的问题是不承担责任或懒惰造成的，不是运气不好或命中注定。

2. 改变。

改变是好的，改变领导进步。

墨守成规和按班就部是不齿的。

3. 时间。

准时或按时完成该完成的事情比人际关系重要得多。

对时间的态度使得美国人很多产，也很有成效。

4. 平等、公平。

每个人都是生而平等的，应该有平等的成功机会。

这样的态度使得美国人不屈服其他国家文化里人们顺从的社会阶层。

5. 个人意识、独立性。

美国人抗拒群居，乐于表达自己的观点。

他们高度尊重隐私，而在非西方语言里却没有“隐私”这个词。

6. 自力更生、主动。

个人依靠自己努力成功从而赢得信任。

英语里“self”(自我)作为前缀组成的词有100个。

其他的很多语言里没有这样对应的词。

7. 竞争。

竞争带来最好的事物，这些都反应在经济生活里（比如自由竞争的企业体系），教育，艺术，医药和体育中。

8. 展望未来。

未来是进步和提高的代名词。

在很多的文化里，过去不是那么重要，现在是被忽视的，因为人们的眼里关注的是未来。

9. 行动、工作。

行动高于一切。

喜欢工作，工作就是一个人积极的身份代表。

所以人们见面时经常会问：“你是做什么工作的？”10. 随意。

在工作中，职员经常省略掉“先生或女士”而直接称呼老板的名字。

他们的穿着也很随意，甚至在很多重要场合也是这样。

Basic American Values and Beliefs基本的美国价值观和信仰Individual Freedom and Self-Reliance个人自由和自力更生The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments,priests and churches,noblemen and aristocrats. To a great extent,they succeeded. In 1776 the British colonial settlers declared their independence from England and established a new nation,the United States of America. In so doing,they overthrew the king of England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the hands of the people. They were now free from the power of the king. In 1789,when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation,they separated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. Also,in writing the Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be no ruling class of noblemen in the new nation.最早的定居者来到北美大陆建立殖民地是自由的控制存在于欧洲社会。

美国人的基本价值观美国人眼里只有自己说起世界上其他国家，我们第一个想到的可能是美国。

美国梦、美国精神、美国价值观、美国模式……是我们很多人熟悉的字眼。

而美国在国际政治中假输出民主之名，行强权政治之实，自恃一强独大的霸主地位，穷兵黩武、横行霸道，又让我们看到它的多面性。

为什么自由民主的美国，同时又是霸权主义的美国，在意识形态和外交政策层面，具有十字军东征式的圣战特征？认识美国，首先要了解美国的独特性（the uniqueness of the United States）以及由此而生的文化政治。

核心提示：美国是一个极其意识形态化的国家，这种意识形态化的结果是正负两方面的。

它一方面强化了美国人的国家认同，赋予他们坚定的民族自信心，同时也使得很多美国人忘乎所以，狂妄地认为，美国是世界的风范，甚至世界本身。

说起世界上其他国家，我们第一个想到的可能是美国。

美国梦、美国精神、美国价值观、美国模式……是我们很多人熟悉的字眼。

而美国在国际政治中假输出民主之名，行强权政治之实，自恃一强独大的霸主地位，穷兵黩武、横行霸道，又让我们看到它的多面性。

为什么自由民主的美国，同时又是霸权主义的美国，在意识形态和外交政策层面，具有十字军东征式的圣战特征？认识美国，首先要了解美国的独特性（the uniqueness of the United States）以及由此而生的文化政治。

美国人的基本价值观美国不同于世界绝大多数国家的一个突出特点是，它是一个具有种族多样性（ethnic diversity）的移民国家。

除了本土的印第安人，所有美国人都来自世界其他国家--欧洲国家、非洲国家、亚洲国家、拉美国家。

这么多不同种族、不同肤色的人信仰什么？有什么样的主流价值观、什么样的行为方式？什么原因造成了他们的价值观和行为方式？答案就在美国的独特性。

美国的种族多样性是从十七世纪开始逐渐形成的。

从十七世纪到1776年宣布独立，美国的移民主要来自欧洲北方，其中绝大多数是来自英格兰的殖民者。

四、美国人的价值观因为在本书中我们经常需要对美国社会进行分析和讨论，因此，简要叙述一下美国文化的一些主要方面——赋予美国人生活以意义的共同价值观和信仰，是很有帮助的。

这样一个简述也为我们提供了对一个社会展开详尽观察的机会。

对我们而言，美国的文化价值观是那样的熟悉，因此很难注意到它们。

它已成为了我们的生活背景，我们离不开它们，就像鱼儿离不开水一样。

它们是一种想当然的东西，从我们的出生到最后死亡，文化一起决定着我们的生活。

如何文化发生了变化，那么我们也就不能成为现在的自己了。

美国人的种族、职业、信仰多种多样，因此，美国文化是最多元性的文化之一。

煤矿工人和公司经理、爱尔兰血统的波士顿天主教徒和新奥尔良的科利奥尔人——他们都是美国社会的一部分，同时也为美国文化增添了光彩。

但是，尽管存在着这些差异，某些共同的价值观模式还是能够清楚地被区分出来的。

1、美国人的传统价值观罗宾·威廉斯在他的《美国社会：一个社会学的解释》（罗宾·M·威廉斯，Jr.，1970）一书中给出了一套美国人的基本价值观，为我们这一部分的讨论提供了基础。

此外，许多其他社会学家也区分出了一系列美国人共有的价值观。

这些论断已得到了外国游客的赞同，他们观察到了同样的典型美国人的特征。

在美国人中进行的民意测验也证实了这些价值观，测验结果表明美国人仍然信守冈纳·莫德尔（Gunnar Myrdal，1962）所说的“美国人的信条”。

威廉斯列出了如下传统的美国人价值观：个人成就。

个人成就是所有美国人评价最高的价值观之一。

美国人赞扬和奖励那些才艺出众和成就辉煌者，尤其是那些通过艰苦工作而取得成就的人。

一个人的价值常常被赞同于其在商业、艺术或其他重要领域中的成就。

但是，对成就的这种强调，特别是往往用经济方面的状况来衡量成就，就与尊重一个人仅因为是其自身的原因的观念相冲突。

工作。

美国社会是建立在艰苦工作的基础上的。

来到这片荒原的早期移民必需努力工作，这不仅仅是为了争取较好的社会条件，更是为了能生存下去。

美国人的价值观美国人生活的价值观L.罗伯特·科尔斯1 告诉你吧大多数美国人都会有困难的时候，具体，什么价值是美国人生活价值观。

他们从来没有给予过多考虑此事。

2 重要的是要强调，我们的宗旨，为您提供这个美国最重要的价值观的名单不是转换你，外国游客，对我们的价值观。

即使我们想，我们也无法实现这一目标，这样我们不想去那样做。

我们只是想帮助你了解美国人的价值与你相关的从他们自己的价值体系出发，而不是从你的。

1．个人控制环境3 美国人不再相信命运的力量，而他们也来看看作为人谁落后，原始，或天真的无可救药。

要被叫“听天由命”是一个在美国范围内可以接收到的最糟糕的批评，，这意味着这个人是一个迷信，懒惰，不愿意采取任何行动来改善的人。

4 在美国，人们认为正常和正确的人应该控制自然，而不是周围的环境影响他。

更具体地说，他们认为每个人都应该掌控环境中任何可能对他(或她)产生潜在影响的事物。

某个人生活中的问题与其说是坏运气带来的，倒不如说是他懒于、不愿承担起追求更好生活的责任而造成的。

5 大多数美国人认为无法接受的是，有一些事情，超越人类的力量实现的范围。

美国人字面上去月球，因为他们拒绝接受尘世的局限性。

6 美国人似乎受到挑战，甚至不得不做的，通过某种手段(和成本往往很大)世界的7/8是一定不能做。

2. 改变7 在美国人的心目中，“改变”毫无疑问是件好事，它能带来发展、改善和进步。

很多更为古老、更为传统的文化认为“改变”就意味着混乱和破坏；他们推崇稳定、延续、传统和历史遗产——在美国人看来，这些没有一个是十分重要的。

8 最开始的两个价值信念是我们可以做任何事情而且相信任何变化是好的，和美国人一起凭借辛勤工作的信念和信仰，每个人都有责任做的最好的，他或她能做到的可以帮助美国人实现一些伟大的成就。

因此，无论这些信仰是否真实的，最重要的是，美国人都认为他们是真实的，并已采取行动，因此，在效果，引起它们发生。

3. 时间及时间管理9 对大多数美国人而言，时间极其重要。

Readings #1---What is culture?Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future - Albert CamusCulture is an integral part of every society. It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life. Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. However, these are only the products of culture followed by the society and cannot be defined as culture.According to English Anthropologist Edward B Taylor, culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.Culture is something that a person learns from his family and surroundings, and is not ingrained in him from birth. It does not have any biological connection because even if a person is brought up in a culture different from that in which he was born, he imbibes the culture of the society where he grows up. It is also not a hidden fact that some people feel the need to follow the beliefs and traditions of their own culture, even though they might be not subscribing to certain ideologies within.Culture is a complex tool which every individual has to learn to survive in a society. It is the means through which people interact with others in the society. It acts in a subconscious way and whatever we see and perceive, seems to be normal and natural. Sometimes, other societies and people seem to be a little odd because they have a different culture from ours. We must remember that every society has a distinct culture that forms the backbone of the society. Culture does not remain stagnant, on the other hand it is evolving constantly and is in fact somewhat influenced by the other cultures and societies.Every society has a different culture, where people share a specific language, traditions, behaviors, perceptions and beliefs. Culture gives them an identity which makes them unique and different from people of other cultures. When people of different cultures migrate and settle in another society, the culture of that society becomes the dominant culture and those of the immigrants form the subculture of the community. Usually, people who settle in other nations imbibe the new culture, while at the same time strive to preserve their own.Although every society has a specific culture, there are certain elements of culture that are universal. They are known as cultural universals, in which there are certain behavioural traits and patterns that are shared by all cultures around the world. For instance, classifying relations based on blood relations and marriage, differentiating between good and bad, having some form of art, use of jewelry, classifying people according to gender and age, etc., are common in all cultures of the world.1Some people believe that humans are the only living beings who have a culture. But, there is a group of people who believe in the existence of culture even in animals. It is said that animals have certain social rules which they teach their young ones as a medium for survival.Culture is necessary to establish an order and discipline in the society. It is not only a means of communication between people, but also creates a feeling of belonging and togetherness among people in the society.By Deepa KarthaAfter you readCulture hides much more than it reveals, and strangely enough what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants. Years of study have convinced me that the real job is not to understand foreign culture but to understand our own.---- Edward T. HallDo you agree with the quotation by Edward T. Hall? Do people really not understand their own culture? What aspects of a country’s culture are the hardest to unde rstand?Readings #2---The Values Americans Live Byby L. Robert KohlsMost Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are that Americans live by. They have never given the matter much thought.Even if Americans had considered this question, they would probably, in the end, decide not to answer in terms of a definitive list of values. The reason for this decision is itself one very American value—their belief that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all, or even most, of their fellow citizens.Although Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they actually are, it is significant that they think they are. Americans tend to think they have been only slightly influenced by family, church or schools. In the end, each believes, "I personally chose which values I want to live my own life by."Despite this self-evaluation, a foreign anthropologist could observe Americans and produce a list of common values that would fit most Americans. The list of typically American values would stand in sharp contrast to the values commonly held by the people of many other countries. We, the staff of the Washington International Center, have been introducing thousands of international visitors to life in the United States for more than a third of a century. This has caused us to try to look at Americans through the eyes of our visitors. We feel confident that the values listed here describe most (but not all) Americans.Furthermore, we can say that if the foreign visitor really understood how deeply ingrained these 13 values are in Americans, he or she would then be able to understand 95% of American actions—action that might otherwise appear strange or unbelievable when evaluated from the2perspective of the foreigner’s own society and its values.The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter an action, or hear a statement in the United States that surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed here. For example, when you ask Americans for directions to get to a particular address in their own city, they may explain, in great detail, how you can get there on your own, but may never even consider walking two city blocks with you to lead you to the place. Some foreign visitors have interpreted this sort of action as showing Americans’ "unfriendliness." We would suggest, instead, that the self-help concept (value number 6 on our list), is so strong in Americans that they firmly believe that no adult would ever want, even temporarily, to be dependent on another. Also, their future orientation (value 8) makes Americans think it is better to prepare you to find other addresses on your own in the future. Before proceeding to the list itself, we should also point out that Americans see all of these values as very positive ones. They are not aware, for example, that the people in many Third World countries view change (value 2) as negative or threatening. In fact, all 13 of these American values are judged by many of the word’s citizens as negative and undesirable. Therefore, it is not enough simply to familiarize yourself with these values. You must also, so far as possible, consider them without the negative or derogatory connotation that they might have for you, based on your own experience and cultural identity.It is important to state emphatically that our purpose in providing you with this list of the most important American values is not to convert you, the foreign visitor, to our values. We couldn’t achieve that goal even if we wanted to, and we don’t want to. We simply want to help you understand the Americans with whom you will be relating—from their own value system rather that from yours.1. PERSONAL CONTROL OVER THE ENVIRONMENTAmericans no longer believe in the power of Fate, and they have come to look at people who do as being backward, primitive, or hopelessly naïve. To be call "fatalistic" is one of the worst 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.In the United States, people consider it normal and right that Man should control Nature, rather than the other way around. More specifically, people believe every single individual should have control over whatever in the environment might potentially affect him or her. The problems of one’s life are not seen as having resulted from bad luck as much as having come from one’s laziness in pursuing a better life. Furthermore, it is considered normal that anyone should look out for his or her own self-interests first and foremost.Most Americans find it impossible to accept that there are some things that lie beyond the power of humans to achieve. And Americans have literally gone to the moon, because they refused to accept earthly limitations.Americans seem to be challenged, even compelled, to do, by one means or another (and often at great cost) what seven-eighths of the world is certain cannot be done.32. CHANGEIn 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 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 heritage—none of which are valued very much in the United States.These first two values—the belief that we can do anything and the belief that any change is good—together 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 irrelevant; 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.3. TIME AND ITS CONTROLTime is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things 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.It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time.Americans’ 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," "wasted," "lost," "gained," "planned," "given," "made the most of," even "killed."The international visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late—even by 10 minutes—for an appointment in the United States. (Whenever it is absolutely impossible to be on time, you should phone ahead and tell the person you have been unavoidably detained and will be a half hour—or whatever—late.)Time is so valued in America, because by considering time to be important one can clearly accomplish more that if one "wastes" time and does not keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in the United States. Many American proverbs stress the value in guarding our time, using it wisely, setting and working toward specific goals, and even expending our time and energy today so that the fruits of our labor may be enjoyed at a later time. (This latter concept is called "delayed gratification.")4. EQUALITY/EGALITARIANISMEquality is, for Americans, one of their most cherished values. This concept is so important for Americans that they have even given it a religious basis. They say all people have been "created equal." Most Americans believe that God views all humans alike without regard to intelligence, physical condition or economic status. In secular terms this belief is translated into the assertion that all people have an equal opportunity to succeed in life. Americans differ in opinion about how to make this ideal into a reality. Yet virtually all agree that equality is an4important civic and social goal.The equality concept often makes Americans seem strange to foreign visitors. Seven-eighths of the world feels quite differently. To them, rank and status and authority are seen as much more desirable considerations—even if they personally happen to find themselves near the bottom of the social order. Class and authority seem to give people in those other societies a sense of security and certainty. People outside the United States consider it reassuring to know, from birth, who they are and where they fit into the complex system called "society".Many highly-placed foreign visitors to the United States are insulted by the way they are treated by service personnel (such as waiters in restaurants, clerks in stores, taxi drivers, etc.). Americans have an aversion to treating people of high position in a deferential manner, and, conversely often treat lower class people as if they were very important. Newcomers to the United States should realize that no insult or personal indignity is intended by this lack of deference to rank or position in society. A foreigner should be prepared to be considered "just like anybody else" while in the country.5. INDIVIDUAL AND PRIVACYThe individualism that has been developed in the Western world since the Renaissance, beginning in the late 15th century, has taken its most exaggerated form in 20th century United States. Here, each individual is seen as completely and marvelously unique, that is, totally different from all other individuals and, therefore, particularly precious and wonderful. Americans think they are more individualist in their thoughts and actions than, in fact, they are. They resist being thought of as representatives of a homogenous group, whatever the group. They may, and do, join groups—in fact many groups—but somehow believe they’re just a little different, just a little unique, just a little special, from other members of the same group. And they tend to leave groups as easily as they enter them.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 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 say—and believe—such statements as "If I don’t have at least half an hour a day to myself, I will go stark raving mad."Individualism, as it exists in the United States, does mean that you will find a much greater variety of opinions (along with the absolute freedom to express them anywhere and anytime) here. Yet, in spite of this wide range of personal opinion, almost all Americans will ultimately vote for one of the two major political parties. That is what was meant by the statement made earlier that Americans take pride in crediting themselves with claiming more individualism than, in fact, they really have.6. SELF-HELP CONTROLIn 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 considered "an accident of birth.") Americans pride5themselves 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 achieved—all by themselves. The American social system has, of course, made it possible for Americans to move, relatively easily, up the social ladder.Take a look in an English-language dictionary at the composite words that have "self" as a prefix. In the average desk dictionary, there will be more than 100 such words, words like self-confidence, self-conscious, self-control, self-criticism, self-deception, self-defeating,self-denial, self-discipline, self-esteem, self-expression, self-importance, self-improvement, self-interest, self-reliance, self-respect, self-restraint, self-sacrifice—the list goes on and on. The equivalent of these words cannot be found in most other languages. The list is perhaps the best indication of how seriously Americans take doing things for one’s self. The "self-made man or women" is still very much the ideal in 20th-century America.7. COMPETITION AND FREE ENTERPRISEAmericans 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 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. You may find the competitive value disagreeable, especially if you come from a society that promotes cooperation rather than competition. But many U.S. Peace Corps volunteers teaching in Third World countries found the lack of competitiveness in a classroom situation equally distressing. They soon learned that what they thought to be one of the universal human characteristics represented only a peculiarly American (or Western) value.Americans, valuing competition, have devised an economic system to go with it—free 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 areas—even in fields as diverse as medicine, the arts, education, and sports—that free enterprise is the approach most often preferred in America.8. FUTURE ORIENTATIONValuing the future and the improvements Americans are sure the future will bring means that they devalue that past and are, to a large extent, unconscious of the present. Even a happy present goes largely unnoticed because, happy as it may be, Americans have traditionally been hopeful that the future would bring even greater happiness. Almost all energy is directed toward realizing that better future. At best, the present condition is seen as preparatory to a latter and greater event, which will eventually culminate in something even more worthwhile. Since Americans have been taught (in value 1) to believe that Man, and not Fate, can and should be the one who controls the environment, this has made them very good at planning and executing short-term projects. This ability, in turn, has caused Americans to be invited to all corners of the earth to plan and achieve the miracles that their goal-setting can produce. If you come from a culture such as those in the traditional Moslem world, where talking about or actively planning the future is felt to be a futile, even sinful, activity, you will have not6only philosophical problems with this very American characteristic but religious objections as well. Yet it is something you will have to learn to live with, for all around you Americans will be looking toward the future and what it will bring.9. ACTION/WORK ORIENTATION"Don’t just stand there," goes a typical bit of American advice, "do something!" This expression is normally used in a crisis situation, yet, in a sense, it describes most American’s entire waking life, where action—any action—is seen to be superior to inaction.Americans routinely plan and schedule an extremely active day. Any relaxation must be limited in time, pre-planned, and aimed at "recreating" their ability to work harder and more productively once the recreation is over. Americans believe leisure activities should assume a relatively small portion of one’s total life. People think that it is "sinful" to "waste one’s time," "to sit around doing nothing," or just to "daydream."Such a "no nonsense" attitude toward life has created many people who have come to be known as "workaholics," or people who are addicted to their work, who think constantly about their jobs and who are frustrated if they are kept away from them, even during their evening hours and weekends.The workaholic syndrome, in turn, causes Americans to identify themselves wholly with their professions. The first question one American will ask another American when meeting for the first time is related to his or her work: "Where do you work?," or "Who (what company) are you with?"And when such a person finally goes on vacation, even the vacation will be carefully planned, very busy and active.America may be one of the few countries in the world where it seems reasonable to speak about the "dignity of human labor," meaning by that, hard, physical labor. In America, even corporation presidents will engage in physical labor from time to time and gain, rather than lose, respect from others for such action.10. INFORMALITYIf you come from a more formal society, you will likely find Americans to be extremely informal, and will probably feel that they are even disrespectful of those in authority. Americans are one of the most informal and casual people in the world, even when compared to their near relative—the Western European.As one example of this informality, American bosses often urge their employees to call them by their first names and even feel uncomfortable if they are called by the title "Mr." or "Mrs." Dress is another area where American informality will be most noticeable, perhaps even shocking. One can go to a symphony performance, for example, in any large American city nowadays and find some people in the audience dressed in blue jeans and tieless,short-sleeved shirts.Informality is also apparent in American’s greetings. The more formal "How are you?" has largely been replaced with an informal "Hi." This is as likely to be used to one’s superior as to one’s best friend.If you are a highly placed official in your own country, you will probably, at first, find such7informality to be very unsettling. American, on the other hand, would consider such informality as a compliment! Certainly it is not intended as an insult and should not be taken as such.11. DIRECTNESS, OPENNESS AND HONESTYMany other countries have developed subtle, sometimes highly ritualistic, ways of informing other people of unpleasant information. Americans, however, have always preferred the 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.If you come from a country where saving face 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 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 United States in the late 1970s reflects such a commitment.Americans consider anything other than the most direct and open approach to be dishonest and insincere and will quickly lose confidence in and distrust anyone who hints at what is intended rather than saying it outright.Anyone who, in the United States, chooses to use an intermediary to deliver that message will also be considered manipulative and untrustworthy.12. PRACTICALITY AND EFFICIENCYAmericans 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. Americans 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.Will it make any money? Will it "pay its own way?" What can I gain from this activity? These are the kinds of questions that 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?This practical, pragmatic orientation has caused Americans to contribute more inventions to the world than any other country in human history. The love of "practicality" has also caused Americans to view some professions more favorably than others. Management and economics, for example, are much more popular in the United States than philosophy or anthropology, law and medicine more valued than the arts.Another way in which this favoring of the practical makes itself felt in the United States, is a belittling of "emotional" and "subjective" evaluations in favor of "rational" and "objective" assessments. Americans try to avoid being too sentimental in making their decisions. They judge every situation "on its merits." The popular American "trail-and-error" approach to problem solving also reflects the practical. The approach suggests listing several possible8solutions to any given problem, then trying them out, one-by-one, to see which is most effective.13. MATERIALISM/ACQUISITIVENESSForeigners generally consider Americans much more materialistic than Americans are likely to consider themselves. Americans would like to think that their material objects are just the natural benefits that always result from hard work and serious intent—a reward, they think, that all people could enjoy were they as industrious and hard-working as Americans.But by any standard, Americans are materialistic. 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.The modern American typically owns:∙one or more color television sets,∙an electric hair dryer,∙an electronic calculator,∙a tape recorder and a record player,∙a clothes-washer and dryer,∙a vacuum cleaner,∙a powered lawn mower (for cutting grass),∙a refrigerator, a stove, and a dishwasher,∙one or more automobiles,∙and a telephone. Many also own a personal computer.Since Americans value newness and innovation, they sell or throw away their possessions frequently and replace them with newer ones. A car may be kept for only two or three years, a house for five or six before trading it in for another one.SUMMARYNow that we have discussed each of these 13 values separately, if all too briefly, let us look at them in list form (on the left) and then consider them paired with the counterpart values from a more traditional country (on the right):9。

美国如何建立社会主流价值观作者:王英来源:学习时报时间:2012年 03月 19日美国拥有世界上最完善的法律体系、最发达的文化产业、最庞大的传媒工具, 这个由全世界不同民族不同种族人组成的国家却最具民族凝聚力和国家认同感、自豪感。

美国在意识形态及社会核心价值观的塑造方面的做法实用而有效。

历史传统和时代精神构成美国社会主流价值观以自由、宽容、民主、公平、个人主义等为核心的美国社会主流价值观是在美国历史的不断演进过程中,不断融合时代内容发展演化而逐步形成。

自由:在争取独立的过程中, 为摆脱宗主国的控制, 自由自然就成为追求的目标和最核心的社会价值取向。

宽容:随着美国社会的不断发展, 不同民族不同种族的移民共同构成了美国社会。

一个由移民组成的国家, 国家的历史又不长, 要自然而然地形成统一的民族认同和文化认同非常困难, 包容各种文化的宽容精神就逐渐演变成为美国社会价值观的一部分,从而将民族认同、国家认同和文化认同建立起来。

民主:1776年 7月 4日,大陆会议宣布由杰斐逊、亚当斯和富兰克林撰写的《独立宣言》 ,宣告北美脱离英国,美利坚合众国成立。

《独立宣言》和 1787年的美国《宪法》确立了一种新型政治体制, 既脱胎于英国资产阶级革命后建立的君主立宪的资产阶级民主制度, 又对其进行了改良, 从而构建了与美国国家资本主义相适应的美国国家民主政治制度。

公平:在一百多年美洲殖民地时代以及美国二百多年历史中, 本土民族和外来民族之间、不同种族之间、不同民族之间始终存在着民族与种族的冲突和斗争, 其中包括白人对印第安人的屠杀、对黑人的奴役、对华人的剥削。

虽然直到今天美国社会依然不同程度地存在着种族问题, 但是在漫长的斗争过程中, 美国社会主流价值观中逐渐融入了公平与正义的价值理念。

个人主义:个人主义是美国价值观的核心。

其源于清教主义的深刻影响。

清教主义是清教徒的思想和他们所信仰的教义。

清教徒倡导“人生而平等” 的思想, 所推崇和倡导的“虔诚、谦卑、严肃、诚实、勤勉和节俭”的价值观使他们在陌生而严酷的自然环境中能够生存下来并获得繁荣和富足。

美国核心价值观
价值观的基础：人的信仰和态度体系；价值观是一个人崇尚什么，鄙视什么，哪些是值得为之付出生命的信念。

美国人的核心价值观是：个人主义(Individualism)。

从个人主义引申：人人生而平等，自由和法制。

个人主义的核心是：我的一切由我做主，尊重别人的个人自由。

美国法律建立在任何人、任何势力都不能侵犯个人主义不可剥夺的权利的基础上。

关于个人主义，胡佛（Herbert Clark Hoover）说：美国的个人主义不同于其他国家的个人主义，因为它包含有下列伟大理想，虽然美国社会建立在个人所获得的成就之上，但我们保证使每一个人有平等机会享有他的才智、性格、能力和愿望，使他有资格占有的社会地位；美国使社会问题的解决不依仗固定的社会阶层；美国鼓励每一个人努力取得成就；通过加强责任感和理解协助他实现这一目的；但与此同时他必须经受得住竞争这块金刚砂轮的磨炼。

胡佛说：美国人已明白，强者不一定是最适者，在强者受到约束时社会才顺利地发展。

但我们也很清楚，“人类进步的源泉之一”是个人有机会尽最大可能发挥个人的能力。

个人主义并不意味着手段的平等，而是机会的公平！在美国的制度下，我们通过全社会的免费教育训练了赛跑者，我们给他们一个相同的起点，我们的政府就是公平的裁判。

谁经过了最认真的训练，谁获得了最大的能力和最坚强的性格，谁就能成为胜利者。

胡佛说：美国的历史表明，个人主义兴盛之时就是国家发达之日。

没有个人就不会有思想和行动……如果消灭了个人主义还能保证社会的成功，那就无异是说消灭了太阳的光辉还能饮食生存”。

编辑：hiwei 2012-08-10。

美国人的十三种价值观2008年12月26日 17:26大多数美国人很难一一告诉你他们生活中所依据的价值观念，理由是每一个美国人的价值观念都不同，不能适应于所有的或大多数公民。

尽管如此，一位外国人类学家通过观察美国人，罗列出一些运用于大多数美国人的价值观念。

一、人胜环境美国人不相信命运的力量，他们已从落后迟疑和无望的质朴中醒悟过来。

在美国，人们认为，不论什么环境，人都可以发挥潜力。

二、不断更新在美国人心目中，变化已被看作是一件无可争辩的好事，“改变”总是强有力地连接着发展、进步和成长。

他们一是相信我们能做任何事情，二是相信任何变化都是好的。

三、掌握时间时间对每个人都是极其重要的，比起发展人际关系，美国人更注重按时做出成就。

美国的语言里有很多与时间有关，可以清楚地说明时间的价值。

例如:时间的节约、使用、浪费、计划。

迟到被认为很无礼，那怕仅仅是10分钟，这在美国很重要。

重视时间使美国人有很高的生产效率，并创造出巨大的生产价值，许多人用今天的时间和能源为今后制造出可供享用的更多的劳动成果。

四、机会均等对美国人来说，平等是他们最充满希望的价值观之一。

他们认为人人生来平等，在生活中取得成功的机会均等。

尽管有人对这种想法变为现实有不同的看法，事实上，人们都同意实现平等是政府和社会的一个重要目标。

美国人反感对有地位的人表示崇敬的举止。

相反，他们却认为那些下等阶级的人十分重要。

五、尊重个人美国人认为应在他们的思想和行为中重视个人，事实也是这样，他们反对把他们当作同一组织或无论什么组织的代表。

在美国，个人隐私不仅被看作是积极的条件，而且被所有人看作是同样必要的需要、愿望和满足。

六、自我图强在美国一个人能得到信任是因为他或她依靠自己取得成就。

出身富有家庭的人并不因为出身感到光荣。

相反感到自豪的是出身穷苦，通过自己的牺牲和勤奋工作取得的成绩。

当然，美国的社会体系利于人的流动，比较容易使人成材。

七、进取精神美国人相信竞争能最大限度发挥个人的作用，它向每个人挑战，迫使每个人尽可能地生产财富。

美国的主流价值观到底是什么？这就点到要害了，也是我今天讲的主题。

到美国以后，观察到种种现象，引起我的思考，美国的主流价值观大概有三点吧。

美国的主流价值观大概有三点首先，最主要的，是民族主义。

民族主义是现代民族国家、国际政治、国际法之本。

没有民族主义，民族国家就不能成立，形式上成立了也有名无实。

你这个国土范围内总有这样、那样的地方或族群不认同这个民族（nation）、台湾翻译成国族，不认同这个政权（state），你这个国家怎能屹立于现代民族之林？民族国家建立在民族主义之上，同时现代国际社会又是以一个个民族国家为主体构成的。

民族主义就是民族国家范围内的团队精神，对内情同手足，对外同仇敌忾，高度团结一致。

你观察美国，再反观中国，就知道了，中国什么都缺，但从来不缺汉奸（笑）。

钱老师刚才告诉我，经他考证，二战期间，中国是世界上唯一的被侵略民族能够组织成建制的军队，就是所说的伪军，与侵略者并肩打自己同胞的国家。

原因就是我们的民族国家迟迟不能形成，民族主义一直很弱。

民族主义、民族国家用国土、疆界，把贫困、富裕圈起来，锁起来。

美国得天独厚，形成了世界上最强的民族主义，它的民族主义比我们不知要强多少倍，比其他列强也强得多。

怎么说它得天独厚呢？从资源看，美国的资源极其丰富，我们的煤可能再挖200年，它的煤再挖两千年都挖不完；它的石油也还多着呢，但是不挖，还有油页岩，多得不计其数，就是不开采。

所以，大家不要指望矿物燃料很快用完，还早呢。

老牌资本主义国家、英国法国，后起的资本主义国家、德国日本，都没有这么多资源。

从人口看，我在美国期间它突破三亿，加拿大、澳大利亚的资源也很丰富，但是它们的人口太少了，人太少也不成；我们中国的人口太多了，太多了有利有弊。

而美国三亿人，不多不少。

它的地理位置又好。

欧洲大陆，一个民族国家崛起就打一仗，无数生灵涂炭，英国有一个英吉列海峡挡着，战火烧得就少点，美国隔了大西洋，战火便从来没有烧过去，它打过南北战争之后，整个20世纪都没在本土打过仗。

美国人的价值观引言美国是一个多元化和自由的国家，拥有丰富的历史和独立的价值观。

美国人的价值观在很大程度上塑造了国家的文化和社会结构。

本文将讨论美国人的核心价值观以及它们对美国社会的影响。

1. 自由主义自由主义是美国文化的核心价值观之一。

美国人相信个体的权利和自由是至高无上的。

这种价值观体现在美国宪法中，保障了人们的自由言论、宗教、结社和拥有枪支的权利。

自由主义还体现在美国的经济制度中，鼓励自由市场和竞争。

这种自由主义价值观对美国社会产生了深远的影响。

美国人相信每个人都应该有平等的机会去追求自己的梦想，无论他们的出身或背景如何。

这种价值观促使美国人关注社会公正和个人自由，同时也使他们遵守法律和尊重他人的权利。

2. 个人主义个人主义是美国文化中另一个重要的价值观。

美国人倾向于强调个人的责任和权益，而不是集体或家族的利益。

这种价值观反映在美国人的独立和自主精神中，他们鼓励个人发展和追求个人目标。

个人主义的影响贯穿于美国社会的各个领域。

在经济领域，个人主义促进了创新和竞争，推动了美国的经济发展。

在社会领域，个人主义强调个人责任和自力更生的价值，鼓励人们通过努力和才能来实现成功。

3. 平等和多元化平等和多元化也是美国人价值观的重要组成部分。

美国人相信每个人都应该受到平等对待，无论他们的种族、性别、宗教或其他身份特征如何。

他们认为多元化是美国社会的力量之一，能够带来创新和发展。

这种平等和多元化的价值观在美国的社会结构中得到体现。

美国政府制定了一系列法律和政策来保障各个群体的权利和福利，并鼓励不同群体之间的合作和理解。

在教育领域，美国的学校和大学鼓励学生欣赏和尊重不同的文化和观点。

4. 实用主义实用主义是美国人的另一个重要价值观。

美国人更倾向于重视实际问题的解决和实用的方法，而不是追求理论或抽象的思考。

这种实用主义的精神在美国的商业和创新领域得到了体现。

美国人注重解决问题和实现目标。

他们鼓励追求效率和实用性，强调实际经验和实践。