Culture and Society

Reaction paper no. 1

Nicolas Hernandez
ULACIT

American Cultural Values

In a cultural environment, we are a community that always supports for the things
that identify us such as law, values, ethics, attitudes, customs, traditions, and even our
internal beliefs. This summary aims to summarize the most important aspects about
American Cultural Values, written by Gary Weaver. We will explore the main aspects that
define Americans in the United States. Likewise, it will also include my personal analysis
with my own opinion and perception about this multicultural society that always works to
succeed in the real world.
People in the United States come from many different homelands. They have a
variety of customs, traditions, and foods. Likewise, they do share many of the same values
constantly. Furthermore, American citizens care about individual freedoms, equal
opportunities, fair treatment of people regardless of differences, private ownership of
property, and education. Many of these values help define American culture.
To begin, this has been a great article for me. It is a great source of information that
clearly describes the most important American values in the United States. Additionally, it
is the first time I read fundamental information that makes me become more aware of the
similarities and differences between cultural values. Furthermore, if we deeply understand
the internal culture, we will have a system of analyzing behavior. In other words, we should
understand the culture itself because it is important for to stay informed about American
culture regarding values. Therefore, this reading has captured my attention and enriched my
mind effectively.
Firstly, religion is an important personal value in the United States. It has always
been an important for Americans. The majority of Americans stated that religion is very
important in their lives. Another thing is that there is no official religion in America. Also,
immigrants from Europe fled to America to have a better lifestyle because they had
different beliefs and were against the Roman Catholic Church. People are free to choose the
religion that fits in their lives. There is no official religion. In fact, the government is
banned from supporting any religious group. From my perspective, religion is very
important because it makes us improve our lifestyle. However, we must respect our
different religious beliefs because not everyone has the same belief.

Secondly, honesty along with openness and directness has become the core aspect of
Americans in terms of establishing relationships with people from a different cultural
background. We can refer this aspect to the phrase honesty is the best policy. Being
honest with yourself in a tough situation allows you to have mental peace. In fact, telling
the truth is better than lying even if it is hard to do. Likewise, honesty conveys positive
thoughts and characteristics such as straightforwardness and truthfulness. Thus, Americans
tend to be sincere and loyal with each other when difficult situations arise by telling the
truth.
Thirdly, most Americans are very independent and spirited when they work to gain
experience and take advantage of economical opportunities where there are natural
resources, and employment. After they finish high school, they become independent
because they want to pursue their goals by going to college to get a degree and have job
that will sustain them in their financial status. Consistent with the certainty that everyone is
created equal, they view people as special, unique and entitled to express themselves.
Whether it is structuring the hours they work, ordering coffee, or a pair of jeans, Americans
are completely independent. They want choices and have their opinions recognized.
On the other hand, Americans tend to be more competitive than in other cultures.
They can be quite competitive because they are strongly emphasized on the goals they want
to achieve as well as their good deeds they actively perform every day. In other words, they
bring out their best in people in order to succeed in any area they are specializing.
Likewise, when you work hard and make an effort to succeed, when coupled with greater
earnings, is rewarded with a rise in social class. It is possible to work your way to the top in
America.
In conclusion, American cultural values are traits that have always been important
on people because they define them in different ways. Being honest, competitive,
independent, and cooperative with someone in a community makes you become aware of
the differences the person has from a different cultural background. Likewise, working hard
and reaching your goals makes you become independent and self-reliant. Another thing I
was interested in this reading is that self-reliance and individual achievement are
complements of being independent as well. Nevertheless, Americans should not overuse

these values. In fact, they should balance them appropriately. In that way, they will be able
to succeed in their lives.