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American Values and Assumptions

In the article, “American Values and Assumptions”, Gary Althen notes that people
who grow up in the same culture have similar values and assumptions. They usually
understand each other in terms of social issues, and share the same cultural values
with other people. Althen discusses individualism, competition, privacy, equality,
informality, and time about American culture in the article.

Individualism is the most important value for Americans who believe that everyone
are separate individual. Americans like competing with others such as their
classmates and colleagues. Althen notes that this is a cause of individualism. Also,
American parents educate their children in order to prepare for a successful future.
The children whom will make their own decisions are prepared for a successful future
by parents. American themselves sees as a being competitiveness with others.
Competitiveness pervades the society.it is obvious that attention given to athletic
events and star athletes, who are praised for being “real competitors”. Privacy which
has a critical importance is another value for Americans. Althen believes that
Americans sometimes want to be alone to make healthy decisions and to have good
mental health. Moreover, Americans believe equality because they think everyone has
the same rights. The writer attributes to Declaration of Independence about equality.
Americans are informal people in their daily life because of the idea of equality.
American clerks like other american have been trained to belive that they are as a
valuable as any other people’s even they worked at time other might consider lowly.
This informal behaviors can outrages foreign visitors who hold high stations in
countries where it is not assumed that “all men are created equal”.

In the United States, the future is more important than history and traditions for
rising generations even though older people give more importance to history and
traditions. American belives that people as individuals working cooperatively together
can changes aspect of physical and social environment if they decides to do so then
they make appropriate plans and get to works change will presumably produce
improvements. And new things is better than old things. Time is another important
value for Americans. American society believes that time is money and the ideal
person is punctual and is considerate or other’s people times. They always do their
works on time. Before doing their works, they prepare time, schedules and makes
plans to achieve their goals. Americans want to spend money on material goods. Even
though some goods, like personal computer, were considered luxuries, they are
considered “essential” by today’s Americans. American is a hard worker and
encourages other peoples to do work and get their goals. Also, they think they are
direct, open, and frank in their relationships. According to Althen, Americans believe
that conflicts can be solved with conversation.

Althen believes that Americans sometimes want to be alone to make healthy decisions
and have a good mental health, so they have some boundaries in their houses, yards,
offices even though they seem open and inviting. Americans like privacy and spending
time alone even though their houses and offices are seen being open for everyone. On
the whole, as Althen says, people who have similar culture have similar values and
assumptions. Althen explains this situation with American cultural values. All cultures
have these kinds of values, such as individualism and privacy, and assumptions.
Individualism and privacy are the two of the most important values for most of
cultures. Therewithal, individualism and privacy overlap with and support each other.
Generally, they come to an understanding with each other.

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