Preview

The Values Americans Live by Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
682 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Values Americans Live by Essay Example
The Values Americans Live By by Robert Kohls

In the article The Values Americans Live By by Robert Kohls, he states in the very first paragraph, "Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are which Americans live by." This statement is dead on when comparing America to almost any other country. In America there are so many different cultures because families from other countries are coming here in search of a better life. There is a very large diversity of cultures among Americans today. This makes it virtually impossible to have a definitive culture known as American culture. Most families come here to live but essentially still follow many of their cultures from their homeland although even these cultures can become somewhat Americanized. However Kohls does claim there are thirteen values in which most Americans live by. The first value that caught my interest was the value of change and how change is only seen as good in America. In America we are always craving a change for a better life. Nobody wants to work at McDonald's their whole life just for the stability of a job. We want jobs that make more money so we can buy better cars and better houses. Americans always are seeking something new they always want to see if the grass is greener on the other side of the hill. This is why tradition and heritage are not a value of many Americans because most people can not stick to the same game plan day in and day out. Value number five, Individualism and privacy is a value Kohls makes excellent points on and angers me because his points are dead on. On page three he states, "Americans resist being thought of as representatives of a homogenous group, whatever the group." This angers me mostly because of the truth of its meaning. While many people claim they are different from everyone else in reality they are just like everyone they are hanging out with and the people they are drawn to. First, a person can tell

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Do you know what it means to be an American? There is several ways to show what it is to be an American. For example, the police protect our streets everyday. Also the people that have careers that makes our country a better place. An American is showing patriotism, having freedom, and showing love and devotion for your country.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    For our first Individual Work Worksheet, you will explore three values that you think are central to American culture. From there, let’s define ethnocentrism. Is it ethnocentric to be nationalistic? Finally, define cultural relativism. Are values culturally relative? Why/Why not?…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    One pride that American culture values most is individualism; where one is self-reliant. However, individualism has taken its own course and developed over time. Previously, individualism was based on one’s own values and morals where they based their lives on their own ideals. The ideal of individualism developed into a set of morals and ideals of one individual in which their values and morals spreads to society.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Franciscan Values

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Each person in society has a set of values that they believe deserves to be followed to ensure a positive working group as a whole. From today, to way back in Biblical times, there have been written and followed values from different groups or regions of people. The Ten Commandments is one of the earliest set of “values” held for religious people to follow to ensure a God filled, and healthy society of people. Some of these values have been followed since then, but others have arrived as well too. Here at Saint Francis University they have a set of values while America as a whole has its own set as well. “American values” is what two sociologists came up with for America and they happen to have similarities with Franciscan values.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In 1776, a semi-unified country signed one of the most important documents in history. Since then the nation has shown signs of how different the country was from 1776 to the present. The Declaration of Independence is based on the social contract theory of government and is focused on equality, freedom, and power.These values have been both supported and contradicted in American history (Jefferson, pg.443).…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States of America has been recognized for multiple purposes, and have shown dominance in numerous factors and has also been recognized as the land of opportunity and land of the free. But what were the original intentions of our founding fathers to the United States? The founding fathers original intention were Freedom, Equality and Liberty and their goal was to create a government around such values.…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What it means to be an American, most people would tell you it means freedom to pursue and do what you want. In my opinion freedom and the “dream” don't come easy it takes more than hard work and dedication to earn a dime in this country. To be an American it means, responsibility to serve and do everything in your power to be a part of your society. To be an American it means you will obtain rights, for example, the 2nd amendment states you have the right to bare arms. To be an American it means you have freedom, to own whatever you desire if you work hard enough for it.…

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    W2A1

    • 540 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The ones that I embrace are individualism because what you put into life will make you better than what you are. If you push yourself to do better in life then the overall outcome is huge. Along with this is achievement and success. If you push yourself (individual) then you will have success in life as well. Another one that I embrace is freedom and liberty because without these then you are not restricted to do what you want. If there was not freedom then we would be told what, when and how to do things in life.…

    • 540 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Being an American is being proud to be a part of a community of people working together for a life full of success and opportunity for themselves and generations to come after them. Being an American means to have passion, enthusiasm, and spirit to live in a free country, this country. having the ability to do whatever you want while being proud, strong and hopeful for a country full of freedom, full of opportunity and full of success, is all what it means to be an American. Being an American is having spirit and patriotism, devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty is what it means to be an American.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Result Lens

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages

    My biggest value is my capacity to balance between self and others. I use my heart to make choices but I also use my rationality to stay fair. I value autonomy. I celebrate independence. My goal is to…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    To be American can be seen in many different ways. There is no right or wrong way to tell whether you are American. Some of evidence that interested me through out the stories is that we are all immigrant, the founding father of America weren’t all American, and how only Chinese immigrants were sent to Angel Island. Out of the several stories that we read, many of them enforced or reinforced my point of view on the situation. My personal view on what it means to be American is that your race, religion, clothing, hair and all things like that don’t matter. To be American you just have to be a citizen of the United States, in my opinion.…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of an American is a person born, raised, or living in the U.S. but is that what it truly means to be an American? Millions from all around the world come to USA to turn their life around because they weren’t doing so good at their home country. Many people have their own meaning of being an American which most are similar or have a similar idea but I feel like my meaning of an American is meaningful to me because of the state our country is in. Clearly, it means different things to many different people.…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    NVQ 3 305

    • 2242 Words
    • 8 Pages

    We all have our own values that have developed as a result of our family and childhood experiences, and as a result of our friendships and relationships. Our values are also influenced by people in our local community, as well as by national figures and the media.…

    • 2242 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Values are the most felt beliefs shared by any culture. They show what is wanted in their lives, not what is needed. The main belief behind values is that it is a shared perception on society and on ones self. But that is human nature to have many sides, like the whole "Good" versus "Evil." It is human nature to be one of the three elements. They can be basically a good person. They can be a mixture of good and evil. Or they can be basically evil. This type of thinking is one way of analyzing the thoughts and actions of people. Many people in America hold this belief. In the past years, there has been a shift of views in human nature. Many people are changing their views on the primary evil of humanity.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    PYC4808

    • 7181 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Meaning comes from external experience. We are only the recipients – we recognise order; not create it.…

    • 7181 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays