1. Dominant American Values

Because the United States is such a diverse country, it may at first seem impossible to describe a central common culture. In one sense, this is true: there are so many cultural groups here that there is no single set of cultural values that represents every group. In addition, there is also tremendous variation within groups, so that the opposite of any true statement might also be true, at least for some members of some groups. That being said, most experts will agree that there is a dominant American culture, a culture that is pervasive enough among people with influence that social, political, and business life will reflect that culture and its norms.

Because the U.S. is a diverse society with a strong emphasis on individualism, Americansare likely to notice things that make them different from one another. Newcomers will most likely soon be able to identify aspects of the culture that bind Americans together. It should come as no surprise that in the United States, the dominant culture is that shared by European Americans. And because European Americans have long run the institutions of government, education, and commerce, it’s easy to find that these institutions reflect European American values. In the first half of this unit, we will explore some of those dominant cultural traits.

1.1　Individualism

Probably the most important thing to understand about Americans is their devotion to“individualism”. Many Americans believe that the ideal person is an autonomous, self-reliant individual. They generally do not prefer being dependent on other people or having others dependent on them. Americans have a desire for personal success, both social and economic, and many do not consider social and cultural factors as insurmountable barriers to their ability to get ahead. One result of this attitude is the competitiveness of American society.

Like all other people in the world, Americans are concerned with peer pressure and public image; yet they tend to care less about what other people think than Asians do. Individual identity or preference often overrules social expectations and conformity. Even ordinary people yearn to be different and feel special. According to nineteenth-century French historian Alexis de Tocqueville¹, this is due to American democracy. As social conditions have become more equal, more people have acquired sufficient education and financial means to satisfy their wants. They owe nothing to anyone and expect nothing from anyone. Since they consider themselves to be standing alone, they feel that they can be unique.

For Americans, being true to oneself is first and foremost. Thus, Americans continually search for their individual identities and insist on others’ recognition of their different interests, styles, and preferences. Thanks to a society that values diversity, Americans can express individuality and uniqueness in every aspect of their lives. Anyone who wants to change hair color or clothing style can do so. Many people not only furnish and decorate their homes to reflect their personality but also custom-design their houses. They express themselves through their lawns and gardens and the color of their walls. Advertisements for merchandise mirror the American psyche, such as the “I am” theme in a Levi’s jeans commercial. One of the highest compliments one American can pay another about hairstyle, clothing, or even a car is,“That’s really you!”.

1.2　Competitive Spirit

“Winning isn’t everything—it’s the only thing,” said legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi². Many people believe that sports have had a positive influence on American society, and the competitive nature of sports has provided Americans with many metaphors. Businesspeople often use sports terms and expressions in their speech, such as “playing in the big league”, “strike out”, “slam-dunk”, and “touchdown”. For competitive Americans, who hate losing, everything in life is a game to win. Their love of competition is reflected in their obsession with ratings and rankings. Nowhere can one see so many ratings: the best cities to do business in, the best places to raise children, the best colleges and universities, the cities with the cleanest air, the one hundred richest people, the twenty-five most beautiful people, the fifty most influential people, the sixty most intriguing people, the sexiest man in America, and many more.

In its purest form, competition challenges Americans to become better. In 1994 and 1995, the United States climbed to the top of the list of the world’s most competitive economies, displacing Japan for the first time since 1985, according to the annual global survey conducted by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. Prior to 1994, when Japan had the lead, Americans criticized themselves harshly for failing to be number one; they did not quietly accept defeat in world economic leadership.

No doubt competition has produced for the United States some of the best professionals, the best products, and the best business practices in the world. Nevertheless, there is a downside to Americans’ emphasis on winning at any cost. The pressure to win can be overwhelming in America, where only winners are cheered and remembered and the winner takes all, including multimillion-dollar advertising contracts. Tonya Harding, the figure skater who arranged to have her Olympic competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, injured, is an extreme example of the pressure to win³. The overemphasis on competition also contributes to a hostile workplace. Employees constantly compete against their peers and lose sleep over who gets credit for a new sales plan or for having the best ideas; this discourages teamwork and strains human relations. At school, cheating has become a serious concern when even the top students do it regularly.

1.3　Equality

Americans are distinctive in the degree to which they believe in the ideal, as stated intheir Declaration of Independence , that “all men are created equal”. Although they sometimes violate the ideal in their daily lives, particularly in matters of interracial relationships and sometimes relationships among people from different social classes, Americans have a deep faith that in some fundamental way all people （at least all American people） are of equal value, that no one is born superior to anyone else. “One person, one vote,” they say, conveying the idea that any person’s opinion is as valid and worthy of attention as any other person’s opinion.

Americans are generally quite uncomfortable when someone treats them with obvious deference. They dislike being the subjects of open displays of respect—being bowed to, deferred to, or treated as though they could do no wrong or make no unreasonable requests.

It is not just males who are created equal, in the American mindset, but females too. While Americans may violate the ideal in practice （for example, women continue to be paid less, on average, than do men in similar jobs）, they do generally assume that women and men are equal, deserving of the same level of respect. Women may be different from men but are not inferior to them.

This is not to say that Americans make no distinctions among themselves as a result of such factors as gender, age, wealth, or social position. They do. But the distinctions are acknowledged in subtle ways. Tone of voice, order of speaking, choice of words, seating arrangements—such are the means by which Americans acknowledge status differences among themselves. People of higher status are more likely to speak first, louder, and longer. They sit at the head of the table or in the most comfortable chair. They feel free to interrupt other speakers more than others feel free to interrupt them. The higher-status person may put a hand on the shoulder of the lower-status person. If there is touching between the people involved, the higher-status person will touch first.

Foreigners who are accustomed to more obvious displays of respect （such as bowing, averting eyes from the face of the higher-status person, or using honorific titles） often overlook the ways in which Americans show respect for people of higher status. They think, incorrectly, that Americans are generally unaware of status differences and disrespectful of other people. What is distinctive about the American outlook on the matter of equality are the underlying assumptions that （1） no matter what a person’s initial station in life, he or she has the opportunity to achieve high standing and （2） everyone, no matter how unfortunate, deserves some basic level of respectful treatment.