A Foreign Anthropologist's Observation of Americans

Deena R. Levine & Mara B. Adelma

Sometimes it's difficult to describe the values or ideals of a culture from within that culture.However, if one looks at the culture from the outside, certain observations can be made more easily. It's important to understand American values if you want to understand American behavior. Certain ways of thinking, acting and communicating are a direct result of cultural values. The following list of values describes the basic values of many Americans (even a majority of Americans). For each entry in the list of American values, a "contrasting value" is given. Each of these opposite values may be found among some Americans (particularly those belonging to certain minority groups), but for the most part is more typical of people in non-Western cultures of the world.

1. American Value: Personal control over the environment: People can alter nature, and, to a large extent, can determine the direction of their lives.

Contrasting Value: Fate: What happens in life is a result of a grand plan or destiny.

2. American Value: Change: Change is healthy. People stagnate if they don't make enough changes.

Contrasting value: Tradition: The preservation of ceremonies, customs, and beliefs from the past is important and worthy.

3. American Value: Control over time: Time flies. People are pressured by time. People shouldn't waste time. They must rush to get things done, and must follow their schedules to be productive.

Contrasting value: Time walks. There's no need for people to feel so pressured. They should take it easy!

4. American Value: Equality and egalitarianism: All people are created equal and deserve equal rights. (Remember: This is a value or ideal, not an established reality.)

Contrasting value: Rank and status: People's roles are defined in terms of their relationships to other people; people can be inferior or superior to someone else.

5. American Value: Individualism and privacy: Individual needs are considered primary.

Contrasting Value: Group orientation: The individual sacrifices his or her needs to those of the group.

6. American Value: Self-help: People can and should try to improve their own lives, their own minds, their own marriages and even their own personalities.

Contrasting Value: Birthright inheritance: People are born into either wealth or poverty and should live according to tradition; we all "are who we are" and shouldn't pretend otherwise.

7. American Value: Action and work orientation: Work often defines people; they identify themselves by what they do. (" What do you do?" nearly means: "Who are you?")

Contrasting Value: "Being" orientation: Work is not the heart and soul of person; it's okay not to focus on work, accomplishments and achievements.

8. American Value: Informality: First name usage (" Just call me Bob"), casual clothes, and a lack of formal ceremony are typical of American life.

Contrasting Value: Formality: The use of titles and last names is common; displays of respect are important; keeping a little distance is considered good manners.

9. American Value: Directness, openness, and honesty: "Honesty is the best policy." People should express themselves openly. It's not considered good to "beat around the bush."

Contrasting Value: Being indirect and "saving face": People should consider one another's feelings when deciding what to say. Honesty is not always the best policy.

10. American Value: Materialism: It's okay to be more concerned with material goals than with spiritual or intellectual goals.

Contrasting value: Spirituality: All reality is spiritual; nothing material is as important.