Activity and Reading 7
Cultural Values in American Society
Purpose
To explore the relationship between cultural values and their expression in institutions, especially the American school, and to consider how some of these values may be changing.
Instructions
Read the following discussion of traditional American values. Then, respond to the questions according to how you see the particular value expressed in society.
American culture is complex, and many would say that it is difficult to identify a national culture or what might be called “typical” American cultural patterns. Many European Americans, for instance, think of themselves as having no culture, as being citizens of a nation too young to have really developed a culture. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Every group of people with any history has created a culture that pervades their thoughts and actions. American society is rich with diverse cultural patterns that, for many, come together in the schools. Since cultural patterns associated with the European American middle class have provided the foundation in most schools in this society, these patterns will be analyzed in terms of the school experience and school readiness. You should be making comparisons to other groups within American society.
A brief reflection on American history suggests that those who colonized North America had relatively weak ties to their homelands. The extended family, important in the country of origin, was separated, leaving the nuclear family as the predominant source of strength and identity. This had a tremendous influence on the development of the “American” character, since people’s orientation had to shift from the larger collective to the individual or nuclear family unit. It is here that we see the beginnings of an individualistic orientation. In addition, as people came to settle the United States, the need to adjust to uncertainty, as well as to focus on change and development for survival, became paramount. Many of these values are in conflict with those held in many ethnic communities today.
Over the years, a dominant European American middle-class culture emerged that rests on six major values. In the previous exercise you explored values by looking at proverbs and sayings that have become a part of our folk wisdom. Since such proverbs express the values of a people, they are an excellent indicator of the folk-knowledge that supports and integrates society.
Reflect upon each mainstream value presented below and how it has influenced schools. Then, try to identify where another group’s cultural value might be in support or conflict with it. If you represent a non-American culture, what values are reflected in your home society? Then, respond to similar questions.
1. European Americans have a tendency to view themselves as separate from nature and able to master or control their environment.
As a result, a high value is placed on science and technology as the predominant means of interacting with the world. This results in objectivity, rationality, materialism, and a need for concrete evidence. Proverbs and sayings such as “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” reflect this belief.
How do you see this value expressed in society?
How do you see this value expressed in schools?
Can you identify a cultural group whose values might be in conflict with this one? Support your response.
Do you have any indication that this value is undergoing change in recent years? If so, please explain.
2. European Americans are action-oriented.
As with number 1, this results in measurable accomplishments and an emphasis on efficiency and practicality. Progress and change thus become important concepts. Our schools expect such an orientation, as evidenced by an emphasis on testing and measurement as well as a nearly religious belief in the efficiency of paperwork assignments. Proverbs such as “Seeing is believing,” and “The proof is in the pudding” emphasize this cultural trait.
How do you see this value expressed in society?
How do you see this value expressed in schools?
Can you identify a cultural group whose values might be in conflict with this one? Support your response.
Do you have any indication that this value is undergoing change in recent years? If so, please explain.
3. European Americans have a future orientation; they believe in the promise that things will be bigger and better.
Most middle-class European Americans are seldom content with the present; they wish not to be considered old-fashioned, and they believe that effort applied in the present will affect their future. Progress is, in many ways, their most important product. Proverbs such as “I think I can, I think I can,” and “A penny saved is a penny earned,” reflect this tendency.
How do you see this value expressed in society?
How do you see this value expressed in schools?
Can you identify a cultural group whose values might be in conflict with this one? Support your response.
Do you have any indication that this value is undergoing change in recent years? If so, please explain.
4. European Americans are self-motivated and comfortable setting their own goals and directions.
From an early age, the majority of European Americans are encouraged to reach out on their own, to attempt for themselves, to satisfy their own needs. Such proverbs as “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” and “The early bird catches the worm,” reflect this trait.
How do you see this value expressed in society?
How do you see this value expressed in schools?
Can you identify a cultural group whose values might be in conflict with this one? Support your response.
Do you have any indication that this value is undergoing change in recent years? If so, please explain.
5. European Americans have a strong sense of individuality.
The belief that the “self” as an individual is separate from others results in a tendency to emphasize individual initiative, independence, action, and interests. From an early age, children are encouraged to make their own decisions and to develop their individual skills and abilities, and in the traditional school, children are expected to work alone in their seats, rarely coming together for group work. Proverbs such as “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and “God helps those who help themselves” stress this value.
How do you see this value expressed in society?
How do you see this value expressed in schools?
Can you identify a cultural group whose values might be in conflict with this one? Support your response.
Do you have any indication that this value is undergoing change in recent years? If so, please explain.
6. Finally, European Americans believe in the mutability of human nature.
This belief, that it is relatively easy to change and that a cultural environment can mold people, underlies the assimilationist ideology that has pervaded American public education for so many years. “A stranger is only a friend you haven’t met yet,” and “Leaders are made, not born” may reflect this notion.
How do you see this value expressed in society?
How do you see this value expressed in schools?
Can you identify a cultural group whose values might be in conflict with this one? Support your response.
Do you have any indication that this value is undergoing change in recent years? If so, please explain.
Human Diversity Workbook Activity 7 | 1