Cours 1 Introduction

American values and beliefs

Common culture

The American dream Faith in economic opportunity Equality of opportunity in an open society with non social barriers nothing can stop you from succeeding/make in the top. Capitalism and free enterprises constitute the economic free work of social mobility; the government must be away from. Social mobility-you can change jobs, poverty is not a fact, each individual has a right to start his own business and work his way up. Democracy untouchable the individual rights. Democracy and Constitution are guaranties of free individus-individual freedom and political institutions, political police, presidency, Supreme court limit the power of Federal Government and allow local and individual ambitions. Political traditions (syndicates) foster individual ambitions. Stress on the work ethnic Qualities are required: will power, self discipline, determination to succeed, optimism, ingenuity, know how then competitive spirits. The puritan ethic of hard work. To succeed-have money, power, social statutes, fame and happiness. Capitalism and democracy have both been parts of a progress-oriented society. Missionary America The West sign technology, how to represent American materials. But American dedications to a more crucial frontier should be over moved. From the days of Declaration of, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Americans have believed they had a leading role to play in the defense, the promotion of certain ideas. American duty to the world is a manifest destiny to political democracy, social equality of a nation, freedom of the speech, religious practices

from fear, from wants, economic opportunity (free enterprises and capitalism; to sum up faith in crucial and material progress. These dedications to ideals had been the Hallmark, a characteristic of the American dream At home 1. the abolition of slavery, of segregation in the 1960; 2. The Civil Rights Movement, the faith against poverty, a creation of a foundation (philanthropy); 3. social and economic equality has to be pitted against the facts of poverty; 4. racial and sex discrimination and religious intolerances (segregation). At broad 1. the reject of colonial empires, regimes; 2. the determination to create the United Nations (intervention of America in Second World War); 3. Peace Corps (1961) created by Kennedy to help people (massif aid to developing countries of Third World); 4. the credibility gap expressed the difference between theory and practice, between words and deeds, the ideals and policy. Michael Harrington, The other America, revealing there were million of million of poor people. At broad- the faiths for world leadership and power between the Soviet Union and USA has turned idealism into ideological expansionism.