American Values

American Values: Definitions

There are a few important terms we need to clarify. We are going to discuss what values are, what it means when values cluster, and in what ways they can contradict each other.

Value Clusters

Some values come together to form a larger unit of beliefs. The value of success, for example, includes ideas about hard work, education, materialism, and individualism grouped together. A typical American belief is that if people work hard, they can obtain a high-quality education, find a good job and acquire wealth and success. Success is the result of the individual’s efforts, and one must be celebrated if one becomes successful.

Value Contradictions

Certain American values contradict one another. Group superiority, for example, contradicts freedom, equality, and democracy. This contradiction, as part of American history, is also a key part of American culture. It does not mean that it won’t change. Sociologists claim that group superiority has been declining and might eventually completely disappear later.

Value contradictions are often forces of social change and are crucial in society.

Culture Wars

Throughout time, some of the core American values have clashed and from the controversy rose social change.

We refer to such clashes between values as culture wars.

Values as Distorting Lenses

Sociologists argue that we see the world through lenses tinted by the values and beliefs of our society. These values often present us with an idealistic point of view, which can result in us not seeing what reality looks like.

'Ideal' Versus 'Real' Culture

Examples of American Values

The US has a very interesting value system in terms of language. We will start by looking at an example of American values in terms of the ‘official’ tongue.

Is the United States Bilingual?

The US Census showed that 13.8% of American residents speak a language other than English at home (Mount, 2010). Nevertheless, English is seen by most as the ‘official’ language of the US. More than 30 states in America even have laws that identify English as the official language.

The reasoning behind these laws was that by making English the official language, they can save on the costs of translation, printing, and even human resources, as they would not need to search for and pay more for bilingual or multilingual teachers in schools. It was also argued that this decision would encourage immigrants to learn English and adapt to American culture even faster (Mount, 2010).

Many opposed the passing of these laws and still stand against them. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), for example, argues that they deny the cultural and linguistic diversity of America and are specifically discriminative towards Latinos and Asians. The ACLU also highlights that the problems around language rose in the 1970s, exactly when many immigrants arrived from Asia and Latin America. This shows that they target these ethnic and racial groups unfairly.

Nowadays, Spanish is quite ubiquitous in the everyday lives of Americans. The descriptions of consumer products, for example, always have Spanish translations besides English. For companies, it is advantageous if more people can read and therefore consume their products.

Studies also suggest that immigrants to the US from all over the world usually abandon their native tongues and switch to English once they have settled down.

What Are Traditional American Values?

It might seem difficult to identify ‘American values’ that apply to the entire US and all the communities that reside here. Sociologists, nevertheless, have attempted to decipher the core American values.

Let us look at the ten American values collected by Robin Williams (1965) in the 1960s. Then, we will mention three additional American values that are closely connected to American culture and social life.

1. Success and achievement

The US appreciates and celebrates competition and personal achievement in terms of wealth, power, and status. This value especially applies to academics and employment.

2. Individualism

The American Dream is the idea that any individual - no matter their origin or background - can achieve great wealth and success if they work hard in the US, the land of opportunity and social mobility. This also means Americans tend to blame individuals rather than the social system for their failures.

3. Hard work and endurance

Americans value hard work and believe that anyone can achieve success through it. Hard work is encouraged in the family, school, and work; and so is enduring difficult conditions to achieve goals.

4. Efficiency

Getting things done fast and efficiently is highly valued in the US. Both in personal and professional life, Americans aim for efficiency and practicality.

5. Science and technology

Americans are passionate about scientific development and technology. It is no surprise that many new scientific inventions were created in the US.

Fig. 1 - Science and technological advancement are part of core American values.

6. Materialism

Americans value material comfort, which includes good food, medical care, housing, technological devices, cars, clothing, accessories, etc.

7. Freedom

The American Revolution was about personal freedom and the abolishment of slavery. Americans are proud to say that in the US, all individuals are free. This principle is also extended to other freedoms, such as the freedom to live one's life as one wishes.

8. Democracy

The US is based on a majority-rules principle. Everyone has the right to express their opinion and have a say in politics through the representative government.

9. Equality

Americans believe in equality of opportunity. This value is central in American history and contemporary everyday life, especially regarding the power struggle between different social groups. It means that Americans should, in theory, have equal access to everything from a good education to the chance to become a CEO.

10. Group superiority

Americans have historically valued some groups more highly than others. This, of course, contradicts the three core values of freedom, democracy, and equality. And yet, the reality of American history shows that it is true. Women, Native Americans, and Black people, in particular, have suffered from discrimination and the lack of the three core values mentioned above throughout American history.

Further American Values and Beliefs

Let us now look at three additional American values that are slightly more abstract than the rest.

+1. Education

Americans strive for as high an education as possible. Nowadays, university education is the goal of many citizens of the US. However, this is not as accessible to some as it is to others due to the financial costs of private and higher education. Also, those who can afford to go to university but decide not to are viewed negatively as if they were doing something wrong.

+2. Religiosity

Americans are often expected to believe in a god and act according to religious mandates. There is religious pluralism in the US - many different religions exist side by side in peace. The declaration ‘In God We Trust’ is on American money, and in the nation’s pledge of allegiance, it also stands ‘one nation under God’. This shows the importance of the divine in many Americans’ lives.

+3. Romantic love

In the US, marriage is seen as an appropriate choice if it is based on ‘true love’. The core value and goal of obtaining romantic love is continuously displayed in American culture, music, literature, mass media, and folk tales.

What Are the New American Core Values?

Values are related to social conditions and are continuously changing. Some lose significance or even disappear, while others gain importance or emerge completely anew.

Five core values have been developing in the US in the past decades. The first four belong to the value cluster of leisure and self-fulfillment, and the last is connected to environmental concerns.

Let us look at the first four values that emerged as Americans started to have more free time and energy as work got less demanding due to technical developments.

1. Leisure

The value of leisure developed as people started to have more time for nonwork-related activities. It presents itself in the emergence of the computer game industry, in vacation homes, spa retreats, sports arenas, luxury cruises, and home theaters.

2. Self-fulfillment

Americans believe that one can achieve anything one wants. Thus, emerged a culture in which one is expected to achieve (or at least try to achieve) everything they have the potential for. People are expected to 'fix' themselves if they are not performing their best and find a profession and goal that would make them both happy and financially stable. The value of self-fulfillment is presented in self-help books, magazine articles and talk shows.

3. Physical fitness

Physical fitness has always been valued in the US; however, recently, it gained new levels of significance and is now also connected to leisure and self-fulfillment. Good nutrition, organic foods, engaging in various diets, sports, and physical training have all gained a new following in America. There are many fitness centers and health and sports societies.

Fig. 2 - Physical fitness is a core American value.

4. Youthfulness

People have always valued youthfulness and energy. In the past decades, however, there has been an increased obsession with staying young and resisting aging. The development and persistent aspirational marketing of cosmetic surgery, skincare, and nutrition products all target Americans who desperately try to look or remain youthful.

Finally, let us look at the last core American value connected to environmental concerns.

5. Environment

Sociologists argue that now that the US is doing relatively well economically, people can afford to care about their natural surroundings. Developing nations, for example, have so many other issues that they can’t yet afford to adopt this value.

Americans used to look at the environment as something to exploit for their benefit. We cleared forests to have land for farms, we used lakes for fishing, and the wilderness for hunting. Only recently have we turned this attitude into a more protective one towards nature. Now it is a core value.